There is still no information whether the live-action Dungeons and Dragons show is still going on. Paramount moved away from D&D series, although he seems willing to buy it. But if and when that happens, production could learn a lot from Amazon’s experience. The Legend of Vox Machinawhich has just launched its third season maintaining an incredible 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
There have been several attempts at live action in Dungeons and Dragons over the years, and although it is the most recent film, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor among thievesproved to be a cult hit, the other D&D films are notorious failures. With the future of live action D&D media now on air, would-be showrunners need to look elsewhere for inspiration if they want to succeed. Happily, The Legend of Vox Machina provides a great model.
If a live-action Dungeons and Dragons show happens, it should learn from the legend of Vox Machina
Since its debut in 2022, The Legend of Vox Machina has provided exactly the kind of chaotic, violent, heartfelt adventure that D&D fans love it. This is only to be expected, since Vox Machine is an adaptation of Critical Role’s first campaign, which not only used D&D rules, but has since been canonized in D&D tradition since the launch of Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount reference book and Call of the Underworld adventure module. The Legend of Vox Machina is a distillation of what D&D it’s all aboutan essential quality that any live-action adaptation must incorporate.
Perhaps the biggest lesson of Vox Machine is the mixture of honoring the D&D accessible source material and narrative. Although the show is demonstrably designed to D&D loyalists, its universal critical acclaim proves that the show is much more than fan fiction. This discipline is something that any adaptation must incorporate. However, there are other important lessons for a future D&D live action to implement.
What a live-action Dungeons and Dragons show could take away from the Amazon series
One of the main reasons Vox Machine has been so incredibly successful after three full seasons is that the show is just plain fun. All members of the group have their moments in the spotlight, performing spectacular stunts and jaw-dropping acts of violence that D&D all players dream, but the show never gets bogged down in the minutiae of the game’s rules. While players love talking at the table, it can often detract from the dramatic tension of a scene – something Vox Machine clearly understands.
Another important lesson from Vox Machine it’s how the show handles exposition. Story, lore, and details are essential to achieving the feel of a game. Dungeons and Dragonsbut there’s an important balance to avoid inundating the audience with too much exposition, but also to not leave everyone scratching their heads about what’s going on. Honor among thieves I did it well enough, but again Vox Machine hits the mark, with the scope of the show slowly expanding as the characters gain more power and, to their dismay, more responsibility.
Demand for live action Dungeons and Dragons content will only increase next year as the rest of the updated core rulebooks are released. Now that the third season of The Legend of Vox Machina has ended and a fourth season is already in the works, viewers will try to get their fill of violent, foul-mouthed adventurers whenever they can. Hopefully a live action D&D a show will soon be announced that will serve as a worthy successor to Vox Machine.