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Dungeons & Dragons TV Show Will Explore The Underdark Teases Writer
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Derek Kolstad revealed during a recent interview a potential setting of the Underdark for the new Dungeons and Dragons TV series currently in development. For fans of the role-playing series, the name Underdark evokes a number of images from the labyrinths of the dimly lit tunnels crisscrossing beneath the surface world, teeming with nefarious creatures who prefer the darkness. The possibility of the series taking place in such a setting could hint at darker themes and storylines for the Dungeons and Dragons TV series.
With Hasbro developing both a movie and a TV series for Dungeons and Dragons through their film studio, Entertainment One, many have been wondering what would differentiate the two projects. While the live-action movie is bit further along in its production with Chris Pine starring and with directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein on-board, it seems that the movie will not be directly related to the series. And with an RPG franchise like Dungeons and Dragons, that opens the door for the TV series to do just about anything they want.
According to Collider's recent interview with Kolstad, the writer hopes that the Dungeons and Dragons movie does well, acknowledging that they are on the same franchise team, while also dropping the hint about the Underdark setting for the series. As he points out, a successful film gives him breathing room to play with different aspects of Dungeons and Dragons in the series. This is where he dropped his not-too-subtle hint of the Underdark setting by mentioning his desire for his show to "exist in a little, little, subset shadow of it," followed by Kolstad literally saying "and go deeper and deeper into the Underdark." While it could be argued that he was speaking colloquially, using a term he knew Dungeons and Dragons fans would know to describe building a more niche world, it is also very likely he actually meant that the series would take place in the Underdark. Here's the full quote:
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...you want everything to succeed because that's only good for the franchise as a whole... if it's this massive spectacle at a quarter billion dollars that does well, great, because I want my show to exist in a little, little subset shadow of it and go deeper and deeper into the Underdark.
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Kolstad also talked about fact that the series will very likely be on a smaller scale, and focus more on characters and story moments. He comments that the first season is likely to be only 6-10 episodes, and that he likes the "breathing room that it doesn't have to be a certain number of pages or certain number of format length." While explaining his reasoning for the focus on characters, Kolstad states:
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In TV, you get to pause. And let's be honest, our favorite episodes of our favorite series tend to be the one where they ran out of money, and it's two guys in a room. It's the bottle episode, and they talk, and they go deep, and they say, 'I am the man who knocks,' or whatever the classic line is that I can't remember right now from Breaking Bad. Those are your favorite moments. Action is action, and we'll get to that, and it will be cool, but when a guy says or does a certain thing, that's where TV has its strong point.
With the notion of a smaller scale and a focus on characters, it would make sense for Kolstad's series to take place in the Underdark. That setting sets up a certain intimacy as characters huddle together in the dark or are forced to confront unknown terrors in the depths, all of which would work very well with the kind of show Kolstad seems to be building. Budget-wise, it has the potential to be more cost effective as well, as they could save a lot of money on special-effects with monsters and other creatures hidden in the shadows most of the time.
But would this setting sit well with fans of Dungeons of Dragons? Is a dark and moody setting the best way to engage new viewers unfamiliar with Dungeons and Dragons? Would it mean the chances of humor and levity from the characters would have to be reduced as they deal with their treacherous surroundings? As Kolstad's own writing in the John Wick movies have proven, humor can be found in even the most dire of situations, and Dungeons and Dragons is nothing if not about breaking the rules and having a good time. In the end, it will just depend on Kolstad and his vision for the series.
