The canceled Dungeons & Dragons show was likely set in the Underdark, which would still make the ideal location for a live-action D&D storyline.
One of the reportedly canceled shows following up on Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves would have been set in an ideal location for an on-screen exploration of the franchise — and the series currently in development should retain that setting. The Dungeons & Dragons franchise has plenty of awe-inspiring and terrifying locations to explore. Players have spent decades adventuring through these settings, with Honor Among Thieves‘s characters getting to visit some of them. The expansive Forgotten Realms, the massive city Neverwinter, the grim Evermoors Cemetery, and the snowy expanse of Icewind Dale made for memorable locations, providing plenty of action and comedy.
Some of these settings would have potentially been expanded upon in projects like the (now canceled) Dungeons & Dragons series. This is a shame, given the reported primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons TV show. This location appeared in one of the best sequences from Honor Among Thieves. However, it deserves a greater showcase for all the complex and grim elements that make it so memorable. Full of dark potential, interesting characters, and dangerous threats, the suggested setting for the canceled series would be ideal for any further on-screen shows set in the fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons.
Dungeons & Dragons’ Canceled Show Was Likely A Drizzt Story Set In The Underdark
The party doesn’t spend much time there, though. Elements of the underground location are teased — including a massive community that could be the Drow city of Menzoberranzan — but the plot of the film takes the cast back to the surface. The canceled Dungeon & Dragons TV show was likely set in the Underdark, according to writer Derek Kolstad. Kolstad referenced the Underdark while discussing the series. It could have utilized concepts dropped from the film for various reasons. It’s possible the show would have focused on the Drow character, Drizzt Do’Urden, who was cut from the Dungeons & Dragons movie.
Honor Among Thieves Proves Why The Underdark Is The Perfect Setting For A D&D Show
Although it’s only featured for a short period in Honor Among Thieves, the Underdark in the film is set up as an perfect location for future adventures. The setting is quickly established as a dangerous one in the film, flush with traps and monsters lurking around every corner. The film’s portrayal of Themberchaud the massive Red Dragon as a lumbering but still fearsome beast fits well into the movie’s overall portrayal of the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Although the Underdark could produce some situational laughs and featured the absurd sight of an obese dragon, it was still a deadly area.
In Honor Among Thieves, the cast barely escapes death throughout their adventure into the Underdark multiple times. The Underdark would make for an ideal location, giving the characters plenty of unique creatures to encounter and dangers to overcome. It’d also be a unique way to explore the parts of the fantasy canon that are visited less often, highlighting characters and concepts not usually seen on the surface of the setting. While the Drow Cities could provide some unique flavor to on-screen fantasy, threats like the Hook Holders and the iconic Beholders could stalk any characters that the show focuses on.
What An Underdark Show Could Be About
A show about the Underdark would be the perfect place to set up Drizzt Do’Urden. Although the character was cut from Honor Among Thieves due to issues over ownership rights, a series focusing on the Drow outcast would be a fascinating on-screen expansion of the franchise. A noble figure from a society that favors chaos, Drizzt went out on a series of adventures that turned him from an idealistic wanderer to a more cynical but committed hero. He makes for a naturally compelling character, a hero struggling to overcome the expectations of his family, his people, and even his god.
An adaptation of Drizzt’s stories would make perfect sense for a television show. There have been novels focusing on the character. His journeys set up a party to fight alongside him, with books like Exile: The Legend of Drizzt by R. A. Salvatore focusing on his adventures through the Underdark. This could easily serve as a supporting cast for any show focused on Drizzt. The series could even focus on a character similar to Drizzt but functionally different enough to stand on his own, borrowing concepts from Drizzt’s story like a Drow outcast to justify a wandering lead Drow character.
D&D Monsters That Could Make Their Live-Action Debut In An Underdark Show
Dungeons & Dragons Underdark Creatures
Beholders
Duergar
Hook Horrors
Kruthik
Oblexe
Purple Worm
Some of the most deadly creatures in Dungeons & Dragons call the Underdark their home. These races could help separate the Underdark from other fantasy shows. These creatures include some of the franchise’s iconic fixtures, such as the terrifying Beholders. Other creatures that could make their live-action debut in an Underdark location include the Duergar, the dwarven equivalent to the dark-elf Drow. Swarms of ravenous Kruthik are often found underground, making them perfect pack predators to stalk the Underdark. The cave-dwelling Hook Horrors would make for a similarly ideal threat, endangering any group of characters that ventured into the Underdark.
The Oblexe are quietly among Dungeons & Dragons‘ most fearsome threats, an ooze that can mimic others to lure prey into its grasp. The Purple Worm is an infamously monstrous threat, with only high-level players capable of encountering the creature and surviving. On top of those, the Drow would well be worth exploring as well. The Underdark is full of these unique and fearsome threats. This makes it an ideal location for any show set within the universe of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves that wants to explore the scarier, darker, and more complex elements of the universe.
