Sam Raimi in talks to direct The Kingkiller Chronicle

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

After 20th Century Fox's option to adapt Pat Rothfuss' "The Kingkiller Chronicle" into a TV series lapsed several years ago, Lionsgate quickly picked up the reins and began moving forward with a much more expansive plan for the fantasy series. In 2016, Lionsgate snagged Lin-Manuel Miranda to serve as a producer and "musical mastermind" to both the TV series and feature film adaptations of The Kingkiller Chronicle, and now, Variety reports that Sam Raimi is currently in negotiations to direct the feature film based upon "The Name of the Wind," the first novel in the series.

If, like me, you have only a passing familiarity with "The Kingkiller Chronicles," here's the official synopsis of the first book:

Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

Sam Raimi's last feature-film was OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL all the way back in 2013, so he's certainly due for a return to the big-screen, and "The Kingkiller Chronicles" definitely sounds like it could be right up his alley. Lindsey Beer (CHAOS WALKING) will be tackling the script for the first film. In regards to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Hamilton star and creator is also slated to compose original music and songs for the project, but also has an option to be involved in any future stage adaptations of "The Kingkiller Chronicle" as well. Clearly Lionsgate has big plans for series. Miranda has previously said that "Pat Rothfuss’ ‘Kingkiller’ books are among the most read and re-read in our home. It’s a world you want to spend lifetimes in, as his many fans will attest. Pat also writes about the act of MAKING music more beautifully than any novelist I’ve ever read. I can’t wait to play a part in bringing this world to life onscreen."

The TV series will be quite distinct from the feature-film(s), as it's been described as "a subversive origin story of legendary proportions set a generation before the events of the trilogy’s first novel." The series 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." Can Showtime hope for a Game of Thrones level success with The Kingkiller Chronicles?