Deadline is reporting that Rawson Marshall Thurber, director of Red Notice, will oversee a new Dungeons & Dragons television series. It was announced yesterday that Thurber will have creative control over a new D&D flagship television project by Entertainment One and Hasbro.
A live-action television adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons has been a desire of Entertainment One since the company merged with Hasbro in a 4 billion dollar deal back in 2019. Considering the streaming platform’s already established relationship with Thurber and Red Notice, Netflix is expected to court the project when released.
Thurber, director of Red Notice, Netflix’s most-watched film of all time, took to Twitter shortly after the announcement. He expressed his excitement over the project and claimed Dungeons and Dragons sparked his ability “to tell stories” when he played the game as a child. Thurber will have creative control over the pilot, which will include writing, directing, and executive producing.
Thurber’s association with the Dungeons & Dragons project could make a Netflix acquisition more likely, as two sequels of Red Notice are already in the works to be released on the streaming platform, and Thurber is expected to return as director of both. Entertainment One’s President of Global Television, Michael Lombardo, hopes that this project will be the start of “a number of scripted shows” showcasing the world of D&D. However, Thurber’s association with Netflix and Red Notice comes with a downside.
Despite having an impressive number of views, reviews of Red Notice are, at best, mediocre. Many thought the script did not live up to expectations and caused the humor and chemistry among the characters to suffer. These shortcomings may have been assisted by the star power of Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds, and Dwayne Johnson, who may have been the reason for the massive views the film received. Whether the Dungeons and Dragons project can attract such a star-studded cast is up for debate.
Although some may argue, regardless of critics’ reviews, Red Notice proved a success for Netflix by acquiring 328 million viewing hours within the first few weeks on the streaming platform. The main focus of critiques on the film focused on the scriptwriting more than the actual directing of Thurber. These views alone could stand as proof that Thurber has the ability to draw audiences with his directing style even when working with a weak script. Whether Thurber’s association with the widely watched, but negatively reviewed, Red Notice will help or hurt the Dungeons & Dragons project remains to be seen.
This project is in early development.
Source: Deadline
