20 new shows that could become the next Game of Thrones

HBO’s mega-hit series Game of Thrones is now fading in the rearview mirror, but where will its massive audience go? Just about every big entertainment outfit on the planet is hoping to answer that question by snapping up the TV rights to popular sci-fi/fantasy novels, films, comic books and video games and throwing their bank accounts at them.

Which upcoming series will follow in Thrones‘ footsteps and break through into the ratings stratosphere? Will it be an old lion like Amazon’s Lord of the Rings show, or a fresh idea? Will it even come from the sci-fi/fantasy genre? One thing’s for sure about high-stakes gambling: nobody’s guaranteed to be a big winner, but there will be a lot of losers.

So let’s look at some of the big-budget tentpole shows coming down the pipeline, and see if we can figure out which ones have the best chance of filling the gaping hole that Game of Thrones has left in our hearts and minds.

Blood Moon (HBO)

What better way to duplicate a super-popular TV series than essentially do it again? Hence the plethora or sequels, prequels, reboots, re-imaginings and spinoffs currently abounding in the film and TV universe. Having long feasted on the financial and critical success of Game of Thrones, HBO certainly isn’t immune to the reboot virus; the company’s leading salvo comes in the form of a prequel, and there may ultimately be more than one.

The Untitled Game of Thrones Prequel (with the working title Blood Moon) is set 5,000 years before the events of the original series, in an era when Westeros is splintered into a hundred petty kingdoms. We don’t know a lot about the story, but author George R.R. Martin has said that he’d like for the show to be called “The Long Night,” since it takes place at the close of the Age of Heroes when the White Walkers first invaded Westeros. Martin has since walked that statement back, explaining that HBO hasn’t committed to anything one way or another.

While it’s somewhat disappointing that the familiar Thrones TV show characters aren’t involved, it would be fascinating to see an earlier period in the development of Westeros, one filled with warlords, more potent and prevalent magics, heroes building their own legends and, of course, the tale of the first Long Night and White Walker invasion. We’d also love to find out the story behind the creation of the Night King, and to get a look at those ice spiders.

The Untitled Game of Thrones Prequel series is expected to premiere sometime in 2020, assuming HBO picks it up to series. HBO’s attempt to replicate its Thrones success is certainly a gamble, though they do have the hugely successful first series as their launchpad.

Potential: Massive is the word. HBO has the established Game of Thrones brand and a waiting audience; if they blow this, they can only blame themselves.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, Dominic Monaghan, Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Sean Astin, 2001

The Lord of the Rings (Amazon)

If you’re looking for sweeping fantasy projects to develop, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is about as epic and well-established as you’re ever going to find. The popularity of the books, plus the success of director Peter Jackson’s relatively recent, high-budget film adaptations make this an irresistible (and bloody expensive) project for any producer.

Amazon did just that, charging into a bidding war with Netflix that ended up with Amazon paying $250 million to acquire the TV rights to this world. But that was just the beginning of the money hurricane. Amazon’s Lord of the Rings prequel series will be the most expensive TV show in history, with a minimum $1 billion price tag (and it’s always more than predicted) on a stunning commitment to produce five seasons.

Amazon’s prequel show utilizes the familiar Rings universe but conjures up an entirely new story set long before the events of the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring (sound familiar?). it unfolds during the Age of Númenor, or the Second Age.

It might have been safer to find a way to employ the trilogy’s beloved characters in new adventures, but Amazon appears to be happy to roll the dice with a whole new set of characters. (Plus some of the elves we met in the original trilogy would still be around back then.) This is one to watch, just to see if Amazon throwing around this much moola can generate a winner. The first season of The Lord of the Rings prequel is currently expected to air in early 2021.

Potential: the sky is the limit with this beloved material, and Amazon is more than prepared to throw enough money at it to make it look good. It’s also been reported that they’re “supposed” to be producing 20 episodes for the first season. This show isn’t going to fail for lack of production.

