2025 has been a big year so far for British fantasy author Joe Abercrombie. The writer has worked on a range of projects, from penning screenplays for the new season of Netflix anthology series Love, Death and Robots, to releasing his latest fantasy novel, The Devils.
Abercrombie is currently best known for his Game of Thrones-esque fantasy series The First Law, which made him one of the most popular voices in the genre. One of his First Law novels, Best Served Cold, is already being made into a movie starring Rebecca Ferguson (Dune). And now, just a few weeks after it was published, his latest novel The Devils has caught the eye legendary director James Cameron, who plans to co-write a movie script alongside Abercrombie.
The project was announced on Cameron's official Facebook page. "How do I describeThe Devils? A sharply witty horror adventure? An epic battle between good and evil except most of the time you can’t tell which is which?" Cameron asked. "A twisted, stylish, alt-universe middle-ages romp, where your best hope of survival is the monsters themselves? This is Joe Abercrombie in absolute peak form, opening up a whole new world and an ensemble of delicious new characters."
"I’m looking forward to the writing process with him, though I’m certain this adaptation will practically write itself because Joe writes very visually, almost in scenes, and with a very cinematic structure. I can’t wait to dig into this as I wind down on Avatar: Fire and Ash. It will be a joyful new challenge for me to bring these indelible characters to life."
It's worth noting that while Cameron is preparing to co-write the movie alongside Abercrombie, he has not yet confirmed that he's helming the movie. We'll have to wait for more details on that score. We'll also have to see how this affects Cameron's ongoing Avatar franchise. There are two more Avatar films scheduled after Avatar: Fire and Ash, which comes out in theaters this December.
What is The Devils about?
The Devils is set in an alternative, medieval fantasy Europe. It's gritty, wickedly dark and amusing. Check out the official synopsis:
Europe stares into the abyss.
Plague and famine stalk the land, monsters lurk in every shadow and greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions. Only one thing is certain: the elves will come again, and they will eat everyone.
Sometimes, only the darkest paths lead towards the light. Paths on which the righteous will not dare to tread...
And so, buried beneath the sacred splendour of the Celestial Palace, is the secret Chapel of the Holy Expediency. For its congregation of convicted monsters there are no sins that have not been committed, no lines that will not be crossed, and no mission that cannot be turned into a disastrous bloodbath.
Now the hapless Brother Diaz must somehow bind the worst of the worst to a higher cause: to put a thief on the throne of Troy, and unite the sundered church against the coming apocalypse.
James Cameron has loved Joe Abercrombie's writing "for years"
As far as fantasy authors go, Joe Abercrombie hasn't gotten the attention of George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson or Patrick Rothfuss, but he's been turning out excellent for years, and with this new project, his star seems on the rise. Working with the director who brought us The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic and Avatar is a huge sign of confidence.
"I've loved Joe's writing for years, cherishing each new read, throughout the epic cycle of the First Law books, especially Best Served Cold (LOVE IT!) and the Age of Madness trilogy," Cameron said. "But the freshness of the world and the characters in The Devils finally got me off my butt to buy one of his books and partner with him to bring it to the screen."
Abercrombie weighed in as well: "James Cameron has been thrilling audiences, including me, by putting the impossible on film for over four decades," he said. "No one can balance mind-blowing action and spectacle with gut-wrenching personal stakes and story the way he does. I can't think of anyone better to bring this weird and wonderful monster of a book to the screen."
You can find The Devils in most bookstores and online. Read it now and get ahead of the curve before the movie! And if you've already read it, check out our interview with Abercrombie to find out more about how he made the book:
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