It seems like everyone is getting in on the Game of Thrones action with their own historical-ish dramas, hoping to capitalize on the craze. Now, MTV has joined the club as well. The network, which generally caters to a younger demographic, has ordered Shannara, the New York Times Bestseller, straight to series, giving the adaptation a ten-episode order without even seeing a pilot episode.
For those unfamiliar with the novel, check out the synopsis below:
Shannara takes place thousands of years after the destruction of our civilization. The story centers on the Shannara family, whose descendants are empowered with ancient magic and whose adventures continuously reshape the future of the world.
MTV has joined with Jon Favreau and Smallville’s Al Gough and Miles Millar to adapt Shannara for TV. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles‘ Jonathan Liebesman will direct the first two episodes of the series, taking over for Favreau who had some scheduling conflicts.
The Shannara series was written by Terry Brooks and are considered to be the highest grossing un-adapted fantasy novels in the world. The first novel in the series, The Sword of Shannara, was published in 1977. Its release was followed by more than 25 books, including multiple trilogies and a prequel novel, with another three books in the works all scheduled for publication before the end of this year.
According to THR, the producers plan to skip the first book in the series and base the first season of the show around The Elfstones of Shannara, the second title in the series, which was released in 1982.
Casting has not yet begun for the project, but with the team MTV has pulled together there’s no doubt that the series will find traction with the network’s current audience – plus it might pull in new genre-specific viewers.
Let us know in the comment section below if Shannara seems like something you’d watch, or if you think MTV is overreaching with this adaptation!