Credit: Tor Books

The Wheel of Time (Amazon/Sony Pictures)

Author Robert Jordan’s epic The Wheel of Time novels have always been popular in the fantasy realm, and fans of the books were jazzed when it was announced that Amazon Studios was set to adapt the story for television, with production already ongoing. The official announcement included the following synopsis:

"The fantasy epic is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it. The story follows Moiraine, a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women. Moiraine believes that one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual, whom prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it. The series draws on numerous elements of European and Asian culture and philosophy, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism."

English actress Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) has been cast to play Moiraine, together with a cast of mostly unknown actors slotted in other crucial roles. Jordan’s complex mythology is centered on a seven-spoke Wheel of Time operating on a kind of Star Warsian “Force”  that can be used by uniquely-endowed people called ‘channelers.’  The conflict weaves through different eras of time as the conflicted Rand al’Thor and company battle to prevent Shai’tan (the ‘Dark One’) from consuming the world with its evil.

The first novel in The Wheel of Time series is The Eye of the World, published in 1990. Thirteen more installments followed, with the last three being written by author Brandon Sanderson to complete the saga after Jordan’s death in 2007. It has been one of the best-selling epic fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings, and recent polling reveals that Wheel is Amazon’s most highly anticipated upcoming show. No release date has yet to be announced, but probably expect it sometime in 2021.

Potential: Again, this is another sprawling fantasy epic with a titanic price tag that has the potential to either conquer the TV universe or fail in the most public and humiliating fashion imaginable.

Image: Netflix/The Witcher

The Witcher (Netflix)

Enter monster hunter extraordinaire, Geralt of Rivera. Based on the super-popular book series of the same name by Polish fantasy author  Andrzej Sapkowski, the Netflix show stars Henry Cavill (Superman) and is slated to released this year. The books have already been adapted in a feature film, TV show and a series of successful video games.

Geralt is a rare specimen, one of few remaining ‘witchers’ still operating on the Continent, a mysterious monster slayer raised at the stronghold of the Wolf School Witchers, where his inherent abilities were enhanced through magics and trials. A traveling mercenary for hire, he’s often busy disemboweling all kinds of mythical beasts like manticores, chimeras, vampires and giant scorpions. Of course, his destiny is a far bigger deal than he might imagine.

Potential: Based on the trailers, The Witcher sure looks and feels a lot like Game of Thrones, with a nice moody grimdark sheen. In this new onslaught of fantasy programming, the winners will be the ones that can balance out the sprawling epic landscapes with superb characters and engaging personal stories. The Witcher has a more telescoped feel to its narrative and cast that may help it in the long run.

His Dark Materials

James McAvoy

CR: HBO

His Dark Materials (BBC/HBO)

“Two children embark on a magical adventure through parallel universes.” That’s the succinct description on His Dark Materials‘ IMDb page. The TV show is an ambitious co-production between New Line Cinema and Bad Wolf for BBC One and HBO. Like so many other shows on this list, it’s based on a popular book series, a fantasy trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) by author Philip Pullman.

Although the His Dark Materials books have been marketed as Young Adult novels, Pullman wasn’t writing for any specific audience, and actually tackles some adult topics. The somewhat controversial story is influenced by John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost; Milton’s work chronicles the biblical story of the fall of man, but Pullman turns the narrative on its head by presenting original sin as a positive force.

The books follow the journey of 11-year old Lyra Belacqua as she tangles with mysterious mythical beings, nefarious relatives, child-abducting organizations, armored polar bears and soul-eating specters. His Dark Materials is slated to premiere November 3, 2019 on BBC One and on November 4 on HBO.

Potential: Mixing fantasy with a dash of steampunk flair, His Dark Materials has a lot going for it. The steampunk genre been resurgent lately, with successes like Carnival Row and misfires like Mortal Engines. It’ll be interesting to see if Materials will tamp down the religious overtones from the books, which is also an issue for the next entry…

The Chronicles of Narnia (Netflix)

Netflix is taking on author C.S. Lewis’ beloved and already much-adapted Chronicles of Narnia series. There are seven novels in this cycle, although the first — The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) — is easily the best known. Netflix announced last year that it had a big deal with the C.S. Lewis company to turn the series into “multiple” TV and film projects.

