Many of the most popular movies and TV shows of the past decade, such Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and The Handmaid's Tale, have been adaptations of popular fantasy and sci-fi novles. For genre fans, it can be great fun to look forward to adaptations in progress.
Whether audiences prefer to read the source material ahead of time or go into these shows and movies without expectations, there's plenty to be excited for in these varied stories. From classics of the genres to more contemporary offerings, there are a slew of popular fantasy and sci-fi books headed for fans' screens.
The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan's death) is a 14-volume, high-fantasy epic that, in brief summary, takes place in a world with a cyclical nature, telling the high-stakes story of the Dragon, a champion for the light who in every reincarnation is fated to fight against the Dark One.
The TV adaptation, and its large cast reflecting the book series' vast amount of characters, is set for release through Amazon Prime Video, premiering Nov. 19, 2021, and will consist of eight episodes. Furthermore, the series has already been renewed for a second season, which is currently filming.
Frank Herbert's Dune is a landmark work of science-fiction set in the far future when planets are controlled by noble houses. The story centers on Paul Atreides, a young man whose family takes over the governing of the planet Arrakis. The desert planet is largely a wasteland but is rich in melange, aka spice, a highly addictive drug that can grant many capabilities to the user and is a highly prized resource.
Dune fans are both excited and skeptical about the 2021 movie adaptation, the first of two planned parts, which comes out Oct. 22. Past adaptations, including the 1984 film by David Lynch and the 2000 TV miniseries, were released to largely unfavorable reviews. But this cast, led by Timothée Chalamet, has Dune lovers cautiously optimistic.
Given the enormous success of The Lord of the Rings movies, adapted from J. R. R. Tolkien's work of the same name which follows hobbit Frodo Baggins and his companions on their journey to destroy the One Ring, it seems surprising that another work from the same source material is being developed. However, this series will take place during the Second Age of Middle-earth, far before the events of the movies.
While some details have been revealed about the Amazon Prime Video Lord of the Rings series, it remains largely a mystery. The first season is slated to premiere on Sept. 2, 2022, with the overall series rumored to be setting up for a five-season story.
C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia series tells the story of the Pevensie siblings, who travel to the magical land of Narnia. The seven books have been the basis of adaptations in the past, but the rights have now been wholly acquired by Netflix, with a television series now in the works.
Given that there have been some questions around how C. S. Lewis treated his female characters, it will be interesting to see how Netflix approaches their adaptation, hopefully striking a balance between retaining the spirit of the stories while reimagining some of their more dated elements.
Station Eleven is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel by Emily St. John Mandel, first published in 2014. Its narrative is split between a few POV characters, but mainly tells the story of a travelling group of actors who are the survivors of a swine-flu pandemic that wiped out most of the population.
A miniseries adaptation set to premiere on HBO Max has recently finished filming. Taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic, the story is bound to have taken on new significance, adding greater weight to an already emotionally resonant tale.
Interview With the Vampire is a gothic horror novel by Anne Rice, the first of a series that became known as The Vampire Chronicles. The first instalment of the series focuses on a vampire telling his life story to a reporter.
A movie adaptation, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, remains one of the best vampire movies of the '90s, setting the bar high for AMC's new TV adaptation. It set to premiere in 2022, with actors Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson in the starring roles.
A YA book and the first in a planned trilogy, Children of Blood and Bone is a fantasy story set in the kingdom of Orïsha, detailing the merciless treatment of magic practitioners, a group to which protagonist Zélie belongs, by the ruling class. Zélie attempts to restore magic to the whole of her society.
The movie rights to the story were acquired by Fox 2000 Pictures (later transferred to Lucasfilm) before the novel was even published. Although few details have been released about the adaptation, Adeyemi's powerful story, drawing inspiration from West African mythology, is sure to be riveting on screen.
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, a comic book published by DC Comics, tells the story of Dream, an ancient being and one of seven called the Endless, who personifies dreams and stories. The series tells of his dealings in the modern world after he had been held prisoner for many years.
The adaptation, a series developed for Netflix, is currently in post-production with Tom Sturridge in the titular role. There are questions around whether or not any other live-action DCEU characters could appear in The Sandman, though the character of Lucifer (the basis for the 2016 show Lucifer) will here be played by Gwendoline Christie.
The Power is a science-fiction novel by British author Naomi Alderman, which details the consequences of women gaining the power to emit jolts of electricity from their hands, leading to them becoming the dominant gender.
The Power is set to debut as a TV series with 10 episodes through Amazon Prime Video. With the novel's framing as a story within a story, the setting up of the series will be central for establishing the narrative's tone, which examines the benefits and dangers of power in a fascinating way.
Project Hail Mary follows astronaut Ryland Grace, who wakes from a coma aboard a starship with no other living people, with no memory of who or where he is, and why he's there. The novel's narrative is split into two parts, one following Ryland as he remembers his life prior to his mission, and the other focusing on his present predicament.
Given the popularity of the movie adaptation for Andy Weir's first novel The Martian, it seems only natural that Project Hail Mary would follow suit, with Ryan Gosling set to star as Ryland. From a novel full of Weir's trademark wit and emotional resonance, this movie seems to be set up for success.
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