For years, Tamora Pierce’s epic Tortall Universe series of books has been sitting around waiting for Hollywood to come calling. Lord of the Rings became popular. Game of Thrones was a hit. And yet this huge IP was just there, ripe for the picking. Finally, its time has come.
Deadline reports that Lionsgate and Playground Entertainment have optioned the rights to bring Pierce’s epic world of fantasy to television. “Not only am I over the moon that the Tortall books will be adapted by Playground, but I know my fans will be ecstatic,” the author said in a statement.
The Tortall series, which spans almost two dozen texts over the past 40 years, is set in a fictional fantasy world filled with princesses, knights, magicians, warring factions, and more. It’s been widely lauded for being not just a good blend of fantasy and YA sensibilities, but being inclusive in a genre that sometimes isn’t.
“Tamora has proven time and again that she is an unparalleled world-builder. The breadth of the source material in her Tortall series is staggering and we’re thrilled to be partnering with her to bring these incredible stories to life,” said Colin Callender, who’ll produce for Playground.
Producers are currently on the lookout for a showrunner, so any additional forward momentum on the project beyond this announcement is still down the road a bit. Plus, there’s always a chance it never happens. However, with a dose of that Tortall magic, we hope this one sees the light of day eventually”especially since, now more than ever before, there are plenty of services dying for good, quality content.
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