Dungeons & Dragonshas been planning a live-action TV show for years, and one character fromThe Legend of Drizztbooksmay be key to it. Hasbro (owners ofD&Dcompany Wizards of the Coast) bought entertainment business eOne in 2019 to expand further into cinematic production, resulting inDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a partnered venture with Paramount Pictures. Hasbro started seeing financial difficulties with the COVID-19 pandemic and sold eOne, but the show remains a possible future hit, especially if oneD&Dfan-favorite features.
Paramount+ initially ordered eight episodes of a live-action TV show. Yet after Hasbro sold eOne at the end of 2023, Paramount+ pulled out in May 2024, leaving Hasbro to seek new partners. Paramount+ cited “creative differences,” which likely refer to internal obstacles following the eOne sale and Hasbro’s financial challenges (viaTVLine). However,there is still speculation about a potentialLegend of Drizztshow, withfans remaining eagerfor more captivatingD&Dadaptations. In this case,Drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, as well as a close friend of his, would be the show’s future.
Jarlaxle Leads In Both Dungeons & Dragons Waterdeep & Legend Of Drizzt
Jarlaxle Is A Dungeons & Dragons Character With Key Crossover Appeal
Jarlaxle could unlock the live-actionDungeons & DragonsTV show, now shepherded by Hasbro Entertainment. Jarlaxle is one of the main characters inR. A. Salvatore’sLegend of Drizztseries, which began in 1988 withThe Crystal Shard. This first book inThe Icewind Dale Trilogywas also Salvatore’s first-ever published novel and marked Drizzt’s introduction to the world. He was so popular that Salvatore made him the protagonist of his next Forgotten Realms series,The Dark Elf Trilogy. Jarlaxle debuted there, becoming one of the series' best characters, now also well-known amongD&D’s gamers.
Casting A Drizzt TV Show: 10 Actors Who Would Be Perfect For Dungeons & Dragons' Dark Elf Hero
Drizzt Do’Urden, the Dark Elf of Dungeons & Dragons fame, is overdue for a TV show or movie, with certain actors seeming suitable for the role.
With over 30 million copies ofThe Legend of Drizztbooks sold, the significance of characters like Drizzt and Jarlaxle to the overarchingD&Dfranchise and any upcoming adaptations can’t be underestimated.Jarlaxle is the sassy but scary leader of Menzoberranzan’s band of mercenaries, which is also recognized in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, one ofD&D’s most critically acclaimed campaigns. AD&Dlive-action TV show adapting some of Waterdeepcould work wonders, especially because it could also use content fromThe Legend of Drizzt,sharing a main character. Both sources offer potential storylines, althoughLegend of Drizztmakes the most sense as the primary narrative.
Legend Of Drizzt’s Drow Rogue Has Mainstream, Book, & Tabletop Appeal
Adapting Jarlaxle is A Win-Win For Dungeons & Dragons
Writing Jarlaxle into aD&Dlive-action TV show would appeal to tabletop gamers, readers of Salvatore’s books, and new fans. Jarlaxle is an NPC in Waterdeep: Dragon Height and a villain at the start ofThe Legend of Drizztbefore becoming Drizzt’s ally, friend, and protagonist with his own miniseries, leading theSellswordsbooks,One Eyed Jax, and playing a major role in the 2024 audiobook. Inspired by comments from the creators,Jarlaxle could also be the queer iconDungeons & Dragonsneedsfor TV. Moreover, he bridges theD&Dgap between horror and comedy.
Amazon Prime Video’sThe Legend of Vox Machinais based on Critical Role’s actual playDungeons & Dragonsweb series.
D&Dtried a serious tone in its first three movies to disastrous effect, whereasHonor Among Thievesand Amazon’sThe Legend of Vox Machinaprove how well comedy works for the franchise. 2024’s audiobookBetwixt Two WorldspointsLegend of Drizztthe right waywith Drizzt, his daughter Breezy, and her “Uncle Jax” leading proceedings. It proves howJax is a rare light of smiles and humor in the gothic world of the Underdark.Along with his 180-degree villain-to-hero character development, it is a winning combination for mainstream appeal and presentsD&Dwith the opportunity to carve out a genuinely original dark fantasy.
Dungeons & Dragons Is Poised To Recognize Drow Potential
Although Drizzt was cut fromHonor Among ThievesfollowingDungeons & Dragons’drow controversy,Hasbro Entertainment is now primed to tackle drow characters like Drizzt and Jarlaxle.The 2020 drow skin color controversy has faded and all that remains is forD&Dto pick a drow skin color that it can justify and dive into adapting these characters to live-action TV for the first time. This new medium could create the media buzz thatD&Dneeds to finally break into the mainstream. Additionally, Hasbro may be paying more attention to theD&Dshow than some believe.
A Drizzt TV Show Already Has A Built-In Dungeons & Dragons Spinoff With Just As Much Potential
There is a spinoff already built into a TV series based on R. A. Salvatore’s The Legend of Drizzt, proving the potential of this story on-screen.
While it hasn’t updated fans on theD&Dshow, specifically, following Paramount+’s departure, Hasbro confirmed in October 2024: “Next, we have some ambitious projects with plans to build big narrative worlds. We don’t want to create one-off viewing experiences; we are aiming to bring audiences real immersive scripted shows” (viaHasbro).This may be alluding to the efforts of Gabriel Marano, Hasbro’s Head of Television, a previous eOne executivewho joined Hasbro shortly after it announced selling eOne. Marano was co-head of scripted development at eOne while it developed theD&Dshow and may have seen Jarlaxle’s potential all along.
The Dungeons & Dragons Live-Action Show Was Targeting The Underdark, Jarlaxle’s City
Early Plans For The D&D TV Show Point To The Underdark
At one point, writer Derek Kolstad teased that hiscanceledD&Dshowwould go “deeper into the Underdark,” the place that Drizzt was originally going to escortHonor Among Thieves’band through before being replaced with Xenk (viaCollider). Co-writer and director ofHonor Among Thieves, John Francis Daley, stated that Drizzt is “definitely a popular character in the world, and one who could be exciting to explore” (viaPolygon). Evidently,D&Dis determined to adapt Drizzt, and Jarlaxle would be a vital component of doing this.Drizzt and Jarlaxle are both drow nobles from Menzoberranzan, a city in the Underdark.
Marano’s expertise on theDungeons & Dragonslive-action show should hopefully still point him to Drizzt, Jarlaxle, and the Underdark.
While Drizzt became a ranger, Jarlaxe became something of a crime boss by 2023’sLolth’s Warrior, also expanding his power beyond. It’s unclear what Underdark elements Kolstad wrote into his plans, and if they were retained in the subsequent pilot script written by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Hasbro has also not issued a timeframe to find production partners for the show. What is known is that Hasbro kept rights to Thurber’s script and its contact at eOne for the show (viaDeadline). Marano’s expertise with theDungeons & Dragonslive-action show should hopefully still point him to Drizzt, Jarlaxle, and the Underdark.
