Based on Matt Dinniman’s incredible novel series that I have only recently begun, Dungeon Crawler Carl is unsurprisingly set to become a television show. The book series hasn’t yet concluded, but it’s not unprecedented for a television series to start adapting earlier books before later ones have been finished. Still, there’s another reason why adapting this will be extremely difficult.
A Dungeon Crawler Carl Series is a Major Risk
Similar to Mike Flanagan’s upcoming The Dark Tower series, there’s something inherently difficult about making a show based on so many books. As of now, both series have eight published books. Stephen King plans to write a final book connecting and wrapping up The Talisman and his Dark Tower books, so that will make nine. Matt Dinniman has said he is aiming for 10 Dungeon Crawler Carl novels.
Given the way the book ended, the series cannot solely adapt the first book or it will be incomplete. Modern television is a dangerous game to be playing with lengthy series. Ideally, each book would be a season of the series, allowing for a fully fleshed-out adaptation of each book. Even if the showrunners wanted to condense it, which might be wise, they could do two books per season.
That’s still four seasons as of now, but likely five when the book series is all wrapped up. The average show lasts two to four seasons now. Cancellations happen all the time, and so many shows never make it to the end of their story. Netflix is the worst about this, but the Dungeon Crawler Carl series is likely headed for Peacock.
Still, the showrunners and creatives would have to know, in both the case of The Dark Tower and Dungeon Crawler Carl, that there’s a good chance they don’t ever finish the story. It is hard to engage modern audiences with TikTok-impacted attention spans for long-form storytelling over multiple seasons and years.
The good news for fans of Dinniman’s books is that there are a lot of us. The original book sold over a million copies, and each subsequent one has been a hit as well. There’s a major built-in audience, so as long as we all commit to watching, the ratings should hopefully stay good enough to let the showrunners see this one through.
Who’s Involved?
Universal International Studios and Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door are doing the TV adaptation of Matt Dinniman’s hit book, Dungeon Crawler Carl. Chris Yost, who is most known for writing Thor: Ragnarok and The Mandalorian, is set to write the show. Anyone who has seen those projects and read the book knows this is a match made in heaven.
As of now, that’s all we know about who is in the development. Dinniman is heavily involved as well, and he recently said in an interview that, despite the fact that it’s been three years since the adaptation was announced, it’s still happening.
“Right now, we’re at the point where Chris Yost, who’s writing the show, has written a few episodes,” Dinniman said via 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.”
He reiterated that it’s still a go, although he did acknowledge that he’s seen projects get further than this before hitting the wall and falling through the cracks, but he is confident this one will get over the finish line.
Conclusion
Assuming Dungeon Crawler Carl does get off the ground as a TV show (it’s a little surprising it has taken this long and hasn’t progressed much, given the popularity of the books), it will still be a difficult task for all involved. It’s a long series in the era of short TV shows.