Producer Mark Gordon has said that Netflix has “the capacity to translate the Narnia universe into both stellar feature-length and episodic programming.” That sounds super ambitious, doesn’t it? I suppose when you’re up against sci/fi fantasy behemoths like The Lord of the Rings and The Mandalorian, you’d better dream big. Netflix keeps referring to developing elements of the classic Narnia “universe,” so we’re not sure if we’re going to see anything from the original books or not.

The Narnia novel series focuses largely on human children being pulled out of the known world and into the fantastic realm of Narnia, where the young protagonists often have vital roles to play in the unfolding history of the magical realm. There is no set release date for the Narnia project, so lets ballpark and predict late 2020.

Potential: The Chronicles of Narnia is something of a tried and true workhorse with dozens of TV, radio, film and stage adaptations being produced over the years. That means it’s one of the safer show start-ups on paper, but we could also worry that a limited audience with so many options may not flock to a world they’ve already visited so many times before.

LONDON – MARCH 03: Terry Pratchet tips his hat to the press at the premier of The Colour Of Magic at the Curzon Mayfair on March 03, 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The Watch/Discworld (BBC America)

In various forms of development since 2011, The Watch TV show appears to finally be becoming a reality under the umbrella of BBC Studios. Being developed as an eight-part series but designed as a “returnable franchise,” The Watch is based on the eight City Watch-related books in author Terry Pratchett’s prolific, brilliant and sometimes messy Discworld series.

The Ankh-morpork City Watch stories are mostly urban fantasy police procedurals where the fantasy culture of the Disc clashes with modern society and technology. The fledgling City Watch force grows from a handful of outsiders to a large, competent police department handling crimes often rooted in political or social issues.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 12: Actor Richard Dormer attends the premiere of HBO’s “Game Of Thrones” season 7 at Walt Disney Concert Hall on July 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

BBC America calls The Watch a “punk rock thriller” based on Pratchett’s works. British actor Adam Hugill has been cast as one of the leads, named Carrot Ironfoundersson. Book readers will also see other familiar characters in the series, including City Watch Captain Sam Vimes, Lady Sybil Ramkin, Angua, Cheri and Pratchett’s version of Death. Thrones veteran Richard Dormer (Beric Dondarrion) plays Vimes.

“The Watch has been startlingly re-imagined for television by writer Simon Allen, while still cleaving to the humor, heart and ingenuity of Terry Pratchett’s incomparably original work,” BBC America president Sarah Barnett stated. “BBC America embraces what’s fresh and exhilarating in TV; we believe The Watch will astonish audiences.” The series is planned for release in 2020.

Potential: This one sounds pretty cool, as long as BBC America can capture Pratchett’s particular brand of satire and humor. That’s not as easy as it sounds. Very few have been able to successfully adapt the offbeat and delicate sensibilities of sci-fi’ author Kurt Vonnegut’s novels to the screen, and one can argue that Pratchett’s perspectives are similarly as unique and difficult to translate onto film as Vonnegut’s.

The Dark Tower (Amazon)

Horror mastermind Stephen King’s eight-book Dark Tower series stumbled both critically and financially as a feature film in 2017 (combining stories from several of the novels). That didn’t seem to dampen Amazon’s enthusiasm for the project when they purchased the TV series rights in February of 2018.

Amazon has confirmed that the TV show will be a reboot featuring Sam Strike as lead character Roland Deschain (EastEnders) and Jasper Pääkkönen (Vikings) probably as the villainous Man in Black. Actors Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) and Game of Thrones veteran Jerome Flynn (Bronn) are also on board. Although the original idea was to have the series tie into the 2017 film, that seems to have been abandoned. “The TV series they’re developing now,” King told Vulture. “We’ll see what happens with that. It would be like a complete reboot, so we’ll just have to see.”

The TV version of The Dark Tower will kick off with the events of the fourth novel in the series, Wizard and Glass (1997). That one’s a prequel, so it makes sense. MRC and Sony Pictures have ponied up the money to cover a 10-13 episode first season, while Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are among the executive producers.

