Netflix Is Making a Dungeons & Dragons Horror Series, Ravenloft, and Has Dropped Forgotten Realms
Netflix has a new live-action Dungeons & Dragons series in the works called Ravenloft, built around the gothic-horror corner of the tabletop game and the origin of its vampire villain, Strahd von Zarovich. The same reporting confirms the other D&D show Netflix had been developing, set in the Forgotten Realms, is dead.
For anyone who has been waiting on a D&D show since 2025, that is the whole trade: the fantasy adventure series is gone, and a horror series has taken its slot. There is no release date, no episode count and no casting yet.
What is the Ravenloft Netflix series about?
Ravenloft is a setting, not a story. Created by Tracy and Laura Hickman in 1983, it is a cluster of mist-walled territories known as the Domains of Dread, each ruled by a Darklord who is trapped there as much as the people they torment. The best known of them is Strahd von Zarovich, a vampire whose castle has been the backdrop of D&D campaigns for four decades.
Reporting on the project describes it as a prestige fantasy series that leans on gothic horror and tragic romance rather than dungeon-crawling, and says it charts how Strahd became what he is. John August is writing and executive producing. Alfonso Cuarón is attached as an executive producer, with Hasbro Entertainment producing.
What happened to the Forgotten Realms series?
Netflix put a live-action Forgotten Realms series into development in early 2025, with Drew Crevello writing and Shawn Levy executive producing. Levy is one of the most valuable names on Netflix's roster through Stranger Things, which made the project look like a safe bet.
It is no longer in development. Neither Netflix nor Hasbro has published a statement explaining why, and none of the reporting attributes a reason to a named source, so treat any explanation you read as inference rather than fact.
Has Netflix ordered it to series?
Be careful here, because coverage is split. Some outlets describe Ravenloft as ordered; the trade reports that broke the story frame it as in development, which is a lower bar and does not guarantee anything reaches the screen. Until Netflix says so on its own newsroom or a slate announcement, "in development" is the safe reading.
What is not in dispute:
- The project exists and is at Netflix, not another streamer.
- John August is the writer and an executive producer.
- Alfonso Cuarón is an executive producer.
- Hasbro Entertainment is producing, through its Wizards of the Coast D&D property.
- The Forgotten Realms series is not moving forward.
Why Netflix keeps buying game adaptations
Netflix has spent three years turning games into shows and films, and the hit rate has been good enough to keep it going. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 lands in October, and rival services are chasing the same audience — Prime Video has Dave Bautista playing Kratos in its God of War series. A D&D show is the logical extension: the brand is 50 years old, the 2023 film built goodwill, and the setting supplies horror without needing an existing script.
It also arrives while Netflix is trimming elsewhere. The service has been letting licensed genre titles go — Halo leaves Netflix in the US on 1 October — and pushing harder on originals it owns outright.
When could it actually air?
Nothing has been dated. A series still in development, with no cast announced, is realistically two years or more from a premiere, and Netflix has cancelled projects at this stage before — the Forgotten Realms show is the proof. The next real checkpoint is a Netflix slate announcement or a casting report from a named source.
If you want the setting now, it is on the tabletop: Ravenloft: The Horrors Within arrived in June 2026 for the current D&D ruleset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Netflix Dungeons & Dragons series confirmed?
A Ravenloft series is in the works at Netflix from writer John August and executive producer Alfonso Cuaron, reported on 3 September 2026. Coverage differs on whether it has a formal series order or is still in development, and Netflix has not posted its own announcement, so treat it as in development until it does.
What happened to the Forgotten Realms Netflix series?
It is no longer in development. The project started in early 2025 with Drew Crevello writing and Shawn Levy executive producing, and Ravenloft has effectively replaced it. No reason has been given by Netflix or Hasbro.
Who is Strahd von Zarovich?
Strahd is the vampire Darklord who rules Barovia in the Ravenloft setting, introduced in the 1983 tabletop module. He is the setting's signature villain, and the series is described as charting how he became one. Think Dracula reworked for Dungeons & Dragons rather than a straight monster-of-the-week villain.
When will Ravenloft be released on Netflix?
There is no release date, no episode count and no cast. A show at this stage typically needs two years or more before it premieres, and it can still be cancelled, as the Forgotten Realms series was.
Do I need to know Dungeons & Dragons to watch it?
No. Ravenloft is a self-contained gothic horror setting with its own villain and geography, and the reported focus is Strahd's origin story rather than game rules or a campaign the audience needs to have played.
