Jon Hamm To Star In & Exec-Produce QCode & Temple Hill Scripted Thriller Podcast ‘Dungeon Masters’

Andreas Wiseman
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Jon Hamm, fresh off his two Emmy nominations, has been set to star in and exec-produce scripted podcast series Dungeon Masters, which heralds from QCode and Smile and Twilight producer Temple Hill.

Created, written and directed by journalist and author David Kushner, the series is based on his research and writing about hit game Dungeons & Dragons, inspired by the real-life missing person case which inadvertently made the game (in)famous.

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Set in 1979, the series gives listeners a behind-the-curtain look into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, told through the lenses of private investigator William Dear (Hamm), a swashbuckling style tough guy and creator of the game Gary Gygax (Wil Wheaton). The series follows Dear on his quest to find Dallas Egbert, a Michigan State student, who supposedly disappeared in the steam tunnels under his University while enacting a real-life version of D&D.

Multiple QCode podcasts have been developed as TV series or movies. We understand there are conversations about this material potentially making its way to screen, too.

Hamm is joined in the cast by Wil Wheaton (Star Trek), Felicia Day (Supernatural), Kristian Nairn (Game of Thrones), Emily Axford (Adam Ruins Everything), Anjali Bhimani (Ms. Marvel) and Mark Daugherty (Captain Marvel). Producers are Hamm, Kushner, QCODE and Temple Hill Entertainment. The series will debut on August 12th.

Hamm, coming off 2024 Emmy nominations for both The Morning Show and Fargo, said: “It was great to delve into the mystery of Dallas Egbert with this talented team and group of actors. I’m excited for listeners to follow the journey of William Dear and immerse themselves in the series.”

Kushner said: “I’ve been obsessed with the disappearance of Dallas Egbert since I was a kid playing D&D. When I was interviewing the game’s co-creator Gary Gygax for Wired, he told me how influential Dallas’s disappearance was on the game. I always thought the real story of William Dear’s search for Dallas would be an amazing way to immerse people into the world of the game and the gamers who play it. And since the game is built on storytelling, it felt perfect for a podcast.”

Kushner is among the most optioned journalists in Hollywood, with works that have sold to Netflix, A24, Universal, Paramount as well as USA, Hulu, and Fox Broadcasting.

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