Fans of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle are about to have the best day ever. After several months of negotiations and competition between studios, the popular fantasy series is about to get a mega multimedia rollout.
The Hollywood Reporter reveals Lionsgate has won the rights to the series and has plans to make it into a movie, TV show, and video game. Yes, you read that right. All three.
“Honestly, I’ve never been very interested in a straight-up movie deal,” Rothfuss told the trade. “But Lionsgate was willing to work out something different, a multiplatform deal where they develop the films, TV series, and games simultaneously. That will give us the screen time to develop the characters and show off the world. What’s more, through this whole process, they’ve treated me with amazing respect. I never thought a studio would approach me as a creative partner who understands how stories work.”
The Kingkiller Chronicle is a series of novels (The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man’s Fear, and the yet-to-be-released third installment) that follow a powerful wizard named Kvothe who recounts his life story and ascent to power. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the books trail only Game of Thrones when it comes to fantasy book sales.
Rothfuss wrote a really great blog post on this whole story, detailing his struggles with giving up the rights at all. Basically he says he felt a movie was too restrictive to do his world justice—and it wasn’t until he wildly pitched Lionsgate this plan, and they came back with a bigger one, that he felt it would work. And that’s what happening.
As for specifics—if the movie or television show will come first; how the story will be told; casting; timing—all of that is still secret. But fans should definitely rest easy knowing Rothfuss is excited about this plan and the whole world will get to experience his trilogy in the best way possible.
Image credit: Christopher The Scholiast
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