With all the post-Game of Thrones fantasy adaptations jostling for a seat on Peak TV’s Iron Throne, you’d think network creatives would be all over Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicles. While Lionsgate Television does have a live-action series in the works, it’s a prequel set a “generation” before The Name of the Wind, not a direct adaptation. Showtime reportedly passed on the series in September, leaving the team (which includes Lin-Manuel Miranda and Rothfuss himself as executive producers) shopping it around to different networks.
After stumbling upon one fan-made film on YouTube, however, we got an idea: maybe what the books really need is a beautifully animated series in the vein of Netflix’s The Dragon Prince.
Created by artist and animator Ethan Becker and voiced by Nick Podehl, the short film adapts a a scene from book 1, The Name of the Wind. Although the clip is less than 4 minutes long and is more of a rough mock-up than a final draft, it really shows the potential for an animated Kingkiller Chronicles series!
Becker explains how he made the film here. Someone put him in touch with Netflix!
I’d rather have the source material completed than adaptations of series in progress.
It seems utter madness to me that there are adaptations of the Kingkiller universe in progress after the experience of having Martin’s work conclude on the screen first.
But what do I know?
@1 – In the immortal words of the greatest generation: “Why not both?”
I am not a fantasy fan. But the two novels so far have made for great audiobooks. I don’t think I would welcome such an adaptation. Tho of course I am not compelled to watch it. Rothfuss’ strength is his internal characterisation. Something hard to convey on screen, altho not impossible.
@3 I agree – the joy of the books is in how good Rothfuss is at creating beautiful prose that, at least IMO, stops just short of being purple. I’ll never forget that halfway through the “Kvothe Wows The Goddess Of Sex With His Amazing Virginal Prowess” segment that I suddenly realized the whole thing was in iambic pentameter and rhymed, and it was done so well I didn’t notice. None of that would appear on screen.
(I’m less impressed with the general plot of the books, obviously, but that’s a discussion for another time.)
Yeah…I’d like to see the books finished before any adaptations.
With the way our world is at this very moment and all that’s around it, let’s pray, maybe hope, or whatever one must do to believe that we will all live to have this discussion upon completion of third installment. I personally would love to see a creative and wonderful director (can you guess who?) team up with Patrick and serve up a live action trilogy straight from the pages. Epic indeed my fellow men. Of course there would be no way to top the books but is there really ever. I would however entertain the idea of an animated project. Hell why not?
Its better than harry potter… more tangible even… someone make three damn 3 hour movies and do it justice please