Anne McCaffrey's iconic Dragonriders of Pern series, long recognized as one of the most essential of fantasy series, will finally be coming to the silver screen, reports Deadline Hollywood.
David Hayter, screenwriter for X-Men and co-writer of Watchmen, has been signed to write the script for Dragonflight (1968), the Hugo and Nebula-winning first story in the 22-book series. Dragonflight, which was first serialized in Analog magazine and then published as a novel, introduces the dragons and their dragonriders, long ago triumphant defenders of the world against a threat called the Thread but now dwindled and forgotten--and unprepared for the Thread's sudden resurgence.
Conceptual art is already in hand and Hayter's final script is expected in six to eight months, suggesting a production start early in 2012. With McCaffrey still writing about the dragonriders forty years later, there's plenty of material for a franchise should Dragonflight do well.
A Dragonriders project has actually be in train for years, but when the rights-holder, Steve Hoban (Splice), tried to get things going there was another dragonriding project in the way: none other than the film version of Dragonriders rip-off Eragon. Let's hope that the big-screen Dragonflight ends up realizing the potential of soaring dragons, and their joining forces with their human riders, in all the ways that Eragon did not.
David Hayter, screenwriter for X-Men and co-writer of Watchmen, has been signed to write the script for Dragonflight (1968), the Hugo and Nebula-winning first story in the 22-book series. Dragonflight, which was first serialized in Analog magazine and then published as a novel, introduces the dragons and their dragonriders, long ago triumphant defenders of the world against a threat called the Thread but now dwindled and forgotten--and unprepared for the Thread's sudden resurgence.
Conceptual art is already in hand and Hayter's final script is expected in six to eight months, suggesting a production start early in 2012. With McCaffrey still writing about the dragonriders forty years later, there's plenty of material for a franchise should Dragonflight do well.
A Dragonriders project has actually be in train for years, but when the rights-holder, Steve Hoban (Splice), tried to get things going there was another dragonriding project in the way: none other than the film version of Dragonriders rip-off Eragon. Let's hope that the big-screen Dragonflight ends up realizing the potential of soaring dragons, and their joining forces with their human riders, in all the ways that Eragon did not.
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Comments
A long time fan of the Dragonriders of Pern series, I have been waiting a long time for this to come to the silver screen. I just hope they stay true to the series and don’t change much. It would be very disappointing to have it altered too much from it’s original form. Lord of the Rings did a good job. Let’s hope this one does too. Was not impressed with Eragon. Good, but no Pern!
Me too.
I really hope they don’t Modernize it, try to make it more relevant to today, etc.
Just leave the story alone, please.
All I can add is…FINALLY! (Well…and maybe YIPPEE!!!!!)
I vote like Kirsten Yipee
I know these are the original books, but I think it would make more sense to begin with Dragonsdawn – then do the rest of the series. My favorite book of all time.