Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage trilogy is set in an 18th century-inspired world where mages draw power from gunpowder. And now it’s coming to TV!
When you think fantasy, flintlock rifles may not be the first thing to come to mind. But that could soon change. Deadline broke the news on Thursday that Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage book trilogy is going to be making the leap to the small screen.
McClellan’s Powder Mage series is often classified as Flintlock Fantasy, due in no small part to the fact that the story’s magic system is based around gunpowder. The Nine Nations is a world that draws inspiration from the 18th century, so technology like flintlock guns and cannons are right at the forefront…along with the series’ titular powder mages, those rare people who can gain magical abilities from nearby gunpowder. The tale is filled with political intrigue and war, duels, magic and mystery.
Powder Mage follows Field Marshal Tamas, who orchestrates a coup d’etat in the first book’s opening pages to overthrow the corrupt monarchy of Adro. Tamas and his son Taniel are both military officers as well as powder mages, and the majority of the series follows their attempts to end a bloody civil war and stave off an even larger threat as ancient gods begin to return.
Joseph Mallozzi, showrunner of the Hulu sci-fi show Utopia Falls, will be at the helm. He also did a lot of work the Stargate shows SG-1, Atlantis and Universe, which makes me very excited for what he might do with a Powder Mage adaptation.
The show will be made with Canadian production companies No Equal Entertainment (Bitten) and Frantic Films (Baroness Von Sketch Show). Mallozzi is executive producing the show along withNo Equal Entertainment’s J.B. Sugar, Frantic Films’ Jamie Brown and author Brian McClellan.
“I’m delighted to be working with No Equal and Joseph Mallozzi to bring Brian McClellan’s wonderful epic fantasy novels to a television audience,” said Jamie Brown, the CEO of Frantic Films. “These acclaimed stories are packed with action and compelling characters embedded in the fascinating and emerging genre of Flintlock Fantasy. We can’t wait to adapt them for the small screen.”
“What struck me about talking with J.B. and Joe wasn’t just their professionalism, but their fandom,” added McClellan. “They love the books, and that’s the biggest compliment an author can get. I’m absolutely thrilled that such a talented group will work to adapt Powder Mage to TV. I’m a huge admirer of Joe’s work, and I can’t wait to see what he does to bring this series to life.”
Currently, the show order appears to be for a pilot only, though Deadline reports that Mallozzi has his eye on showrunning the full series as well if it gets the green light. Here’s hoping, because this sounds like it would be a pretty unique among the other fantasy shows coming out in the near future.
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