the Dungeons & Dragons movies of the 2000s aren't enough to make anyone excited about this, Amazon's show could be, offering a strong template to follow.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, released in 2023, was the latest D&D movie, and it offered a huge improvement to all three D&D movies that came before it. However, an Honor Among Thieves sequel is unlikely due to the original's slim box office returns. That will leave The Forgotten Realms to pick up the slack among D&D fans, but there is one other show holding down the fort for the gamers' franchise. Launched on January 28, 2022, The Legend of Vox Machina offers The Forgotten Realms a great example to follow.

Legend Of Vox Machina Proves The Dungeons & Dragons Show Needs Character-Driven Storytelling

The Characters In The Legend Of Vox Machina Are Brilliantly Written

Ranking The Legend of Vox Machina by likability is a tough task, because they are so well-written, proving that The Forgotten Realms should follow its lead to succeed. Dungeons & Dragons is rich in lore, which should come through to please fans in the form of fan-favorite characters and locations. Meanwhile, The Forgotten Realms will be executive produced by Stranger Things' Shawn Levy, so the show is sure to summon up a strong plot. But where it must take care to copy The Legend of Vox Machina is ensuring character-driven storytelling.

Undoubtedly, Dungeons & Dragons is enjoying a revival. While the three D&D movies released between 2000 and 2012 were underwhelming, Stranger Things, Honor Among Thieves, and The Legend of Vox Machina are all fantastic. The Legend of Vox Machina have a unique power each, and this reflects real gameplay, with each player bringing their individual quirks to the game. The Forgotten Realms should replicate this and focus on the relationships growing between its central adventuring party , rather than getting too wrapped up in convoluted plot or lore dumping.

The Netflix Series Must Replicate Vox Machina's Balance Of Comedy & Drama

A Solid Sense Of Humor Is Serving Dungeons & Dragons Well

The Forgotten Realms should use a strong set of characters, following the example of The Legend of Vox Machina, to bring the right mix of comedy and drama. This might seem obvious, but it is a hard balance to nail. The early D&D movies weren't funny enough, and live-action fantasy shows like The Wheel of Time (also on Amazon) demonstrate the problem with being too serious; there's not enough there for newbies to the franchise to latch onto. The Netflix Dungeons & Dragons show's characters must drive humor, whether they are well-known or not, but also drama.

Some readers of The Wheel of Time appreciate the show for how it brings their favorite story to life, but the uninitiated take more cajoling, their engagement unable to rely on recreations of well-known chapters. Regardless of which characters to bring to The Forgotten Realms, and whether they are well-known in D&D lore or not, the emotional push and pull between them must drive the show. Romance isn't needed, although it can work wonders. What is needed is the development of strong friendships and the overcoming of the obstacles to them.

The Live-Action D&D Series Needs To Honor The Game Without Isolating Newcomers

The Forgotten Realms Has A Tough Balance To Strike

While The Legend of Vox Machina season 3 ended a brilliant season of an excellent animated show, The Forgotten Realms will have to choose which game elements to bring to live-action to please fans, both old and new. The Legend of Vox Machina honors the D&D game in the same way that Honor Among Thieves did: the character-driven storytelling gets right to the heart of the joy of D&D. Saving the world with friends is the spirit of the franchise, which The Forgotten Realms must nail, and this will ensure old and new fans alike can engage with the show.

Drizzt Do'Urden can be explored in The Legend of Drizzt book series by American writer R.A. Salvatore.

The Forgotten Realms will avoid the pitfalls of the theatrical release that Honor Among Thieves had by going straight to a huge streamer like Stranger Things and The Legend of Vox Machina. So, perhaps it can be even bolder with its lore inclusions than Honor Among Thieves. Szass Tam, Neverwinter, and the Harpers landed fantastically in Honor Among Thieves among fans, but maybe the Netflix show could introduce the drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden for an episode or two. However, The Legend of Vox Machina proves that The Forgotten Realms can honor the game without globally famous characters.

Netflix's Dungeons & Dragons Series Needs Impressive Visuals Despite Its Format

Whatever The Budget, The Netflix Show Shouldn't Botch Its Visuals

High fantasy is notoriously expensive to make, and as a live-action show, The Forgotten Realms will have a budget to contend with in a way that The Legend of Vox Machina doesn't. Animation is an excellent format for high fantasy like Dungeons & Dragons for this reason, but The Forgotten Realms, in a way, has even more potential than The Legend of Vox Machina. The Forgotten Realms could be the TV version of Honor Among Thieves, without the box office concerns, and with the long-term format to wedge so much more lore in there.

The Legend of Vox Machina proves that The Forgotten Realms can honor the game without globally famous characters.

Honor Among Thieves proved how live-action D&D should be, while The Legend of Vox Machina proves the perfect TV format for D&D. Stranger Things shows that live-action D&D-inspired stories can be done well on TV, and The Forgotten Realms will just need to take Stranger Things' format a step further. It will need to be a full high fantasy show, rather than Stranger Things' low fantasy. But with some tricks up its sleeve, the new Dungeons & Dragons show can get it right - for instance, the dim light of the Underdark will be forgiving to drow makeup.