Showtime has announced they’ve picked up the previously in-development The Kingkiller Chronicle TV series, which has Pulitzer Prize, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda attached to executive produce. Acclaimed producer John Rogers (Leverage, The Player) is serving as showrunner. Miranda will also compose music for the series, which is based on Patrick Rothfuss’s global bestselling contemporary fantasy trilogy.
Set in the world of the wildly popular fantasy series by Rothfuss,The Kingkiller Chronicle will follow a pair of wandering performers on their adventures through the unique and startling world of Temerant, immersing audiences in a universe of unexpected heroes, mystical places, and terrifying dark forces. It is a world that has delighted readers and critics alike, selling more than 10 million copies in 35 languages across the globe. The television adaption is a subversive origin story of legendary proportions set a generation before the events of the trilogy’s first novel, The Name of the Wind.
“Showtime has always championed bold storytelling,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda. “Pat Rothruss’ Kingkiller series is some of the most exciting storytelling I have ever read. I could not be more thrilled to help bring the sights and sounds of his wondrous world of Temerant to the screen.”
“The Kingkiller Chronicle moves SHOWTIME into a new genre in a powerful and unique way, led by the talented Lin-Manuel Miranda and John Rogers,” said Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “We can’t wait for this talented team to harness the magic of Kingkiller to transport us all into an awesome new world.”
“The Kingkiller Chronicle is one of the most coveted properties in the world, and we’re thrilled to partner with a brilliant creator in Pat Rothfuss, a creative genius in Lin-Manuel Miranda and a renowned showrunner in John Rogers,” said Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs. “With SHOWTIME as our network partner, we continue to assemble a world-class team for our Kingkiller franchise.”
The Kingkiller Chronicle is a collaborative franchise from Lionsgate that includes a television series adaption, a major feature film and interactive games all being developed concurrently. The film script, which is being penned by writer Lindsey Beer (Transformers: The Last Knight, Dungeons & Dragons), will be based on the first book, The Name of the Wind. Miranda and Rothfuss will be intimately involved in the development of the new characters and storylines explored in the TV show. As previously announced, Robert Lawrence (Clueless, Die Hard with a Vengeance), who has been involved in The Kingkiller Chronicle series since its earliest days, will produce for film and television.
