Forty years ago, author Raymond E. Feist launched The Riftwar Cycle, a series of fantasy novels that now comprises more than 30 books and short stories. Now, his fictional universe is about to make the jump to TV. Deadline is reporting that Six Studios is developing a small-screen adaptation of Feist and co-author Jenny Wurts’ books.
Feist’s first book in the series, Magician, hit shelves in 1982 and eventually spawned two sequels that arrived in 1985 and 1986. This initial trilogy later came to be known as The Riftwar Saga. In 1987, Feist teamed up with Wurts on a follow-up series dubbed The Empire Trilogy. Acquiring the rights to those six books notably marks Six Studios’ “first major content move” since its recent founding.
The Riftwar Cycle primarily takes place on the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan. These planets are inhabited by human magicians and other creatures who can travel through tears in spacetime called rifts. While The Riftwar Saga follows a teenage magician named Pug, The Empire Trilogy centers on Mara of the Acoma, a member of a noble family who finds herself targeted by rival houses.
Six Studios is a newly-formed production house founded by entrepreneurs Jeff Huang and Carl Choi, who are described as “lifelong fans of comic book, fantasy/sci-fi, and horror storytelling,” so it makes sense that their new outfit is primarily aimed at producing genre-based content. To write the new series, the studio has assembled the team of Hannah Friedman (a writer on Disney+’s upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series) and Fear the Walking Dead alums Jacob Pinion and Nick Bernardone. Choi and Huang will produce the show through Six Studios, with former Lucasfilm execs Kiri Hart and Stephen Feder serving as consultants.
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“I fell in love with The Riftwar Cycle from the very first chapter,” said Huang in a statement. “And it’s been a lifelong dream to see Raymond and Janny’s extraordinary worlds come to life onscreen. I am thrilled that Carl and I have been entrusted to make the dream come true and do justice to this seminal work in the fantasy canon.”
“Between Hannah, Jacob, Nick, Kiri and Stephen, we have an incomparable dream team to bring both sides of the beloved Riftwar Cycle together and embrace the brilliant stories and characters that Raymond and Janny have created,” added Choi.
Feist and Wurts also shared their excitement for the adaptation in a new joint statement.
“Jeff and Carl have a clear vision for bringing The Riftwar Cycle to the screen in a way that stays true to our hero and heroine’s plight and the intersecting cultures that are at the heart of these books,” said Feist and Wurts. “We’re very excited to partner with Carl, Jeff and the talented creative team they have assembled for this project.”
Are you excited to see The Riftwar Cycle come to life? Let us know in the comments down below!
Recommended Reading: Magician: Apprentice
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