Thomas Covenant Movies?
Sci Fi Wire reports that efforts are underway to produce a feature film version of Stephen Donaldson’s fantasy book series The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.
Revelstone Entertainment has optioned the rights to the first six books in the series and John Orloff (Band of Brothers) will adapt them.
The books revolve around a shunned author (Covenant) who is magically transported to the Land, a mystical world where he discovers he is the incarnation of a great hero. Covenant thinks it’s all a dream. But he’s the bearer of a white gold ring (an artifact of great power apparently) and is enlisted against his will to help save the Land.
It will be interesting to see where this goes. I’m having trouble seeing how the an anti-hero like Thomas Covenant can be converted into something that Hollywood will buy. One of the refreshing things about those books is that Covenant, isn’t just flawed, he’s downright ugly in some ways.
In places the stories are not just dark and depressing but seeped in the self-hatred which Covenant feels. Thats not exactly your average Hollywood blockbuster fare.
So this can go too ways. The story can be radically altered to suit what Hollywood thinks we want to see. Or it won’t get made. Because good as special effects are getting, I don’t think they’re cheap enough yet for an independent film to pull off the sort of things that are needed to make The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.
Eoghann Irving is amongst other things the creator and Editor of Solar Flare. He has a life long interest in all forms of science fiction and fantasy and a pressing need to share this interest with anyone who will listen. Find out more at his personal website eoghann.com..
One Comment, Comment or Ping
Brian
This movie is now dead.
Check out Stephen Donaldson’s site for details.
May 5th, 2006
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