Potential: The sky is the limit with Stephen King projects, but they can also misfire big time (see Maximum Overdrive). The poor performance of the dull-as-dirt movie is hopefully a sobering reminder to the showrunners that even popular King stories have to be executed well if they’re going to have legs.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 09: Neil Gaiman attends the Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate event during SXSW at ZACH Theatre on March 09, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Sasha Haagensen/Getty Images for Amazon Studios )

Sandman (Netflix/Warner Bros. TV)

One of the other big hitters in the sci-fi/fantasy realm is author Neil Gaiman (American Gods), whose properties may be among the hottest on the market right now. It’s no surprise that Netflix has committed to a ten-episode TV adaptation of Gaiman’s DC comic book series Sandman. Here’s a synopsis of the first arc in Gaiman’s sweeping series:

"A wizard attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. Fearful for his safety, the wizard kept him imprisoned in a glass bottle for decades. After his escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power."

That’s where it starts, but things get a lot weirder and wilder from there, as we meet Dream’s siblings and see if the Lord of Dreams has the ability to change. Along the way, there’s a lot of heady exploration of mythology, legend and history.

Channing Dungey, the VP of original series at Netflix, told Variety, “We’re thrilled to partner with the brilliant team that is Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg to finally bring Neil’s iconic comic book series, ‘The Sandman,’ to life onscreen. From its rich characters and storylines to its intricately built-out worlds, we’re excited to create an epic original series that dives deep into this multi-layered universe beloved by fans around the world.”

Potential: The critically acclaimed Sandman was one of the first graphic novels to make the New York Times Best Seller list and is considered an influential classic. It has also experienced troubles on the TV/film adaptation front since the 1990s. At a 2007 San Diego Comic Con panel, Gaiman said that  “[he’d] rather see no Sandman movie made than a bad Sandman movie.” One of the problems may be that the show’s extremely imaginative narrative and network of characters could be hard to pull off onscreen, but if Netflix can manage it, they may have something special.

Cursed (Netflix)

No potential blockbuster Game of Thrones replacement list is complete without a nod to Arthurian Legend, and Netflix has that one covered, as well. Their upcoming epic fantasy Cursed series is a “re-imagining” of the famous story, focused on the life of the young Nimue, who will later become the mysterious Lady of the Lake. She teams up with the young Arthur (a mercenary) on a quest to bring an ancient sword to Merlin.

King Arthur and company have been the subject of many retellings and “re-imaginings.” so the Netlfix team has their work cut out for them if they want to offer up something fresh. The showrunners plan to have the show mirror topics relevant to our modern times, including religious fanaticism, environmental destruction and the brutality of war.

The Cursed TV show is based on the illustrated Young Adult novel by comics legend Frank Miller and writer/producer Tom Wheeler (Puss in Boots). Netflix has filmed a 10-episode season starring Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why) as Nimue. Cursed is planned to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2020.

Potential: Yes, this is a fantasy show aimed at teens and it’ll probably feel more like a quasi-Medieval Beverly Hills 90120 than Game of Thrones, but heck, 90120 was a massive hit, was it not?

The Ruin of Kings (Annapurna Television)

In February, 2019, Annapurna Television optioned the TV rights to The Ruin of Kings, the first novel in fantasy author Jenn Lyons’ A Chorus of Dragons book series. It’s till in development, but here is the book synopsis:

"Kihrin grew up in the slums of Quur, a thief and a minstrel’s son raised on tales of long-lost princes and magnificent quests. When he is claimed against his will as the missing son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds himself at the mercy of his new family’s ruthless power plays and political ambitions. Practically a prisoner, Kihrin discovers that being a long-lost prince is nothing like what the storybooks promised. The storybooks have lied about a lot of other things, too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, and how the hero always wins. Then again, maybe he isn’t the hero after all. For Kihrin is not destined to save the world. He’s destined to destroy it."

Tor Books released The Ruin of Kings on February 5th, 2019. Kirkus Reviews gave it a positive response, writing, “In a sprawling, magic-filled world populated by gods, dragons, krakens, witches, demons, ghosts, shape-shifters, zombies, and so much more, Lyons ties it all together seamlessly to create literary magic.”

Potential: Gods, dragons and krakens? Why not!?

