Peacock is developing a live-action adaptation of Matt Dinniman's science fiction and fantasy series Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Audiobook narrator Jeff Hays will return as Princess Donut, the talking cat central to the story.
In an interview with Collider's Maggie Lovitt at New York Comic Con, Hays explained how he plans to adapt his established vocal performance for an on-set production while preserving the character's distinctive personality.
Production Team and Development
The television project brings together several figures associated with established comedy and science fiction productions.
Christopher Yost, who co-wrote Thor: Ragnarok, and Eric Heisserer, creator of Shadow & Bone, are serving as co-showrunners.
Seth MacFarlane is involved as a producer, and Dinniman is also an executive producer, according to reports from Collider and Yahoo.
Peacock has ordered the adaptation, but the series remains in early development.
The streaming service has not announced a release date or a complete cast.
Adapting the Voice for Live Action
Hays will retain the voice that audiobook listeners recognize, but performing alongside the live-action cast will require a different approach.
Rather than recording narration in a booth and switching between numerous characters, he expects to remain immersed in Princess Donut's personality for longer periods during filming.
Hays said he believes maintaining the character's familiar sound is important to the adaptation.
"Well, I think changing it too much would be a mistake," Hays said.
He explained that audience expectations influenced the decision to bring him back, while the demands of a live-action set will require him to sustain the character throughout scenes rather than focus exclusively on vocal delivery.
"Obviously, the reason they hired me is because everyone... all the listeners were saying they would do horrible things to them if they did not, right?
So presumably, they want Donut to sound the same.
But I think I obviously also need to take a slightly different approach, in the sense that I need to be more present, or Donut needs to be more present within me throughout the entire thing.
I have to learn how to stay in character for longer."
Another adjustment involves Hays' facial expressions.
During audiobook recordings, his eyebrows and other facial movements often reflect the emotions he gives Princess Donut.
Although viewers will not necessarily see Hays himself, he wants to avoid gestures that might influence how his fellow actors portray interactions with the fictional cat.
Hays described the additional physical dimension of his performance as an important part of preparing for production.
"I have to embody her not just in the voice but in the face," Hays said.
His expressive movements, which he described as "crazy," are less consequential in an audio recording booth than on a set where other performers may react to his physical behavior.
He therefore plans to pay closer attention to his expressions, even if the production does not use his facial movements for animation.
Hays also acknowledged that his facial expressions can become particularly exaggerated while narrating, describing them as "crazy."
His concern is that these movements could shape the performances of actors who need to react as though they are interacting with a cat rather than a human performer.
He said memorizing the script will be another significant change from audiobook work, where he is accustomed to reading narration and voicing multiple characters.
"I'm gonna be on set with the rest of the actors, and if my face is going crazy while I'm talking to them, and I'm just letting it fly the same way I would in the booth, that's gonna color their performance, and I want them to feel like they're talking to a cat.
I want that to come through in their acting as well.
So that means I have to really focus and really memorize all the lines, which is something I'm absolutely not used to, and something I need to get good at before the shooting starts, so that I can be present as a cat while I'm talking to these people.
So, yeah, the performance is going to change a little bit because of that, but hopefully not too much.
You know, hopefully it's just a smooth transition into the medium."
Princess Donut is one of the central characters in Dinniman's series, accompanying Carl through a dangerous underground environment created after an alien catastrophe destroys civilization.
The survivors are forced to navigate a massive dungeon structured as an intergalactic game show, where increasingly dangerous challenges combine role-playing game mechanics with dark comedy and horror.
Across the eight published novels cited in the reports, Princess Donut develops from a vain Persian show cat into an intelligent, talking companion who helps Carl survive the dungeon.
Their relationship and her growing abilities are important elements of the story, making the character's transition to television a significant part of the adaptation.
The production faces the broader challenge of translating Carl's first-person narration, elaborate dungeon environments and shifting balance between humor and disturbing violence into a visual format.
The books' established readership and the popularity of their audiobooks provide an existing audience for the project.
Filming preparations will require Hays to adapt his performance to the demands of working directly with the other actors.
