Sam Raimi is in negotiations with Lionsgate to direct the studio’s film adaptation of Patrick Rothfuss’s The Kingkiller Chronicle.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Lionsgate hired Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2016 to serve as the creative producer on film and television adaptations of the popular fantasy novels. Rothfuss himself is also a creative producer.
Variety broke the news. Lionsgate had no comment on the report.
The first film in the series will be based on the first book in Rothfuss’s series, The Name of the Wind. The script is being written by Lindsey Beer, who was a writer on Transformers: The Last Knight.
The story of The Kingkiller Chronicle is told by Kvothe, an adventurer and musician. Kvothe tells the story of his life to Devan Lochees, called the Chronicler, while the two sit in the Waystone Inn. Kvothe’s tale is meant to be autobiographical but often veers into stories told to him by and about other characters during his journeys.
Kvothe was orphaned as a child and had to survive on his own. His skills and talents developed so well that he was admitted into an educational institution known simply as “The University.” Kvothe is also a musician, particularly talented with a lute, which may provide Miranda with some songwriting opportunities.
Only two books in the proposed trilogy have been released so far. The Name of the Wind debuted in 2007. The Wise Man’s Fear followed in 2011. Both landed on the New York Times bestsellers list. Together with a handful of novellas set in the same univers as the novels, The Kingkiller Chronicle has sold more than 10 million copies.
The Kingkiller Chronicle is one of several projects vying for Raimi’s attention, but Variety’s report suggests that it currently has the best chance of getting a commitment from Raimi.
Raimi became a fan favorite director after he created the Evil Dead series. He went on to direct Sony’s first Spider-Man movie trilogy. Raimi has shifted more to a producer role. The Kingkiller Chronicles would be the first movie he’s directed since Oz the Great and Powerful in 2013.
The Kingkiller Chronicle was previously optioned by 20th Century Fox to be made into a television series. However, the project failed to take off and the option expired in 2015 with all rights reverting back to Rothfuss, who then sold the option to Lionsgate.
