Why the Kingkiller Chronicle adaptations are still a big deal, despite their troubles

The Kingkiller Chronicle, Patrick Rothfuss’ epic fantasy series, is a definite hit, with the books selling over 10 million copies worldwide. Both books released so far — The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear — have featured on The New York Times Best Seller list, and the series has legions of invested fans.

However, despite all the praise and awards Rothfuss’ masterpiece has received over the years, we haven’t seen a big or small screen adaptation. And we’re equally lost as to when the third book and final book, The Doors of Stone, is coming out.

For those of you who do not know, The Kingkiller Chronicle is a yet-to-be-completed epic fantasy trilogy that began in 2007 with the release of The Name of the Wind. It follows Kvothe, a legendary hero and musician who begins the story as an innkeeper in hiding with his student/apprentice, Bast. After being noticed by story collector Deven Lochees (more formerly known as Chronicler), Kvothe begins a three-day recounting of his fascinating life. Each book in the trilogy represents one day Kvothe spends telling his tale. We get coming-of-age drama, a cast of memorable characters, mysterious villains known as the Chandrian…the series is rich in detail and expertly crafted.

Since the release of The Wise Man’s Fear 2011, Rothfuss has only returned to the world of The Kingkiller Chronicle twice, with two spinoff short stories, both published in 2014. The first is The Slow Regard of Silent Things, a short tale about the life of the enigmatic Auri, who lives a secluded life beneath the University where Kvothe is learning to hone his considerable magical abilities. The second story, The Lightning Tree, is a piece Rothfuss wrote for the Rogues anthology. It follows a day in the life of Bast.

That means that it’s been nine years since fans got a proper book in this series. For context, that’s exactly as long as Song of Ice and Fire fans have been waiting for The Winds of Winter. It seems the two fantasy authors have something in common when it comes to continuing their stories. Also their beard games are on point:

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – SEPTEMBER 18: Honoree Patrick Rothfuss poses at Heifer Internationals 4th Annual Beyond Hunger Gala at the Montage on September 18, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. Heifer International works to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. . (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Heifer International) — LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 20: Writer George R. R. Martin, winner of Outstanding Drama Series for ‘Game of Thrones’, poses in the press room at the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 20, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Back in 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Lionsgate had won to adapt The Kingkiller Chronicle for the screen. The complex deal involved the development of multiple movies, a television show, and a video game. Obviously, we haven’t seen any of them as of yet.

So how is the TV show coming along? Set a generation before The Kingkiller Chronicle books, the show was to follow the adventures of two traveling musicians from the Edema Ruh. It was never confirmed, but it’s likely these two musicians were Kvothe’s parents, Laurian and Arliden. It would fit the bill, after all, since Kvothe comes from the Edema Ruh.

The series seemed to have landed at cable network Showtime, where it boasted a stellar writing team that included Hamilton writer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda. Leverage creator John Rogers was to be the showrunner, while Rothfuss, Jennifer Court (The Player) and Robert Lawrence (Die Hard With a Vengeance) were executive producers.

However, for whatever reason, Showtime passed on the fantasy drama late last year, and now it’s being shopped to other networks. According to Miranda, who talked about the show during an ’Ask Me Anything’ on Reddit, the team has been having trouble finding a pathway into the tale:

"The honest answer? We haven’t cracked it. As YOU know, it’s an incredibly rich story and complex world. When we crack it, there’ll be news. But not before it’s absolutely right. Working with Pat has been a total joy."

Fingers crossed the show finds a home soon.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 14: Lin-Manuel Miranda attends The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards Preview Celebration – Red Carpet Arrivals on March 14, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Related)

While we don’t know much in terms of details about the TV show, whether it happens or not, we know even less about the Lionsgate movies!

So far as we can tell, the Kingkiller movies are set to follow the plot of Rothfuss’ books directly, unlike the TV show. Lindsey Beer, who helped out in writing Transformers 5, is still credited as the writer for the movies. Miranda is working on the movies, too, and has definitely taken a crack at some well-known songs from the novels, tricky a time as he may have had:

But we haven’t heard anyting solid about the movies for a long time, which makes us think they’re still in the early stages. At one point, Spider-Man 2 director Sam Raimi was attached to the project, but later reports indicated that he’d stepped back. Now, the word is that Marvel is trying to lure him to direct 2021’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it does indeed look like he’s taken his leave of Temerant.

Despite all the hurdles The Kingkiller Chronicle has faced while fighting to become the next big fantasy franchise, I still think it’s worth holding out hope for. The story itself feels refreshing and new, separating itself from other major players like The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, although it could be compared to any of those up to a point. It has its own unique style, a rich world and a lot of lore.

What’s more, Patrick Rothfuss believes that The Kingkiller Chronicle is just a prologue to something bigger. Speaking at Emerald City Comic-Con, the author claimed that he plans on creating many more stories within this world, which is likely another reason networks are interested in creating TV shows. “I am an author who has tricked you into reading a trilogy that is a million-word prologue,” he said.

So the franchise’s first foray onto the small screen may have been thrown off course, but Rothfuss isn’t done yet, and time is still very much on his side.

The main reason the whole TV/movie development has been delayed might lie within the books themselves. I can imagine that networks like Showtime wouldn’t want to break the bank on a series inspired by a book series that hasn’t even been finished yet. The same goes for the movies.

We’re going to have to play the waiting game on this one, but I’m willing to bet that the Kingkiller Chronicle adaptations are going to be glorious when they finally arrive, however long that may be.

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