Netflix Developing Live-Action ‘Ravenloft’ Series With John August and Alfonso Cuarón

Netflix is developing a live-action television series based on the ‘Ravenloft’ setting of Dungeons & Dragons, with writer John August and Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón attached as executive producers. The project, which is in early development, marks a new direction for the streamer’s fantasy slate following the departure of a previously planned adaptation.

The series is described as a prestige fantasy drama that blends adventure with gothic horror and tragic romance. It will follow the origin story of Strahd von Zarovich, the vampire Darklord of Ravenloft, charting his transformation from a tragic antihero into one of Dungeons & Dragons’ most notorious villains.

New Project Replaces ‘The Forgotten Realms’

According to Deadline’s exclusive report, which broke the news on September 7, 2026, the ‘Ravenloft’ project is unrelated to ‘The Forgotten Realms,’ another live-action D&D series that Netflix had put into development in early 2025. That earlier project, which was being written by Drew Crevello and executive produced by Shawn Levy, is no longer moving forward at the streamer.

Hasbro Entertainment is producing the series, with Gabriel Marano serving as an executive producer for the company. Cuarón’s Esperanto Filmoj is also attached, with Richard Schwartz and Gaby Rodriguez executive producing alongside Cuarón.

Creative Team Behind the Series

August, whose screenwriting credits include ‘Big Fish,’ ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ ‘Corpse Bride,’ ‘Dark Shadows’ and ‘Frankenweenie,’ brings extensive experience in gothic fantasy to the project. He has written or co-written five films with Tim Burton, whose work on Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ helped establish a similar gothic-horror sensibility on the platform.

Cuarón, who won Academy Awards for directing and cinematography on ‘Roma’ and for directing on ‘Gravity,’ is returning to Netflix eight years after his film ‘Roma’ premiered on the streamer. The director is currently under a first-look deal with Apple TV+ and has a new drama series, ‘Ascension,’ in development there.

A Storied D&D Setting

‘Ravenloft,’ introduced in 1983 by Tracy and Laura Hickman, is one of the most played settings in Dungeons & Dragons history. The gothic horror campaign setting has since spawned more than a hundred official novels, tabletop RPG modules, video games and companion rulebooks. Both Ravenloft and Strahd von Zarovich were referenced in the series finale of Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things,’ which wove Dungeons & Dragons into its storytelling throughout its run.

Featuring humans, elves, orcs and other fantastical creatures, the D&D game is overseen by Wizards of the Coast. Hasbro Entertainment has also been developing other adaptations, including a ‘Baldur’s Gate’ drama series at HBO from Emmy winner Craig Mazin.

Status and Next Steps

As of the latest reporting, no cast has been attached to ‘Ravenloft,’ and Netflix has not announced an episode count, production schedule or release timeline. The project remains in the early stages of development, with August attached to write the series.

The ‘Ravenloft’ announcement comes after multiple previous attempts to launch a live-action D&D series, including a Paramount+ project from Rawson Marshall Thurber and Crevello that received a straight-to-series order in early 2023 but did not proceed.