Stephen Colbert has been wearing his sci-fi/fantasy fandom on his sleeve for as long as we can remember. But he’s finally about to take a more active role in bringing one of his favorite stories to life on TV. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Colbert’s Spartina Productions has joined the adaptation of The Chronicles of Amber, based on the series of novels by author Roger Zelazny.
Zelazny, who passed away in 1995, launched the series in 1970 with Nine Princes of Amber, the first book in what eventually became known as The Corwin Cycle. The novel introduced Corwin, an amnesiac who wakes up in a New York hospital and later discovers he’s the heir to the throne of a parallel world called Amber. Zelazy published four sequels before launching his second Amber saga, The Merlin Cycle, which similarly consists of five novels. The final book in the series, Prince of Chaos, hit stores in 1991.
Aside from Colbert, the books’ fanbase also includes Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, who was friends with Zelazny during his lifetime and has been championing the idea of adapting his work for years (most recently in a blog post published last October). Spartina is producing the series alongside Skybound Entertainment, which began developing a Chronicles of Amber series in 2016. Vincent Newman Entertainment is producing as well.
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“George R.R. Martin and I have similar dreams,” said Colbert in a statement. “I’ve carried the story of Corwin in my head for over 40 years, and I’m thrilled to partner with Skybound and Vincent Newman to bring these worlds to life. All roads lead to Amber, and I’m happy to be walking them.”
“Adapting one of my favorite book series of all time is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream,” added Skybound CEO David Alpert. “Producing it alongside someone like Stephen Colbert, who is a true-blue super fan, is a thrill for me, and will be for anyone who’s ever listened to Stephen talk about fantasy. We can’t wait to share this amazing story both with the legion of current fans like ourselves and a new generation of fans that will undoubtedly fall for Amber.”
The producers’ next order of business is to hire a writer for the project. Right now, no distributor is in place. But Spartina has a first-look deal with CBS Studios, so any one of its affiliates are among the current possibilities.
Are you excited to see The Chronicles of Amber make the jump to TV? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Great Book of Amber: The Complete Amber Chronicles, 1-10
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