After the unprecedented success of the Dungeons and Dragons series in recent years via the Hollywood blockbuster Honor Among Thieves and the long-anticipated video game Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s no surprise Netflix wants to adapt the Forgotten Realms setting into a live-action show. After the Lord of the Rings movies of the early 2000s and the global phenomenon Game of Thrones TV shows of the 2010s, the fantasy genre has proven itself profitable to major media companies.
The Dungeons and Dragons had more than its fair share of attempted adaptions to both big and small screens, but now is the perfect moment to capitalize on the momentum the franchise has. I won’t go over all of them, but one that particularly stands out is the 2000 movie of the same name and the subsequent made-for-TV, direct-to-DVD trilogy. Marlon Wayans could have done no wrong in the year 2000, to my mind, so seeing him in this was awesome.
Shawn Levy, the producer of Stranger Things and director of such movies as Date Night, Night at the Museum, and Deadpool & Wolverine, will executive produce the show under his existing deal with Netflix, and will direct several episodes. Multiple episodes will be written and showrun by Drew Crevello, who has served at Fox on the X-Men franchise and the first two Deadpool films, and co-wrote and produced the WeCrashed mini-series.
Journey of Forgotten Realms to TV Show Adaptation
The Forgotten Realms is more than a setting—it’s a living, breathing world that has endured entire fantasy trends, game editions, and even the occasional corporate blunder. Born from the mind of Ed Greenwood in the late 1960s, it was originally a personal plaything for his own stories prior to becoming the official campaign world of Dungeons & Dragons in 1987. And unlike some other tabletop worlds that read like a static museum exhibit, Faerûn is a mad, ever-expanding beast where gods die, empires fall, and drow rangers with impossibly good hair blur the line of heroism.
Its lore runs deep—so deep that hardcore fans are still discovering forgotten corners of the world decades later. Waterdeep, the well-named City of Splendors, is a city where power comes and goes like the tide, ruled by a secretive cabal of masked Lords. Baldur’s Gate, thanks to a little franchise you might have heard of, has secured its position in gaming lore. The Underdark? A writhing hellscape of shadow, beasties, and existential horror. And that’s hardly touching the surface.
But what really makes the Forgotten Realms timeless is that it can be whatever players need it to be. Want a high-fantasy saga of godlike magic and world-destroying prophecies? It’s got that. Prefer a gritty swords-and-sorcery campaign where politics and backstabbing matter more than fireballs? Done. This flexibility, along with its rich storytelling heritage—thanks in no small measure to authors like R.A. Salvatore, Elaine Cunningham, and Ed Greenwood himself—is the reason why it remains the definitive D&D world. It’s more than a world; it’s a genre unto itself.
What to Expect from a D&D Live Action Adaptation?
Although we are still in the early process of Netflix’s Forgotten Realms adaptation, it’s obvious there is plenty of inspiration to draw from. And with visual effects becoming more and more accessible, we’re bound to see the visual thrill this high fantasy franchise has to offer.
The biggest issue for the Forgotten Realms adaptation, however, is the Netflix itself. A long time ago, this streaming platform was considered the pinnacle of TV – despite not actually being TV. However, nowadays, it’s becoming increasingly more obvious that Netflix is busy chasing trends and canceling shows way before giving them a proper chance. Let’s just hope this isn’t one of those things.
Forgotten Realms Series Cast
While no cast has officially been announced yet, there are certainly some dream castings out there. I’d personally be happy to see Regé-Jean Page reprise his role as Xenk Yendar, the oddly straightforward paladin, but I’ll settle for your run-of-the-mill Jason Momoa barbarian.
The best part of the Dungeon and Dragons possible series adaptation on Netflix is that the game itself offers so much variety in what the story could be. Therefore, it’s easy for many famous actors to take roles of familiar classes. For pure comedy, I’d love to see Michael Cera as a rogue who thinks he’s stealthy and charming. On the flip side, John Cena as a paladin – why not?
Final Thoughts on Dungeons & Dragons Netflix Series
The team here is avid fans of Dungeons & Dragons in all forms – that much is obvious. Still, that doesn’t mean we’re going to accept just any old adaption. The franchise itself has proven itself expandable to a series, as evident by the rise of Critical Role and their animated Legend of Vox Machina series (which is also on Netflix).
Whenever the Dungeons & Dragons Netflix series actually arrives, we’re hoping it’s going to be a worthy entry in the franchise. After all, isn’t it better to wait a little and get something good rather than getting something quick and cheap? Keep your eye on our blog; we’ll surely be covering this developing story!
