The late Ursula K. Le Guin‘s Earthsea series is getting another shot at an adaptation, this time from A24 and producer Jennifer Fox.
Deadline broke the news that A24 and Oscar-nominated producer Jennifer Fox (Nightcrawler, Michael Clayton) are teaming up to develop the acclaimed Earthsea books for TV. Fox is producing the series, which will be shopped to networks “soon,” according to the outlet.
“Ursula Le Guin is a literary legend with a huge fan base and her work has been translated into practically every written language on the globe,” said Fox in a statement. “She is second only to Tolkien in influence in this genre, and before she died last year, she agreed to put her most beloved work in my hands. This project is, therefore, a sacred trust and priority for me as well as an opportunity to create an iconic piece of American culture.”
Earthsea is a novel series that dates back to 1964, and had its last story published in 2018 shortly before the author’s death. Although somewhat obscure by today’s standards, older fantasy fans consider it to be essential reading due to its focus on morality and character development. Previously, the series has been adapted to audiobook form, a multi-part radio drama, a Sci Fi Channel miniseries, and an animated Studio Ghibli film that was most notable for being one of Ghibli’s worst movies. Le Guin died without a satisfactory adaptation being made, but with the blessing of both herself and her son, this new series has a chance to right past wrongs.
No further team members or production plans have been announced. Still, this series has the potential to be something if it sticks to the source material, so we’ll bring you further news on Earthsea as soon as it transpires.
