Dungeon Crawler Carl brings Jeff Hays aboard as Princess Donut
Matt Dinniman says Peacock’s Dungeon Crawler Carl team cast audiobook narrator Jeff Hays as Princess Donut after hearing fans.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Dungeon Crawler Carl fans got one of their loudest wishes granted: Jeff Hays, the audiobook narrator behind the series’ sprawling cast of voices, will voice Princess Donut in Peacock’s live-action adaptation, author Matt Dinniman told Variety.
Dinniman said the choice was meant to show readers and listeners that the team behind the show is paying attention as the beloved LitRPG series heads for television. He acknowledged to Variety that adaptations can make fans wary, especially when audiences have been let down before.
“We are listening” was the message, according to Dinniman, who said Hays has voiced Donut for six years and that the production is trying to stay faithful to the story.
Who is Jeff Hays playing in Dungeon Crawler Carl?
Hays will voice Princess Donut, Carl’s cat and one of the central characters in Dungeon Crawler Carl. In the books, Donut gains the ability to speak after aliens transform Earth into a lethal, televised dungeon game.
The series follows Carl, a Coast Guard veteran, after he is forced into that game-like dungeon, where players, known as crawlers, face monsters, traps and escalating floors of danger. Carl and Donut fight through the dungeon using spells, traps and whatever else they can find as they try to survive and get closer to freedom.
Hays told Variety his audition was hardly a cold read. He has recorded more than 150 hours across the Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobooks, performing Donut and every other character, with more than 200 distinct voices in the series.
When asked to submit material, Hays said he sent in a video compiled from livestreams of his narration work, which his team had already turned into highlight clips.
The audiobooks have become a major part of the franchise’s rise. Variety reported that the books have sold more than 10 million copies, with fans drawn to the mix of comedy, fantasy, science fiction and literary role-playing game storytelling.
What is happening with the Peacock adaptation?
Peacock ordered the live-action Dungeon Crawler Carl series last month, according to Variety. Dinniman is an executive producer alongside Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door studio and Universal Global Television.
Dinniman said multiple companies had shown interest when the option was first sold, but the project ultimately went to Universal. He told Variety that Universal connected him with the Fuzzy Door team, whose members had read the book and shared his vision for the adaptation.
Few details about the show have been announced. Dinniman said he could not discuss casting plans, though Variety noted that Seth Green, a friend and collaborator of MacFarlane, has already expressed interest in playing Mordecai, Carl’s alien mentor in the books.
The book series began as a self-published novel in 2019 and now includes eight published entries. The titles after the original include Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, The Gate of the Feral Gods, The Butcher’s Masquerade, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, This Inevitable Ruin and A Parade of Horribles.
Dinniman has said the final entry will be split into two parts. He told Variety he expects to be finished with Book 9 and a substantial portion of Book 10 before the show arrives, adding that the series is not expected to premiere within a year.
Beyond television, Dinniman said he would like to see the franchise grow into a video game someday, though he stressed that nothing is imminent. His wish list includes a full game set in the Dungeon Crawler Carl universe, possibly in the style of an MMORPG or a Fallout-style title.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.