For a tabletop role-playing game closing in on its 50th anniversary, Dungeons and Dragons has more than just longevity on its side. If anything, the streaming age has only made it more popular than ever. And now, Deadline is reporting that Dungeons and Dragons is getting a feature-length documentary, Role Players.
XTR is producing Role Players, which will be directed by Morgan Jon Fox (The One You Never Forget). According to the company, Role Players will be “the definitive documentary” on all things D&D, including the game’s origins, its rapid rise in popularity, and even the Satanic panic among some parents that claimed the game was the work of the devil during the ’80s. The film will also feature interviews with celebrity fans of the game, as well archival footage that has never been seen before.
“As a director, I am excited to tell the story of D&D, which at its heart is about the true power of learning to work as teams, consuming and creating inclusive narratives,” said Fox in a statement. “There’s nothing more exciting than a legendary game that rose to fame with a little help from the era of Satanic Panic.”
“Through its wildly different levels, times, adventures and possibilities, D&D created its own universe and community,” added XTR’s Justin Lacob. “Capturing the imagination of gamers, misfits, geniuses, and rebels, and had a lasting impact on culture and our lives outside the game.”
Lacob will be executive producing Role Players for XTR alongside Bryn Mooser, Kathryn Everett, and Abazar Khayami. Ted Speaker (Sword of Trust) is also on board as a producer. Filming has already begun for the documentary, but no release date was given. Regardless, it’s well-timed, given that the new live-action movie, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, will hit theaters in 2023. And in 2024, Dungeons and Dragons will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
