‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ Live-Action TV Series to Begin Shooting in 2027, More Details Coming ‘Very Soon’ — SkimNews
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- Peacock's "Dungeon Crawler Carl" live-action series will begin shooting in 2027, with all scripts completed before production starts — a plan Universal TV's Kelsey Balance confirmed at New York Comic Con on Saturday.
- Universal Television is in "soft prep" right now — hiring heads of department, line producers, production designers, directors, and beginning casting — while drafts and outlines continue to evolve alongside the early pre-production work, Balance said.
- Matt Dinniman, the book's author, is co-executive producer alongside showrunners Chris Yost and Eric Heisserer, with Seth MacFarlane, Erica Huggins, and Rachel Hargreaves-Heald executive producing under MacFarlane's Fuzzy Door banner for Universal Global Television.
- Jeff Hays, the narrator of the "Dungeon Crawler Carl" audiobooks, has been cast as Princess Donut, while the role of Carl remains uncast — Dinniman said he wants someone who can be "goofy" while also giving off a "really, really scary vibe."
- Additional details, including further casting announcements, are expected "within the next few weeks," Balance said, though the team declined to estimate a premiere date.
Why it matters: Universal TV is committing to a script-first approach for the 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' adaptation — finishing all scripts before a 2027 shoot — while leaning into fan loyalty by casting the audiobook narrator as Princess Donut before the human lead is even attached. With no premiere date set and a 2027 start, the gap between Dinniman's bestselling novel and the screen version stretches well beyond tonight's announcement.
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