Home Entertainment Abracadabra! SyFy is adapting Lev Grossman's THE MAGICIANS

Abracadabra! SyFy is adapting Lev Grossman's THE MAGICIANS

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Well, let nobody ever call SyFy a bunch of liars. Earlier in the year the US cable network proclaimed that they had finally seen the errors of their non-science fiction ways, and would be getting back big time to the genre that gave them their name (which they then butchered with a “hip” spelling). And on pure production potential alone, they have really delivered on that promise, with several big budget series in development right.

And now they’ll be adding a little magic into the mix, as they’ve ordered a pilot for an adaptation of Lev Grossman’s best selling trilogy of books – The MagiciansThe Magician King and The Magician’s Land. According to Deadline, John McNamara (Prime Suspect) and Sera Gamble (Supernatural) will be penning the pilot episode of the prospective one-hour urban fantasy drama.

MagiciansTrilogy

Described by The New York Times as “Harry Potter for adults”, Grossman’s story follows a group of New York twentysomethings, led by Quentin Coldwater (silly named lead character fantasy trope, check), who not only discover that the magic and magical characters they read about in fantasy books are real, but that they’re pretty damn dangerous, when they get enrolled in an exclusive college for burgeoning magicians.

So yeah, very strong Harry Potter vibes. Don’t let that put you off though, as the story appears to go into some very interesting directions from there though.

First published in 2009, the books have been released in 22 countries to great success, and was even previously picked up for a TV series adaptation back in 2012. However, it was Fox who had been looking at it, so naturally they dumped it before anything was greenlit. And based on their track record, this probably means that this show will be the greatest thing to hit TV in the next few years.

If fully greenlit, The Magicians will be joining SyFy’s suddenly very stacked lineup, which comprises of the big budget sci-fi drama event series Ascension (which debuts in November); The Expansean adaptation of James S. A. Corey’s brilliant space opera trilogy that starts with Leviathan Wakes; a TV series adaptation of 12 Monkeys, Terry Gilliam’s insanely genius 1995 time travel movie and The Kiljoys, a sci-fi adventure series following a trio of interplanetary bounty hunters. The Expanse12 Monkeys and The Killjoys are all scheduled to hit screens in 2015, so we may only see The Magicians quite late next year, or possibly in 2016.

 

Last Updated: July 11, 2014

4 Comments

  1. I’m just happy Defiance is back on. I like eeeeeeet.

    Reply

  2. Rince&pop

    July 11, 2014 at 14:37

    I am really looking forward to Accession! Speaking of which, guess who replied to a tweet of mine the other day? Only the sexy Triccia Helfer

    Reply

    • Kervyn Cloete

      July 11, 2014 at 17:26

      “Please so”? Son, the whole of South Africa is shaking their at you now.

      Reply

      • Rince&pop

        July 11, 2014 at 17:28

        Someone in a great mood. Pretty sure the whole of SA is shaking sweet fuck all at me.

        Reply

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