Lionsgate is going all in with The Kingkiller Chronicle. The studio closed a deal to adapt the three-part book series and simultaneously develop movies, TV series, and video games set in the world of the second best-selling fantasy series behind Games of Thrones.
“Pat Rothfuss’s imaginative storytelling, the spellbinding character Kvothe, and the vivid world of Temerant in The Kingkiller Chronicle series have a passionate and savvy fanbase and the potential to reach an even broader audience in adaptation,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erik Feig in a statement. “It is rare that a property comes along with a world so rich and multilayered that it lends itself to exploration across film, television, and video game audiences at the same time.”
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“Honestly, I’ve never been very interested in a straight-up movie deal. But Lionsgate was willing to work out something different, a multi-platform deal where they develop the films, TV series, and games simultaneously,” Rothfuss said in a statement. “That will give us the screen time to develop the characters and show off the world.
“What’s more,” he continued, “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 audience is definitely there for The Kingkiller Chronicle: The books and novellas have cleared over 10 million copies and was a mainstay on the New York Times Best Seller list. (EW recommended reading the books a couple years back.) Rothfuss’ series is an autobiographical account by Kvothe, a charming, brave, determined musician who battles evil forces. The first two books of a proposed trilogy — The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear — have been published, along with three shorter stories. The second short story, “The Lightning Tree,” was featured in Rogues, a collection of stories edited by Thrones scribe George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.