Summary
- The Duffer Brothers’ well-planned path to the Stranger Things finale is coming to an end.
- Forgotten Realms, a live-action D&D series, will follow Stranger Things, planned by Shawn Levy.
- Netflix aims for success with D&D, hoping to match or surpass Stranger Things’ viewership.
It’s bittersweet knowing The Duffer Brothers’ well-planned path to the finale of Netflix‘s Stranger Things is nearing its end. In one way, it’s going to be a thrill to watch plot points planted throughout the series come to fruition in spectacular fashion. In another, it’s sad that it has to end at all. Thankfully, it seems the decision makers at Netflix feel the same way, and they’ve laid out their own plans to make sure Stranger Things fans don’t end up disappointed.
The Forgotten Realms is a live action Dungeons and Dragons series and Netflix’s next big 20-sided dice roll following Stranger Things. The streamer has attached a familiar face to oversee it. Shawn Levy, Stranger Things executive producer and director, will produce the upcoming project. Stranger Things was heavily influenced by Dungeons and Dragons, which makes it a perfect follow-up project for the streamer.
Related
There’s A New Dungeons & Dragons Series In Development At Netflix
With the fantasy genre absolutely killing it across streaming, Netflix has cast True Resurrection on one project that died prematurely at Paramount.
Why Dungeons and Dragons?
The tabletop role playing game was created in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules and acquired by Hasbro in 1997. The Forgotten Realms, like Stranger Things’ Demogorgon and Mind Flayer, will be based on the fantasy RPG world of Dungeons and Dragons. D&D has seen its popularity skyrocket of late, with highly successful books, video games, and TV shows spawned from its source material.
2023’s Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Themes was received very well critically, though it underperformed at the box office. Still, the film garnered more than 3 million views on Netflix outside the United States, not including its domestic release on Paramount Plus. Netflix is clearly sure of the IP’s forward momentum and looks to D&D to match, and possibly exceed, Stranger Things‘ viewership on the platform.
Dungeons and Dragons harbors a wealth of characters to play with for Levy and company. As everyone knows who played a tabletop game or video game iteration of D&D, the process of choosing and customizing your character can be a full session’s worth of entertainment alone. Warlocks, wizards, rogues, and barbarians are just a handful of the many character classes Netflix and company have to work with. Elves, Dragonborns, and humans not only populate the world of Dungeons and Dragons, but color it with deep skill sets and cultural backgrounds upon which to craft a player’s own character.
One of the hallmarks of D&D’s real-world appeal is its role in community building for fantasy role-play fans. Players are able to work together to tell stories influenced by each player’s imaginative contribution to the game. Netflix has bet on the buying power of the D&D community, as more than 50 million people are estimated to have played the game.
The Forgotten Realms Plays A Big Role For Netflix
The Forgotten Realms will be one of Netflix’s biggest investments yet, as Levy is fresh off co-writing and directing Deadpool Vs. Wolverine and currently directing episodes of Stranger Things‘ final season. Audiences are yet to learn who will star in the series, though it’s safe to assume a couple of big names will be in the mix. The series is, of course, almost a direct successor to Netflix’s second-most viewed series of all time.
Dungeons and Dragons has seen success with other streaming properties, including Critical Role’s Vox Machina. Amazon Prime Video’s animated D&D-inspired series is a mainstay of Prime Video’s top television shows. Vox Machina enjoys an outlandish 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes through three seasons and an 8.4/10 on IMDB. Netflix hopes the ripe source material, enthusiastic fan base, and capable creative team behind The Forgotten Realms will produce similar results for their platform.
The Forgotten Realms will potentially feature the game’s most famous locations, including The Underdark and Baldur’s Gate. Netflix has not yet set a release date for the project, but it’s anticipated for late 2026.
