Hasbro’s entertainment studio, eOne, will produce the documentary feature about role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
The film will coincide with the game’s 50th anniversary in 2024 and Dungeons & Dragons writer and official ambassador Joe Manganiello, will be co-directing with Kyle Newman and producing alongside his brother Nick Manganiello, Anthony Savini, and Cecily Tyler. Tara Long and Geno McDermott are executive producing for eOne alongside leading Dungeons & Dragons scholar Jon Peterson, Adam F. Goldberg and Kyle Newman.
Dungeons & Dragons is one of Hasbro’s key franchise brands. More than 50m fans have interacted with or played D&D since it was first published 48 years ago, including video games and livestream entertainment on Twitch and YouTube.
The film will draw from over 400 hours of archived, never-before-seen Dungeons & Dragons footage going back to the game’s creation in the early 1970s, to which the Manganiellos, Kyle Newman and Adam F. Goldberg have spent the last years acquiring exclusive rights. It will also include exclusive interviews filmed during production with a variety of celebrity fans. This footage, along with Wizards of the Coast’s agreement to give the production team inside access to highly confidential developments concerning the game and brand — the company’s first time authorising such access — position this project to be the definitive documentary on the game.
“I have had the pleasure of working in the past with Joe on True Blood, among other projects, and cannot think of a better or more passionate person to dive headfirst into the world of Dungeons & Dragons from both a player and fan perspective,” said Michael Lombardo, eOne’s head of Global Television. “The addition of Kyle Newman, Nick Manganiello and Jon Peterson also brings unique and multiple dimensions to the history we plan to document. As we approach 50 years of this incredible gaming universe, the time is right for an officially authorised telling of the game’s origins and current state of play to its passionate fan based from all walks of life and its global cultural impact.”
Joe Manganiello added: “I lived through the rise and fall and rise again of this legacy brand that has not only meant so much to me but has served as the fountainhead of creativity for an entire generation of writers, artists, and creative minds, influencing so much of our culture.”
“Dungeons & Dragons has sparked the imagination of fans all over the world for nearly 50 years and we continue to bring exciting and engaging experiences to new generations,” commented Cynthia Williams, Hasbro president of Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming. “As we approach this milestone celebration, I am excited to have a creative team with authentic passion for the brand producing what we hope will become a defining look at the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game’s storied history.”
Hasbro is also actively collaborating on a number of upcoming scripted film and TV projects based on the IP.
