Dungeons & Dragons TV Show May Focus on Iconic Character Drizzt

The upcoming Dungeons & Dragons live action television show "might be" focused on the iconic drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden. Earlier today, Wizards of the Coast announced a summer-long celebration of Drizzt Do'Urden, the iconic drow ranger made famous in a series of best-selling fantasy novels by R.A. Salvatore. A press release for the celebration mentioned the numerous pieces of merchandise and tie-ins, including "action figures, Magic: The Gathering cards, Funko POP figures, Halloween costumes, t-shirts, replica scimitars and more." The press release then noted that "a live action TV show is in development with eOne entertainment and, although not focused on Drizzt, a movie set in the Forgotten Realms starring Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, Rege-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, and Justice Smith is in production."

When ComicBook.com reached out for clarification, Wizards of the Coast confirmed that the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie was "not focused on Drizzt, but there is a TV show in development that might be."

The television show could be the same Dungeons & Dragons project that John Wick creator Derek Kolstad is working on. Earlier this year, Kolstad hinted that his upcoming D&D TV show would be set in the Underdark, a massive series of caverns that spreads over entire continents. Most drow (also known as dark elves) live in the Underdark, so the show could focus on Drizzt's early life growing up in the drow city of Menzoberranzan, also known as the city of Spiders.

Drizzt Do'Urden is a heroic ranger accompanied by the magic panther Guenhwyvar. The character first appeared as a side character in The Crystal Shard trilogy of novels written by Salvatore but quickly became the focus of Salvatore's long-running series of novels set in the Forgotten Realms. In the books and other media, Drizzt is an outcast of sorts from drow society, which traditionally worships the evil spider goddess Lolth. Drizzt rejected the ways of Lolth and eventually became the hero of the frozen tundra of Icewind Dale, forming a found family with the characters Bruenor Battlehammer, Wulfgar and Cattie-brie.

To kick off the Drizzt celebration, Dungeons & Dragons released a four minute animated video that shows Drizzt's origin story, written by Salvatore and narrated by Doctor Strange actor Benedict Cumberbatch.