The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Disney+)

Nobody’s bigger than Disney and nothing’s bigger than Star Wars, so we fully the studio to hit it out of he park with the Boba-Fett inspired The Mandalorian. Described as a “space-western,” the story picks up five years after the events of The Return of the Jedi and follows the adventures of a Mandalorian gunslinger/bounty hunter on the wild frontiers of the New Republic.

Starring Game of Thrones veteran Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell) as the title character, the cast includes Gina Carano, Nick Nolte, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Bill Burr, Omid Abtahi, Taika Waititi, and Werner Herzog. The first season will consist of of eight episodes.

Perhaps seeking greater creative latitude, creator, head writer and showrunner Jon Favreau avoided anything involving the already established Star Wars characters of Boba and Jango Fett, preferring instead to introduce a new (though quite familiar-looking) character in the traditional beskar armor. The Mandalorian is all set to premiere on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.

Potential: This is probably my most anticipated show on this list, and I’m encouraged by the fact that Iron Man director Favreau is at the helm. I think it’ll be guaranteed to be good, but the question looms: will The Mandalorian be great?

Shadow and Bone (Netflix)

Netflix is developing a Shadow and Bone TV series based on two book series by fantasy author Leigh Bardugo: it’ll be a combination of her Grisha trilogy (Shadow and Bone is the first book) and her Six of Crows duology. Birdbox writer Eric Heisserer will serve as the head writer and showrunner for the first season of eight episodes.

Fantasy fans have to be thrilled about this one. Bardugo’s YA/fantasy series has sold 2.5 copies since 2012 and has a passionate following. The story is set in the Russia-inspired land of Ravka and centers on a teenaged orphan named Alina Starkov. Netflix has released an official synopsis of the series, via Entertainment Weekly:

"In a world cleaved in two by a massive barrier of perpetual darkness, where unnatural creatures feast on human flesh, a young soldier uncovers a power that might finally unite her country. But as she struggles to hone her power, dangerous forces plot against her. Thugs, thieves, assassins and saints are at war now, and it will take more than magic to survive."

The development wheels are spinning. Actor Jessie Mei Li has been hired to will play Alina. Joining her will be Ben Barnes (Westworld), Amita Suman (Dr. Who) and Freddy Carter (Pennyworth). Author/Executive producer Bardugo is happy, telling Deadline, “I was so wary going into this process because these characters have lived in my head for so long. Turns out I had nothing to fear. Watching these actors begin to inhabit these roles has been pure magic.” No release date has been specified.

Potential: Of all the fantasy universes that await us on this list, Ravka offers some of the most unique and interesting landscapes in the docket. I have super high hopes for this one.

Watchmen Regina King as Angela Abar aka Sister Night in full costume. Image: HBO

Watchmen (HBO)

HBO has a powerhouse PR unit promoting this new show, and they obviously have high hopes it can capture a Game of Thrones-level of fandom. They’ve assembled an impressive cast that includes Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson and Louis Gosset, Jr. Set in an alternate history, Watchmen chronicles the lives of superheroes who are now considered outlaws by society. The first season will consist of eight episodes.

Inspired by the successful DC Comics superhero maxiseries from creators Alan Moore (writer), Dave Gibbons (artist) and John Higgins (colorist), HBO executive producer Damon Lindelof says the Watchmen TV show will “remix” the original source material and have a new tale to tell. Fans of the comics will recognize a few of their favorite characters in the TV adaptation, including Dr. Manhattan.

A product of the 1980s, the original Watchman comics were bizarre and politically aggressive, and one hopes that the new show will follow up with that rebellious spirit. “The world of ‘Watchmen,’ that comic did not shy away at all,” star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II tells USA Today, adding that the new HBO show serves as “a reminder of our dark history, but also our dark present we’re living in and dealing with right now.”

HBO’s Watchman series premiered last week and is already getting glowing reviews for its ambitious take on Moore’s work.

Potential: Considering the success of so many comic book and graphic novel TV and film adaptations over the last decade, one can hope that the offbeat Watchmen can take the small screen by storm. However, the comic-book-to-screen mania may also be wearing out, so HBO’s latest effort had better deliver something new (and so far, it looks like it does).

