‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Feature Doc ‘Role Players’ In The Works At XTR

XTR has launched production on Role Players, which is billed as the definitive documentary on the seminal fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons.

Boasting never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with high-profile celebrity D&D fanatics, Role Players will tell the all-encompassing story of Dungeons & Dragons, from the game’s origin story to the cult-like devotion of its players, exploring the power living in a fantasy world can have on real-life human connection.

The feature is being made by director Morgan Jon Fox (The One You Never Forget) and producer Ted Speaker (Sword of Trust). Bryn Mooser, Kathryn Everett, Justin Lacob and Abazar Khayami are executive producing for XTR. Pic comes on the heels of Paramount and eOne’s announcement on the title for their upcoming narrative feature, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Hasbro’s reported explosive growth on the franchise as a result of the major theatrical release in March 2023. (It should be noted that Paramount, eOne and D&D owner Hasbro have no involvement in the upcoming XTR film).

“Through its wildly different levels, times, adventures and possibilities, D&D created its own universe and community,” said XTR’s Head of Development Justin Lacob, “capturing the imagination of gamers, misfits, geniuses, and rebels, and had a lasting impact on culture and our lives outside the game.”

“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,” added Fox. “There’s nothing more exciting than a legendary game that rose to fame with a little help from the era of Satanic Panic.”

XTR is a global nonfiction entertainment studio founded in 2019, which has since produced and financed over 80 documentaries, including They Call Me Magic on Apple TV+; MTV Documentary Films’ Oscar-nominated Ascension; and the Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning 76 Days.

Today’s Role Players news follows the announcement of XTR Studios, the documentary company’s new production facility on the east side of Los Angeles that includes production and post-production facilities, a sound stage and recording studio. The film joins a slate of upcoming documentaries at XTR, probing misfit pop culture, which also includes Miss Cleo and Fox’s trading card pic The Hobby.