Dungeons and Dragons had its chance to be the perfect TV show, but lost its chance in 2024. The massive franchise is based on a tabletop game, but has expanded to include movies, TV shows, video games, and more. With a loyal following growing since the 1970s, D&D had many opportunities to develop further. For example, the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves the ending is even more spectacular than the beginning suggests it will be. However, box office performance did not reflect this fact, leaving more Dungeons and Dragons uncertain adaptations.
The box office disappointment of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves had a huge impact on the franchise, deter Dungeons and Dragons protect executives from bold business decisions that would involve risks. For example, a Paramount D&D The TV show was recently, unfortunately, cancelled. Many fans were excited about the possibility of bringing RA Salvatore's character Drizzt Do'Urden to life, but now that will have to wait. However, the cancellation of a TV series set in the Dragonlance campaign setting remains one of the Dungeons & Dragons biggest failures and missed opportunities to date.
Why Dragonlance would make a perfect Dungeons & Dragons TV show
Dragonlance has all the ingredients for a great fantasy show
Dragonlance would be perfect Dungeons and Dragons adaptation, with its sweeping narrative and high fantasy atmosphere. The world of Krynn is full of stories that have inspired players and readers for generations. Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis began writing Dragonlance novels in the 1980s, with Autumn Twilight Dragons in 1984 debuting the series. Maybe just Salvatore's The Legend of Drizzt books can claim equal renown in Dungeons and Dragons. Adapting these books would block millions of D&D fans on screens while converting new ones.
ONE Dungeons and Dragons The Dragonlance TV show would make infinite sense based solely on the success of the books. The Dragonlance novels written by Weis and Hickman appeared on more than 20 bestseller lists in their time, with more than $22 million in sales. But the campaign scenario is successful in its own right, including the success The Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign. There are clearly a lot of players and Dungeon Masters who would like to tune in for this series. Additionally, a Dragonlance series could adapt pop culture icon Raistlin Majere, another of D&Dbest characters.
Joe Manganiello was hired to adapt Dragonlance and was dropped in 2024
Joe Manganiello would have been the ideal Dungeons & Dragons showrunner
Fantasy and science fiction TV star Joe Manganiello was on board to adapt Dragonlance into a TV show before it failed. American actor Joe Manganiello is known for his roles in Magic Mike, True Bloodand Spider-Manwith a voice part appearing in the Netflix live-action One piece. This exciting and historic Dungeon Master talent has been passionate about adapting Dragonlance for about 10 years and has gone quite far with the plan. However, it wasn't supposed to be like this. Manganiello confirmed that Dungeons and Dragons had walked away from the opportunity in 2024.
This 40-year-old series could have been the best Dungeons and Dragons adaptation already made.
Talking to ComicBook.com in February 2024, Manganiello said: “Dragonlance is not a property [Wizards of the Coast] are interested in developing further, currently.“However, this 40-year series could have been the best Dungeons and Dragons adaptation already made – Manganiello's credentials and plan said so. Manganiello confirmed that a literary agent had called the script “the best fantasy pilot he's read since the original Game of Thrones.“Unfortunately, Hasbro sold eOne to Lionsgate at a bad time for the adaptation to be considered a worthwhile investment.
Could a Dragonlance adaptation still happen?
There's a Chance for More Dungeons & Dragons TV
There are many abandoned Dungeons and Dragons adaptations floating around, but there is still a chance for more in the future. While the Paramount series has been canceled and Manganiello's Dragonlance show probably won't happen in the near future, the series that Paramount backed out of is now being shopped. Hasbro didn't give up on the idea, leaving the possibility that Dungeons and Dragons' Dragonlance necromantic dragons could still see screens. There are a few reasons why a streaming giant should be happy to acquire this D&D show.
Amazon's success The Legend of Vox Machina points to a solid future for Dungeons and Dragons on small screens. This animated series has a near-perfect streak on Rotten Tomatoes and is beloved by fans for its mix of dark, adult humor and anime-style graphics that are perfect for D&Dfantasy creatures, spells and magic. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves may have underperformed, but movies that are released theatrically face a much higher mountain to climb, in terms of success, than most TV shows. As such, D&D TV shows may be more likely than movies in the future.
With real-life web series attracting as many viewers as live-action or animated series, there are many avenues for the next Dragonlance. Dungeons and Dragons TV program.
With Legend of Vox Machina presenting a plan for success D&D show while the former Paramount show is considered by others, fans may very well be looking at a new D&D adaptation within a few years. Perhaps Manganiello's Dragonlance script will be picked up if a major studio or streaming giant buys the TV show from Hasbro. That would be ideal, but there's still room for other creators to come up with a new Dragonlance idea. With real-life web series attracting as many viewers as live-action or animated series, there are many avenues for the next Dragonlance. Dungeons and Dragons TV program.
Source: ComicBook.com