BBC Studios adapting Michael Moorcock’s Runestaff fantasy novels for TV

There’s a newcomer into the increasingly crowded field of splashy fantasy series competing for your attention: Deadline reports that BBC Studios, the same people behind the splendid-looking Good Omens adaptation, are adapting Michael Moorcock’s Runestaff fantasy novels for the small screen.

If you’ve never heard of Runestaff, first, you and I have something in common, and second, they sound pretty interesting. Written between 1967 and 1969, it takes place in the distant future of Europe, where the Dark Empire of Granbretan (say it slowly) is invading and conquering the rest of the continent. Our main character is a guy with the incredibly fantasy novel name of Dorian Hawkmoon, an old-fashioned hero type who stands against Granbretan and its immortal King-Emperor Huon, who lives in the city of Londra (again, look closely at the name; you’ll get what Moorcock is going for.)

There are other intriguing details. This is a post-apocalyptic story; in this case, Europe has been devastated by a period known as the “Tragic Millenium,” and memory of the time before is sketchy at best. Figures like Winston Churchill are remembered as “terrifying ancient gods,” as are Jhone, Phowl, Jhorg and Rhunga, aka the Beatles but spelled wrong because I guess the White Album didn’t survive the apocalypse. The citizens of Granbretan are renowned for their cruelty and wears masks all the time. The world features medieval elements (swords, spears, horses) coexisting with future tech (laser weapons and freaky flying machines). It all sounds pretty ’60s, to be honest, but definitely fun.

BBC Studios have acquired the rights to all four of the original novels: The Jewel In The Skull, The Mad God’s Amulet, The Sword Of The Dawn and The Runestaff. Michael Moorcock himself is fully into it. “I am delighted that BBC Studios is developing the Runestaff series for TV,” he said.

"I believe the team will do an outstanding job and I’m looking forward to seeing Hawkmoon, Count Brass and Yisselda brought to the screen. This is a perfect time for the series, which seems more relevant today than it did when I originally wrote it. I will be working closely with the writers to develop the stories. I feel like a schoolboy, breathlessly waiting for the first episode to be aired."

The show will be written by Steve Thompson, who’s worked on shows like Sherlock and Doctor Who. He’s pretty psyched, too. “The Runestaff novels were the first books that captured my imagination,” he said. “It’s a privilege and a great adventure to be working with Michael Moorcock. I feel like I’ve just been handed the keys to the crown jewels of fantasy fiction.”

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There’s a lot of that going around lately, what with adaptations of The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Kingkiller Chronicles and more all on the way. I dunno if Runestaff will rise or fall, but regardless, it’s a good time to be a fantasy fan.

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