It looks like Paramount+ isn't ready to roll the dice on its previously ordered live-action Dungeons & Dragons series.
The show is no longer moving forward at the streaming platform, per a Deadline report on Thursday that Paramount confirmed is accurate when reached by IGN. Hasbro, which owns the rights to Dungeons & Dragons and is producing the series through its in-house Hasbro Entertainment, will now embark on a "creative update" and attempt to shop the project to other studios.
We first learned about the project back in January 2023, when Paramount+ ordered an eight-episode season of the Dungeons & Dragons series. It was set to hail from creator Rawson Marshall Thurber, known for directing Dwayne Johnson-starring action movies like Skyscraper and Red Notice, with Drew Crevello signing on as showrunner.
Deadline, however, reports that the revamp will include a new creative team, so it's unclear where that leaves Thurber, Crevello, and their version of the series. Hasbro had no further comment beyond the Deadline report when reached by IGN.
The unfortunate news about the series comes as D&D still finds itself in a bit of a moment. Publisher Wizards of the Coast recently announced a slew of new product plans as the property gears up to celebrate its 50th anniversary, while Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 drew impressive revenue to Hasbro thanks to a licensing deal. Hasbro still, however, announced a massive round of layoffs affecting more than 1,000 employees late last year.
Over on the big screen, the franchise finally got its first film embraced by fans and critics alike with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. It underperformed at the box office, though, calling into question any sequel possibilities. It hasn't been clear whether or not Hasbro's D&D TV series was meant to connect to Honor Among Thieves in any way.
If this latest adaptation of D&D will see the light of day, it won't be the franchise's first run on television. An animated Dungeons & Dragons series ran on CBS from 1983 to 1985, while a poorly reviewed D&D movie came out in 2000.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/dungeons-dragons-live-action-series-scrapped-at-paramount-as-hasbro-works-on-creative-update