In an era of streaming wars and ubiquitous content creation, we see so much intellectual property being snapped up to become movies or television shows. Not only that, but IP is also being extended beyond the original creator’s output, with endless sequels and prequels that go in new directions.

While there might be a sense of overload, we might also say that there is plenty of IP that is overlooked. And one that springs to mind right away is the vast fantasy world created by author Raymond E. Feist.

Feist’s books, which sold in the tens of millions, were translated into numerous languages and enjoyed widespread popularity for decades, but there has been limited talk of adapting them for the screen. Why is this the case?

Over 30 books set in Feist’s fantasy world
Well, first let’s tell you a bit about the work. It started with the book Magician (1982). This introduced the reader to the fantasy world of Midkemia, and it was hugely popular, giving Feist the chance to write a sequel. Eventually, the entire series would span 31 books (and counting). It is one of the biggest fantasy series in terms of volumes – perhaps only second to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld output.

Midkemia books, which are also known as the Riftwar Cycle, are very much high-fantasy – swords, dragons, magic, and so on – but the books are also rousing adventure tales, and they are not so introspective that they would not fit the medium of cinema. While there are overarching plots across the books, there are also linear events and conclusions within each book, again making it suitable for cinema or a streaming series.

So, why no series or movies? Well, there are a few reasons, some of them speculative and some more concrete. First, let’s point out that high fantasy movies and television shows are relatively rare. Think on it: how many can you name beyond Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones? High fantasy appears much more frequently in video gaming and slot games, but it is relatively rare in cinema.

High fantasy is viewed as a gamble
One of the reasons for that rarity is the big expense incurred for getting it right. Something like The Lord of the Rings was a massive gamble for New Line Cinema in the early 2000s, as was Game of Thrones for HBO. But for every hit, there’s a miss and a big financial loss: look at series like The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime Video. It had a huge outlay and some hardcore fans, but it was ultimately cancelled.



Secondly, there is the question put to movie and television execs – can you engage in world-building? You aren’t pitching something that can be put in a paragraph like “hard-nosed city detective solves murders in small rural town”, with high fantasy, it becomes a question of selling more than a plot. The studio has to be ambitious and believe they can sell it, and that takes a lot of faith.

Might we also say something about the appetite for high fantasy overall? Take a movie like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. It has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was loved by critics, yet it basically flopped at the box office. Again, when we leave aside the big-hitters like LOTR and GOT, there’s a limited number that we can say are successes financially.

Some hope came in 2022
So, in the case of Feist’s Midkemia, there are some structural barriers to getting something made into a movie or series. It seems something of a shame, because this is a creation that feels highly underrated. Not every book needs to be adapted for the screen, of course, but across those 30 or so books, Feist has told some wonderful tales.

There were some signs back in 2022 that an adaptation was on the way with Six Studios. On reporting it, Deadline said, “The Riftwar Saga series, considered one of the best known pieces of fantasy IP not yet adapted for the screen.” But since then, there has been broad silence, with the only clues we are getting coming from internet message boards.

Thus, it remains to be seen whether this fantasy world, in scope comparable to Tolkien, will find its way to our screens anytime soon. If it does get made, fans could be in for treat, but only if the source material gets the platform it deserves. That basically means a big budget and, as we said, a bit of faith and patience.