Gormenghast (Showtime)

Last year it was announced that Neil Gaiman was taking a stab at adapting British author Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast fantasy book series, an epic so weird it was once considered impossible to realize on the small screen. Gaiman was in good company, teaming up with Akiva Goldsmith (Star Trek: Discovery) and Toby Whitehouse (Being Human). In August of this year the project was picked up by Showtime. Gaiman talked about interpreting the strange world of Gormenghast in an interview with Deadline:

"The joy of trying to describe Gormenghast to people is one where words will fail you and that’s why there have been people who wanted to film Gormenghast ever since Peake wrote the first book. The BBC once tried but they were all making it in times when depicting the impossible on the screen was too difficult. The great thing now is that we can make it and actually show it and take you there. We are now in a world where you can put the impossible on screen and with Gormenghast, you’re not just dealing with a castle the size of a city but dealing with these incredibly glorious and memorable people."

Gormenghast concerns the story of the ruling family Groan and the sparse inhabitants/servants of the massive, isolated Gormenghast castle. It consists of three books: Titus Groan  (1946), Gormenghast (1950) and Titus Alone (1959). Peake passed away in 1968 before completing the fourth installment, though his widow Maeve Gilmore eventually completed the novel and it was published as Titus Awakes in 2008.

Potential: Landing on many top 100 fantasy books lists, Gormenghast is light on fantastical elements but heavy on pseudo-Medieval setting. This more secular take on the genre might help it stand out from the spate of magic and dragon-heavy offerings.

Nov. 2, 2015 – CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new “Star Trek” television series.

Pictured: Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

Screen grab: ©1990 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Star Trek: Picard (CBS)

We’ve got the new Star Wars universe show to check out (The Mandalorian) so, of course, we also get a new Trekker show, namely Star Trek: Picard.  This one is a no-brainer, building an adventure around the only commander of the USS Enterprise who rivaled James T. Kirk as the all-time favorite series captain. The official CBS Star Trek: Picard website describes the show as follows:

"Star Trek: Picard features Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard, which he played for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The new series will follow this iconic character into the next chapter of his life."

CBS isn’t holding back on this series as far as casting goes, bringing back popular Trek universe characters such as Brent Spiner (Data), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine) and even Jonathan Del Arco (the Borg named Hugh). Jonathan Frakes (William Riker) and Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi) also make appearances, though we’re not sure if they’re much beyond cameos. Star Trek: Picard premieres on January 23, 2020.

Potential: This one looks really good so far. Jean-Luc Picard is a great character and it was wise to focus a sequel show on him. The good Captain brings complexity, empathy and gravitas with him, and methinks this latest Star Trek TV series will put a couple of its immediate predecessors to shame.

Earthsea (Under option)

Last spring, producer Jennifer Fox (Nightcrawler, The Report) optioned the TV rights for the classic Earthsea series by the late Ursula K. LeGuin. Now it looks like things are moving forward. Fox has garnered the support of financier A24 as she looks for a network to produce the epic TV series.

All fans of classic fantasy are familiar with Le Guin’s Earthsea archipelago, where the young mage Ged (Sparrowhawk) attends a Wizard school and ends up having to battle a powerful nemesis he unwittingly unleashes upon the world. LeGuin wrote a total of five novels set in the Earthsea universe, a bildungsroman story featuring heroes wrapped up in a tapestry of themes and motifs drawn from Taoism, Native American legend and Norse mythology, among other things.

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 19: Ursula K. Le Guin attends 2014 National Book Awards on November 19, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images)

LeGuin gave her blessing for the novels to be adapted into TV before she passed away, and one can tell that Fox is determined to do her works proud, as she tells Deadline:

"Ursula Le Guin is a literary legend with a huge fan base and her work has been translated into practically every written language on the globe. She is second only to Tolkien in influence in this genre, and before she died last year, she agreed to put her most beloved work in my hands. This project is, therefore, a sacred trust and priority for me as well as an opportunity to create an iconic piece of American culture."

