Goddamnit, Donut! It’s been a hot minute since we’ve heard any news about the TV series adaptation of Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl. Thankfully, Variety recently spoke with Dinniman about the project from NBCUniversal and Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door Productions, saying he’s read some scripts for the live-action version of his best-selling LitRPG novel series.
“Right now, we’re at the point where Chris Yost, who’s writing the show, has written a few episodes,” Dinniman told Variety. “And I don’t think it’s public yet, the streaming service that has picked it up, but we’re getting pretty close to the point where a decision needs to be made, like contracts needs to be made, whether or not they’re going to go ahead and go with. And that whole process involves the scripts, involves CGI testing, and budgetary stuff, and lots of stuff that’s above my pay grade.”
What’s Dungeon Crawler Carl about?
Here’s a synopsis for Dungeon Crawler Carl, courtesy of Amazon:
You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.
Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.
Dinniman goes on to say that even though it’s been a while, the TV series adaptation is still alive and kicking. According to Dinniman, “things are happening daily. But I’ve also had friends who’ve gone through this process and everything hits a brick wall. And I’ve seen it happen so many times, I’m just kind of in a, ‘Well, I’ll believe it when I see it’ state. But this is where we’re headed right now, and I’m cautiously optimistic we’ll get there.”
Dinniman on Authenticity and Going the Live-Action Route
Dinniman is keeping a close watch on the Dungeon Crawler Carl adaptation, not wanting it to fall into the wrong hands. I’ve read the first novel, and something could easily go south if not treated with care. Dinniman wants fans of the series to know he’ll “only work with someone who’s read it and enjoyed it and doesn’t want to just snatch up.”
While Dungeon Crawler Carl takes its time coming to live-action, Dinniman says there’s been debate about whether an animated series would be the better way to go. “It’s kind of funny. A lot of the more hardcore nerdy fans — I mean, like I am — will say, we want it animated. And then I think actually the majority of people who aren’t into animation are going to say, we want a live action,” Dinniman said. “If you actually poll people out on the street, it’s going to be a pretty high number of live action. But that’s really high risk, high reward, because we’re not going to do it if it’s gonna look like absolute shit.”
The Hype is Real
It’s worth noting that Fuzzy Door is behind Ted MacFarlane’s Ted. So, if you’re worried about Princess Donut looking silly in CGI, rest easy. As much as I’m looking forward to this adaptation, I need to see a trailer before I get too excited. The tone of Dungeon Crawler Carl is touch-and-go for me, but once I settle into the world, I’ll be alright. The concept is outstanding, if a little too Ready Player One coded for me at times. It’s not as winking as Ernest Cline’s novel. Still, Dungeon Crawler Carl is similar in how it plays on nostalgia, especially in its portrayal of the aliens’ interpretation of Earth and its many quirks. I’m hoping for great things from this adaptation and that we see some footage from the series sooner rather than later.
