Seth MacFarlane Tackles LitRPG: Dungeon Crawler Carl Greenlit for Live-Action on Peacock

Hold onto your hats, LitRPG fans. A live-action adaptation of the beloved web novel series Dungeon Crawler Carl is officially greenlit for Peacock, with none other than Seth MacFarlane producing. That’s right: the creator behind Family Guy and The Orville is tackling a dark sci-fi fantasy series about a man and his Princess Cat stuck in a deadly interstellar game show. Talk about an unexpected combo.

For those unfamiliar, Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman, exploded onto the scene as a sensation in the LitRPG genre. It blends grim humor, intense dungeon crawling mechanics, and surprisingly deep character development within a brutal, comedic, and often heartbreaking premise. Its popularity among web novel readers and audiobook listeners rivals many a Japanese light novel series, often attracting the same audience who devour Isekai anime and manga.

MacFarlane's involvement is the real head-scratcher here. Known for his distinctive comedic voice in adult animation and his love for sci-fi with The Orville, this move into gritty, game-mechanic-driven fantasy is a significant pivot. Can he capture the series' unique blend of satire, action, and emotional gut punches in live-action? The success of such a niche yet passionately followed series depends entirely on it.