When one of your favorite books finally gets an official adaptation, it’s easy to get worried. Will this actually happen? Can it be good? Well, in the case of Matt Dinniman’s geeky Dungeon Crawler Carl series, those questions just got a very positive response. Eric Heisserer, the Oscar-nominated writer of Arrival and showrunner of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, has joined the Peacock project as a showrunner.
He’ll split the duties with previously announced Chris Yost, who has worked in both the Marvel and Star Wars universes. Seth MacFarlane, creator of Ted, Family Guy, and more, is also among the executive producers. The show got a direct-to-series order from Peacock earlier this summer. It’s happening.
The series follows a seemingly unassuming man who survives the end of the world, only to be forced into a deadly, televised, galactic game show along with his girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut. It’s part of a very specific subgenre called LitRPG because it takes the ideas of an open-world role-playing game (leveling up, loot boxes, different classes, etc.) and turns it into a singular story. Basically, though, it’s like if Independence Day turned into The Running Man, but within a massive game of Dungeons & Dragons.
After seeing the series everywhere at Comic-Con this year, I decided to pick up the first book and was instantly sucked in. A month later, I’m about to finish book three and have the fourth one ready to go. Dinniman has written eight books in the series, with two more planned. It’s a truly bonkers, fun series, especially if you love violence, surprises, and leveling up. And while it would make a killer movie, an ongoing series feels like the right way to go. Because there is a whole lot of story to tell.
Are you a fan of this series? Do you think the team of Heisserer and Yost can bring it all together? Let us know below.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
