Stranger Things may have been a love letter to Dungeons & Dragons, but Netflix is now tackling a live-action Ravenloft series, bringing one of the franchise's most iconic villains to streaming.
Deadline (via SFFGazette.com) was the first to break the news that the gothic fantasy drama is being developed by writer/executive producer John August, with acclaimed filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón among its executive producers.
Set within the gothic horror setting known as Ravenloft and its Domains of Dread, the series is being described as a prestige fantasy drama blending adventure, supernatural intrigue, dark magic, and tragic romance. At the centre of the story will be the origins of vampire Darklord Strahd von Zarovich.
Strahd is one of Dungeons & Dragons' most notorious villains, and the series will explore his transformation from tragic anti-hero into an undead tyrant. Given the character's complex origin story and descent into villainy, Netflix has plenty of room to tell a character-driven story and deliver an exciting fantasy adventure.
August will executive produce alongside Gabriel Marano for Hasbro Entertainment, while Cuarón will produce through his Esperanto Filmoj banner with Richard Schwartz and Gaby Rodriguez.
The project also allows August to return to gothic territory. He previously wrote or co-wrote five movies directed by Tim Burton, including Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows, and Frankenweenie.
Introduced by Tracy and Laura Hickman in 1983, Ravenloft has become one of D&D's most popular settings. It has subsequently appeared across more than a hundred official novels, tabletop adventures, video games, and rulebooks, alongside countless fan-created stories.
It's worth noting that Ravenloft is a separate project from The Forgotten Realms, another live-action D&D series Netflix put into development in 2025 with Drew Crevello writing and Shawn Levy executive producing. That project is no longer moving forward at the streamer.
Hasbro has made a live-action Dungeons & Dragons series a priority in recent years, particularly following the release of 2023's Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. A previous television project from Rawson Marshall Thurber and Crevello received a straight-to-series order at Paramount+ in 2023 but ultimately failed to materialise.
For Cuarón, Ravenloft marks a return to Netflix eight years after Roma. The acclaimed 2018 movie earned 10 Oscar nominations, including Netflix's first Best Picture nomination, while Cuarón won Best Director and Best Cinematography.
August's other credits include Go, Charlie's Angels, and Aladdin. Cuarón, who directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, most recently created, wrote, directed, and executive produced Apple's Disclaimer, and is developing Ascension for the streamer.
Keep checking back here for updates on Ravenloft as we have them.