Jeff Hays Reprises Princess Donut Role in Peacock's Live-Action Dungeon Crawler Carl Series

Peacock has cast audiobook narrator Jeff Hays to voice Princess Donut, the talking cat character central to Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl series, in the platform's upcoming live-action adaptation. Hays, who produced and narrated all eight currently published novels in the LitRPG franchise, brings familiarity to the role for millions of audiobook listeners. The casting announcement came during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, marking the first major talent addition since the show received a series order.

Character and Premise

Princess Donut is a tiara-wearing talking cat who belonged to Carl's ex-girlfriend, Beatrice, before becoming his unlikely partner in a high-stakes survival competition. When an alien invasion decimates most of humanity, survivors are forced into a televised game show designed to determine who lives and who dies. Carl teams with the self-centered feline through this deadly ordeal, creating the core dynamic that drives the narrative.

Production and Creative Team

The series is being developed by Universal Global Television in partnership with Seth MacFarlane's Fuzzy Door Productions. Chris Yost serves as writer and showrunner, with executive producers including MacFarlane, Erica Huggins, and Rachel Hargreaves-Heald. Author Matt Dinniman holds a co-executive producer credit. The live-action format represents a significant expansion of the IP, which has sold more than 14 million copies across all formats to date.

Hays' involvement signals a commitment to maintaining continuity with the source material's fanbase. The audiobook versions have garnered over 140 million listening hours on Audible, establishing a substantial audience familiar with his vocal interpretations of all major characters. Actor Seth Green has also publicly expressed interest in joining the project, though no official casting has been confirmed beyond Hays.

Series Overview

The official description frames the show as both apocalyptic drama and irreverent comedy: survivors face monsters, aliens, and artificial intelligence threats while the entire ordeal is broadcast for entertainment purposes. The premise balances dark themes with humor centered on Princess Donut's entitled personality contrasting sharply with the dangerous environment. Matt Dinniman's book series currently comprises eight published novels, with two additional installments planned to complete the full narrative arc.