One of the main inspirations for George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is headed to television. On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman would adapt The Chronicles of Amber for TV. Executive producers Kirkman, Dave Alpert, and Vincent Newman will pitch their adaptation "to cable, streaming and premium cable networks."
Roger Zelazny published the first Chronicles of Amber novel, Nine Princes in Amber, in 1970. The story focuses on an amnesiac who wakes up in a New York hospital, only to later discover that he is Prince Corwin of Amber: one of two true worlds, the other being the Courts of Chaos. As a member of Amber's royal family, Corwin can travel between dimensions, known as "shadows."
Nine Princes in Amber spawned nine sequels. The Chronicles of Amber series is divided into two, five-book story arcs: The Corwin Cycle and the Merlin Cycle. Zelazny also published several Amber-related short stories. After the author's death in 1995, his estate authorized John Gregory Betancourt to write a new cycle about Corwin's father, Oberon. Betancourt's project was not supported by some of Zelazny's closest friends, including Neil Gaiman, and the cycle was left unfinished when publisher iBooks filed for bankruptcy.
The Chronicles of Amber is the latest lengthy book series to be adapted for the screen. With Game of Thrones on HBO, Outlander on Starz, The Shannara Chronicles on MTV, and The Dark Tower movie in the works, it's clear: science fiction and fantasy are in.
Kirkman, Alpert, and Newman are currently looking for a writer to bring The Chronicles of Amber to life on the small screen.
