From Brooks’ website:
MAGIC KINGDOM FOR SALE – SOLD! To Warners and Weed Road
Warner Brothers has optioned Terry Brooks’ best-selling MAGIC KINGDOM OF LANDOVER series of books for Akiva Goldsman’s Weed Road Pictures and Andy Cohen’s Grade A Entertainment. Goldsman and Cohen will produce with Weed Road’s Kerry Foster and Alex Block overseeing for Weed Road. Warner Brothers’ Matt Cherniss brought the book series into the studio and will run point. Brooks was represented by Anne Sibbald of Janklow & Nesbit Associates.
The film will be based on the first book in the series, MAGIC KINGDOM FOR SALE – SOLD!, which was first published in 1986 by Del Rey Books, a division of Random House. The most recent book in the six book, ongoing series is A PRINCESS OF LANDOVER which came out in 2009. Other titles in the series are: THE BLACK UNICORN, WIZARD AT LARGE, THE TANGLE BOX, and WITCHES BREW.
Brooks is a prolific author best known for the LANDOVER series and the SHANNARA series of fantasy books, which began with THE SWORD OF SHANNARA. There are currently 19 books in the SHANNARA series with the next book due out later this year.
Weed Road is in preproduction on A WINTER’S TALE written and to be directed by Goldsman. Recent credits include PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 and FAIR GAME.
Cohen last produced UNTRACEABLE starring Diane Lane. He’s currently working on the stage show, HEATHERS – THE MUSICAL and the indie film, IN SIGHT.
As one of the few Brooks fans among the blogosphere, I’m excited about this. I feel that Magic Kingdom for Sale: Sold! is a better fit for film than Brooks’ more popular Shannara novels, but I’ll also keep any of my enthusiasm in check until principal filming begins.
For those unfamiliar with the novel, you can read the first 50 pages of Magic Kingdom for Sale: Sold! for free via Suvudu.
I’ve seen a lot of books these days get optioned for film, but usually they’re wildly popular YA novels or series. To see an older fantasy novel get picked up is quite a surprise. Here’s hoping it turns out well!
Why do I feel like this was optioned for film a year or two ago?
This is the only Brooks series I’ve kept up with over the years and while I liked the first one and think it has potential as a film, the one thing I took away from all the books is how they all felt so similar in terms of their plot.
I haven’t read this series of Terry’s but do hope it gets some traction. I had always thought that the Shannara series had legs as a film. Perhaps the quest motif has been done and it is time for something a little more fresh.
Rob B, the series was optioned about five years ago by Universal Studios. That option expired and the rights returned to Terry, which allowed him to recently sell them to Warner Bros.
Please keep me updated on this. Terry Brooks Landover novels are my favorites. I would be the frist in line for a ticket for the movie or movies.