Nearly forty years ago, the Dungeons & Dragons series, one of the most popular animations in Latin America, stopped abruptly. On December 6, Hasbro brought it back at the region’s greatest entertainment showcase, Comic-Con Brazil.
The new edition, Dungeons & Dragons: The Lost Episode, was developed by Ogilvy São Paulo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, the RPG franchise that inspired the series. The initiative captures the essence of the original animation while incorporating modern elements to appeal to both old and new fans. The experience is both nostalgic and innovative.
The script, crafted by influencers from the Jovem Nerd channel, a pop culture reference in Latin America, was based on decades of fan theories gathered using social listening tools. Among the explored theories are speculations such as the protagonists being dead and trapped in hell or the Dungeon Master being the true villain. These ideas inspired a fresh yet surprisingly familiar narrative, maintaining a connection to the original story and giving fans the feeling of uncovering a long-lost tale from this universe.
The animation was produced by the creators of the YouTube channel, Os Bonequinhos, who used stop-motion techniques with the official Dungeons & Dragons action figures from Hasbro. The episode continues to follow the six youths transported to a magical realm after riding a roller coaster called Dungeons & Dragons. Guided by the Dungeon Master, they face challenges while trying to return to the real world, battling the villain Venger along the way.
“This project is the result of decades of passion. Since the 1980s, fans have been waiting for the continuation of this story. The special appearance of these heroes in the film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), reignited this desire, leading to a partnership between Hasbro and digital creators to revisit this universe,” noted John Bogéa and Tarik Frank, creative directors at Ogilvy Brazil.
One of the most emotional moments during the project’s presentation at Comic-Con was the announcement that the original Brazilian voice cast, who had not revisited this universe since the 1980s, returned to voice the same characters. Marlene Costa (Sheila), Mário Jorge (Eric), Mônica Rossi (Diana), Ricardo Schnetzer (Hank), and Nizo Netto (Presto) reprised their roles.
Due to the passing of Henrique Ogalla in 2020, Bobby was voiced by Pedro Alcântara, while Walter Cruz replaced Ionei Silva and Miguel Rosenberg as the Dungeon Master. Glauco Marques took on the role of Venger, originally voiced by Orlando Drummond, and Guilherme Briggs lent his voice to the unicorn Uni.
Following its launch, The Lost Episode was made available on Hasbro and Jovem Nerd’s official channels, generating enormous buzz on social media. Thousands of spontaneous mentions reflected the strong connection that the Latin American audience still has with the series and Hasbro’s toys.
The Dungeons & Dragons toy collection featured in the animation will soon be available for purchase by fans also, through Hasbro’s partner e-commerce platforms.
“Creating this episode of Dungeons & Dragons goes beyond a marketing campaign. It’s a celebration alongside the fan community, who grew up following the fantastic adventures of this group,” added Marina Uccelli, Hasbro marketing director.
Credits
Client: Hasbro
Client Team: Marina Uccelli, Wagner Araujo, Alexandre Pereira
Agency: Ogilvy São Paulo
CCO: Rafael Donato, Sergio Mugnaini
Latam CCO: Keka Morelle
Executive Creative Directors: Teco Cipriano, Mathias Almeida
Creative Directors: John Bogéa, Tarik Frank
Art Director: Rafa Reis
Copywriter: Filipe Sanches
Chief of Clients: Denise Caruso
Group Account Directors: Felipe Obara, Renata Flores
Account: Giovanna Giannini, Leticia Haffner
Head of Content: Mariana Hasselmann
Content: Augusto Oliveira
CSO: Thais Frazão
Planning: Isabela Cury, Arthur Sousa
Chief Data Officer: Viviane Sbrana
Data: Thiago Fatichi, Paulo Silva
Production: Fabiola Thomal, Stephanie Chaya
Media: Thiago Ferraz, Patricia Monteiro, Isabel Barbosa
Film Production: Nonsense Creations
Contributor: Jovem Nerd
Director: Deive Pazos
