'Eyes Of The Dragon' Series Adapted From Stephen King's Novel In The Works At Hulu
Game of Thrones is ending this weekend, but there's always room for new fantasy shows. Enter Hulu, who are developing a pilot for an Eyes of the Dragon series, based on the fantasy novel by Stephen King. The book has dragons, knights, sorcery, conspiracies – all the stuff Game of Thrones fans seem to love, just not as R-rated. Seth Grahame-Smith, who executive produced the King adaptations It and It Chapter Two, is writing the pilot and will serve as showrunner.
Stephen King adaptations are hotter than ever right now, and while the final season of Game of Thrones seems to be pissing everyone off, the show's cultural footprint is bigger than ever. With all that in mind, it was only a matter of time before someone came around to adapting King's 1984 fantasy novel The Eyes of the Dragon.
That someone is Hulu, who, according to Deadline, are developing a pilot based on King's novel. When published in 1984, The Eyes of the Dragon was a departure for horror author King. It's also one of his tamest novels. There are adult themes, but it's nowhere near as dark and violent as most of the author's other work – probably because the author originally wrote the book as a kind of lengthy bedtime story for his kids.
The novel is set in the kingdom of Delain, and focuses on two royal brothers: Peter and Thomas, children of King Roland. Peter is heir to the throne, but Flagg, the King's magician, has been secretly manipulating Thomas to do his bidding. Peter is eventually framed for a crime he didn't commit, and locked away in a tower, enabling Thomas to become King. Weak-willed, Thomas ends up letting Flagg run the kingdom. Here's the official book synopsis:
"Once, in a kingdom called Delain, there was a king with two sons...."
Thus begins one of the most unique tales that master storyteller Stephen King has ever written—a sprawling fantasy of dark magic and the struggle for absolute power that utterly transforms the destinies of two brothers born into royalty. Through this enthralling masterpiece of mythical adventure, intrigue, and terror, you will thrill to this unforgettable narrative filled with relentless, wicked enchantment, and the most terrible of secrets....
There's plenty of room here to develop a sprawling fantasy series, and Seth Grahame-Smith seems committed to making it happen. "I am so excited to be working in the world of Stephen King with with Hulu, which has such a terrific track record with Stephen King adaptations," Grahame-Smith said. "The goal for this series is to feel unlike any Stephen King adaptation before, with this rich underlying source material, and the only true fantasy book he wrote that has kings and swords and princesses. We will honor the spirit of the book and the legacy."
Hulu is also the home to Castle Rock, a series set in the world of King's books.