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Star Fleet Academy series was in development, along with a series starring
Captain Pike and
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Do you like your sci-fi fantasy filled with swords and sorcery instead of lasers and spaceships? Then click the NEXT button below for a rundown of fantasy television projects currently in development including The Wheel of Time.
Michael Moorcock's ELRIC
Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead) and Vaun Wilmott (Star Trek: Discovery) are developing Michael Moorcock’s epic fantasy novel series for TV. The duo are currently looking to find a home for the project but it's likely that they won't be looking for long. The '70s sword-and-sorcery series from Michael Moorcock has influenced a number of more well-known fantasy series much the same way that John Carter inspired a generation of sci-fi tales.
The Dark Tower
After many false starts and hiccups, a live-action Dark Tower movie finally hit theaters and even enlisted the A-list star power of Idris Elba to boot. It was a colossal flop. Yet, there's a TV show in the works that just might do Stephen King's source material justice. EastEnders' Sam Strike is set to replace Elba as Roland Deschain while Vikings and BlacKkKlansman supporting actor Jasper Pääkkönen replaces Matthew McConaughey as The Man In Black.
The Wheel of Time
For many years in the high-fantasy genre, there was the Lord of the Rings at the top and battling for second, GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire and Robert Jordan's A Wheel of Time fantasy series. With HBO's adaptation catapulting Game of Thrones into the same rarefied air as Tolkien's work, A Wheel of Time has been left distressingly far behind. Well, that might change thanks to Amazon, who are currently filming a television adaptation starring Rosamund Pike. If showrunner Rafe Lee Judkins captures what makes Robert Jordan's fantasy world so rich, Amazon might have found the crown jewel of its platform.
Warhammer TV Show
What started as a miniature wargame is now looking to become the next epic fantasy television series. The Man in the High Castle creator Frank Spotnitz is developing (and shopping) a Warhammer 40,000 TV adaptation titled Eisenhorn, which finds humanity teetering on the edge of extinction and a team led by Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn who's looking to stave off the aliens, demons and other threats attempting to accomplish the deed. The TV series will be taking its cues from the series of Warhammer novels written by veteran comic scribe Dan Abnett.
Lord of the Rings Prequel Series
Amazon isn't just betting on The Wheel of Time to fill the Game of Thrones void, the streaming platform is reportedly pumping a jaw-dropping amount of money into a Lord of the Rings prequel series set during the Second Age of Middle-earth. The Second Age is generally defined as the period between the fall of Morgoth (Sauron's master) and the formation of the Last Alliance (which was briefly glimpsed in the films). Amazon is said to have committed to a 5 season series, with an option for a spinoff. A separate report from Reuters states that the first two seasons will cost Amazon a cool $500M USD.
Lazarus
While everyone focuses on the streaming war between Disney+ and Netflix, Amazon is quietly assembling some weapons of mass destruction. They appear yet again on our rundown, this time with an adaptation of the Greg Rucka and Michael Lark comic, Lazarus. The rights to the comic were initially purchased by Legendary 2015, who then sold the project to Amazon in 2017. The series imagines a dystopian world governed by 16 families, who each run their territories in a feudal system. Each family settles disputes with a genetically-modified champion known as a Lazarus.
Wild Cards
George RR Martin's second most-famous property is his anthology superhero series Wild Cards, which imagines an X-Men-like world where an alien virus bestows superpowers by mutating human DNA. Ideas for the series sprung from a Superworld role-playing campaign that saw Martin serving as gamemaster. A total of 27 books have been released to date, with Martin writing 9 and serving as editor on the rest.
The Kingkiller Chronicle
No disrespect to George R.R. Martin or Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson but the best high-fantasy series of the last decade has been Patrick Rothfuss's The Kingkiller Chronicle. The series unfolds as a three-day oral autobiography of an infamous adventurer/rogue, now living out his days as an unassuming barkeep. Each book accounts for one day, with the third and final installment, The Doors of Stone, currently forthcoming (hopefully). Lionsgate owns the rights to the series and in late-2017, Showtime signed on to develop the project before it ultimately stalled in September 2019. Lionsgate is now shopping the project around Tinseltown.
Naomi Watts-led Game of Thrones Prequel Cancelled
What seemed to be a surefire hit was summarily canceled by HBO back in November. The decision was made after the pilot was reported, "not well-received". The prequel was said to be set 1,000 years before the events of the TV series and focus on The Long Night.
House of Dragons Targaryen prequel
Just before the Game of Thrones prequel set 1,000 before the events of the show was axed, a second prequel, set 300 years before Robert Baratheon's uprising was announced. This one is still in development and is titled House of Dragons. It will be set during the time of Aegon the Conqueror and focus on how the Targaryen's came into power.
Earthsea
While the 2004 Earthsea miniseries from SYFY is near and dear to many, it didn't quite do the books justice. Thankfully, there's a new adaptation of the beloved Ursula K. LeGuin series in development from Nightcrawler producer Jennifer Fox.
Shadow and Bone
The Punisher's Ben Barnes will star in an adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone for Netflix. The fantasy series follows a teenage soldier who discovers she possesses an unexpected magical power and the sinister forces who plot against her. Netflix has committed to an 8-episode adaptation that will reportedly cover all 3 books in the series.
The Watch (Discworld)
A television series focused on the Ankh-Morpork City Watch from Terry Pratchet's Discworld is in development at BBC. The unique adaptation will be a high-fantasy, police procedural with a heavy comedic slant.
Cursed
Netflix Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler's graphic novel re-imagining of the King Arthur legend has yet to be released but Netflix has already committed to a TV adaptation that will be released in 2020. Katherine Langford is set to star as Nimue, the tragic heroine of the tale who's destined to become the Lady of the Lake. Netflix has committed to a 10-episode first season.
Willow
A Willow sequel TV series spearheaded by Jon Kasdan (son of Empire Strikes Back scribe Lawrence Kasdan) is currently in development at Disney+. Warwick Davis will be returning to his role as the titular hero, while the show will focus on a now-adult, Elora.
The Witcher Season 2
Is Henry Cavill trading in his Superman cape for a Witcher sword? Who can say for sure. as early-2019 saw reports surface highlighting the difficulties Cavill's team had hammering out a contract extension for the British actor to continue playing the Man of Steel. With a new Batman set to make his debut in 2020, perhaps WB will also decide to transition to a new Superman? Regardless of how things shape out, Cavill seems to have found success with Netflix's adaptation of the beloved Witcher book and video game franchise. Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich is promising that the second season of the adaptation will surpass the first, which was well-received by fans and critics alike.