Peacock Advances Dungeon Crawler Carl Toward Casting

Peacock is moving its television adaptation of Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl toward casting, with the production team currently meeting potential directors and developing scripts ahead of filming planned for 2027. Lisa Katz, president of scripted content at NBC and Peacock, shared the latest progress in an interview with Deadline Hollywood as the project advances from development toward production.

Katz said the writers' room opened about a month before her interview, and the creative team has begun producing material for the series. Director selection is underway, with casting expected to follow as Peacock continues assembling the team responsible for bringing the bestselling LitRPG franchise to television.

Katz also credited Jordan Moblo, who works in intellectual property creative acquisitions and management, with recognizing the project's potential. She said the company was eager to secure the adaptation because of the novels' distinctive storytelling.

"Jordan Moblo in IP [Creative Acquisitions and IP Management] fell in love with it and got it. And then when we heard it, everybody – when these special things come, and they're so original and so unique, you just jump on. So we're so grateful that we got in at the right time, and we're so excited about that one." Katz said.

The Peacock executive emphasized that finding compelling stories remains a priority for the company. The adaptation secured its place within Universal and Peacock before the property could be offered more broadly to potential buyers.

"I feel like the goal is always to find the best stories, and that one, we all were like, we have to do this," Katz added. "So we're really excited."

At New York Comic Con 2026, Kelsey Balance, Universal Global Television's scripted series chief, provided further details about the project's development. The team has received outlines, script drafts, and a comprehensive pitch covering the series, while preliminary production preparations are already underway.

Balance said the creative work continues alongside efforts to recruit department heads and other essential production personnel, including line producers, production designers, directors, and casting professionals.

"We are starting to see drafts and outlines and we've gotten the whole series pitch, which is really exciting, but it's continued to evolve. While that's happening, we are building the ship, or building the plane, as we fly. So that's happening and that drives everything.

At the same time, we're into soft prep. So we're hiring HODs. We're finding great line producers, production designers, directors, casting – all of it is kind of happening right now, which is fun."

Balance said.

The production schedule calls for the team to finalize key creative and staffing decisions before beginning full preparation in the new year. Balance said the plan is to complete the scripts before filming begins, with production targeted for 2027.

"We're going to be locking in all of those key things, which will be fun to share with you guys. Then we'll start actually real prep in the new year and shooting next year. So, the plan is to have all scripts written before production starts, which is great.

We're on track for that and then we'll start shooting it, which is exciting. We're constantly brainstorming all the time on when and how we can share things." Balance said.

Dinniman also confirmed at the convention that the production has not selected an actor to play Carl. The author said the central character requires a performer capable of balancing comic behavior with a genuinely intimidating presence when the story turns darker.

"We were just discussing this backstage. Carl's not been cast. And we don't have a specific answer for that.

I want Carl to be played by someone who embodies the role and someone who can be both goofy and give off that really, really scary vibe. When Carl's upset, he's a very scary person." Dinniman said.

The story follows Carl, a Coast Guard veteran who survives an alien invasion and enters a deadly intergalactic game show alongside Princess Donut, his ex-girlfriend's intelligent, talking cat. The pair must confront monsters, aliens, an artificial intelligence system, and other survivors in a televised struggle for survival.

Christopher Yost and Eric Heisserer are serving as showrunners and executive producers. Jeff Hays will return to voice Princess Donut, while Seth MacFarlane, Erica Huggins, and Rachel Hargreaves-Heald will executive-produce through MacFarlane's production company, Fuzzy Door. Dinniman is also attached as a co-executive producer.