Potential: Like many of the elder, epic (and logistically nightmarish) projects on this list, previous Earthsea productions have been troubled and of varying quality. The difficulty may lie in the classic story’s complex layering of cultural and societal themes, but if somebody’s up to the task it has the gravitas to become a major success.

Photo Credit: Marc Simonetti

The Kingkiller Chronicle: The Name of the Wind (In development hell)

It looked like the TV adaptation of author Patrick Rothfuss’ popular Kingkiller Chronicle fantasy series (with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda attached as executive producer/composer) was all set to take off on Showtime … and then it wasn’t.  Lionsgate is now free to shop the property around, and with fantasy all the rage these days you’d expect somebody to bite on it somewhere.

Lionsgate has been trying to make a movie, TV series and video game out of the Kingkiller property since they purchased the rights in 2015. The story follows an adventurer/musician named Kvothe who ends up becoming his world’s most notorious wizard. The first two books in the ongoing series, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear, have sold over 10 million copies.

Jason Momoa as Conan in Conan the Barbarian 2011 (Nu Image/Lionsgate)

Conan the Barbarian (stalled at Amazon)

Surprisingly, the latest adaptation of the venerable Conan the Barbarian franchise is reported to have been indefinitely stalled at Amazon Studios. Well, maybe its not so surprising. Conan, for as much as many fantasy fans love it, has always been heavy on butchery and light on story, and perhaps the Amazon producers felt it didn’t have the depth to compete with the more complex fantasy offerings on the horizon.

Like Kingkiller Chronicle, the Conan project has bogged down despite the big names attached to it, including Game of Thrones super-director Miguel Sapochnik and producer Warren Littlefield (The Handmaid’s Tale, Fargo).

Potential: The Kingkiller Chronicle and Conan development woes show us how dicey making expensive period piece shows can be — even well-established ones — and how wary producers must be if they can’t find a unique angle to separate the fantasy show from the current crowd of well-heeled, sword and sorcery competitors. That said, I’d bet these two classic projects do end up getting made somewhere, unless the bottom falls out of the saturated fantasy TV market before they get their wheels turning.

Image: Apple TV+/See

See (Apple TV+)

Game of Thrones alumni Jason Momoa’s (Khal Drogo) star continues to rise. He’s got a new show vying to be the top TV sci-fi/fantasy dog: it’s called See, and it’s coming out on Apple TV+ on November 1, 2019. The show is set in a dangerous future world where human beings have gone blind. It also stars Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave) and Sylvia Hoeks (Blade Runner: 2049). Here’s the Apple TV+ show synopsis and trailer:

"A virus has decimated humankind. Those who survived emerged blind. Jason Momoa stars as the father of twins born centuries later with the mythic ability to see — who must protect his tribe against a threatened queen."

Potential: If you think See is streaming-service small potatoes, know this: the Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is spending in the neighborhood of 15 million dollars per episode. They’re going hard in on this.

Fire and Blood (HBO)

Fire and Blood, the first of two volumes following the history of the Targaryen family, was published by author George R.R. Martin in November of 2018. It chronicles a time long before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire, when the Targaryen family escaped Valyria, set up shop at Dragonstone and forged the Iron Throne.

Both EW and Deadline have reported that HBO’s second prequel is close to getting the green light to produce a pilot. The storyline is expected to revolve around the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, when silver-haired heroes battled against each other on the backs of great flying death machines. This could be real good, people.

On his Not a Blog, Martin tried to toss a little cool water on the prequel fires:

"I do want to point out that ‘moving closer to a pilot order’ is not the same thing as ‘getting a pilot order.’ Would that it were. This is encouraging, this is exciting, but don’t buy the couch just yet. When HBO actually gives us a pilot order, you will hear me shouting it from the rooftops. A series order, and I’ll be shouting even louder. But we’ll see. Right now all the signs are good, but nothing is confirmed."

The odds of this prequel pilot not happening are about zero.

Potential: HBO is sitting on a gold mine with its Game of Thrones prequels, but mediocre won’t cut the mustard with a fan base still smarting from the rushed conclusion of the original series. But it’s okay to have high hopes with this one, right?

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