MTV Adapting Terry Brooks’ Best-Selling Shannara Fantasy Series
Jon Favreau, Al Gough, and Miles Millar are on board for the potential new show.
MTV is eying its own Game of Thrones.
The cable network is in development on a new fantasy series based on Terry Brooks’ Shannara novel series, which to date includes some 25 titles that have sold more than 26 million copies in the U.S. alone. Shannara is said to be the world’s highest-selling fantasy book series not yet adapted into television or film.
Witch Wraith is the latest addition to the series, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with three more books scheduled to be published in 2014.
MTV has jumped on board the development project announced in September by Sonar Entertainment and Farah Films. The network has made a straight-to-series commitment, which would bypass the pilot process should the execs like the script.
And they have some series genre talent on board to write it. Jon Favreau (Ironman) is headlining the project, along with Smallville alums Al Gough and Miles Millar.
“I believe we have formed the perfect team to bring Shannara to life onscreen,” Brooks said. “The adaptation of these books is very important to me, and I believe we are on the right track in our endeavor to create an epic television series that both new and old fans of the books will love.”
Beginning with 1977’s The Sword of Shannara, the series is set thousands of years after the destruction of our civilization. “The story centers on the Shannara family, whose descendants are empowered with ancient magic and whose adventures continuously reshape the future of the world,” THR says.
Warner Bros. held the Shannara film rights from 2007 to 2010, but did not make use of them.
If it goes to series, the producers intend to spend the first season covering the events of The Elfstones of Shannara — the first sequel to Sword, published in 1982. It would be the second genre series for MTV, joining MGM’s Teen Wolf — recently renewed for a fourth season.
