In the latest Futurama direct-to-DVD feature, Bender’s Game ($29.99), which is due out on November 4th, Fry and the gang venture from outer space to deep inside the Earth where they find a medieval kingdom rife with fantasy characters and references to major fantasy movies such as Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and to the world’s most popular fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

Although Bender’s Game is not specifically about Dungeons & Dragons, it is clear that the spirit of D&D has infused the film in which Leela appears as a one-eyed Centaur, Bender as a Knight, and Fry as a Dragon.  The DVD includes an extra feature entitled “Dungeons & Dragons & Futurama” hosted by Futurama producer David X. Cohen, who told Sci Fi Wire: “We wanted to work in any kind of fantasy we could while we had the opportunity. So it's not 100 percent referencing any one specific thing, but a melding of these different but related things. I did play a lot of Dungeons & Dragons as a kid, as did several of our writers, so it was an opportunity to unload some of the joy of our youth onto the rest of the world.”

Speaking directly about the D&D bonus feature, Cohen said: “It's for a limited audience. You have the choice to watch it or not, but I think the people who know Dungeons & Dragons will really appreciate it. The movie is not, obviously, specifically about Dungeons & Dragons.”