Zoic Studios is known for their amazing VFX work on shows like ‘The Twilight Zone‘ and ‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina‘ though now the studio is going into making original content themselves. They recently optioned the film rights Christopher Golden’s horror novel ‘Snowblind’ and have just announced that they are following it up with the fantasy epic ‘Soleri.’
Based on the 2017 novel by Michael Johnston, ‘Soleri is the first in a stunningly creative new series which is “inspired by ancient Egyptian history and King Lear.”
While a director and writer have yet to be tapped, Zoic founding partners Chris Jones and Loni Peristere as well as their VP of Development Samantha Shear are overseeing the project internally.
The studio has picked up both TV and film rights but hasn’t clarified what they’ll be making at this time. As the format isn’t clear, we aren’t sure what will be translated from the novel, but the book’s synopsis describes the story as follows:
The ruling family of the Soleri Empire has been in power longer than even the calendars that stretch back 2,826 years. Those records tell a history of conquest and domination by a people descended from gods, older than anything in the known world. No living person has seen them for centuries, yet their grip on their four subjugate kingdoms remains tighter than ever.
On the day of the annual eclipse, the Harkan king, Arko-Hark Wadi, sets off on a hunt and shirks his duty rather than bow to the emperor. Ren, his son, and heir is a prisoner in the capital, while his daughters struggle against their own chains. Merit, the eldest, has found a way to stand against imperial law and marry the man she desires but needs her sister’s help, and Kepi has her own ideas.
Meanwhile, Sarra Amunet, Mother Priestess of the sun god’s cult, holds the keys to the end of an empire and a past betrayal that could shatter her family.
Detailed and historical, vast in scope and intricate in conception, Soleri bristles with primal magic and unexpected violence. It is a world of ancient and elaborate rites, of unseen power and kingdoms ravaged by war, where victory comes with a price, and every truth conceals a deeper secret.
From the description alone we can expect a lot of world building groundwork to be laid out here which could tell not just this story but give the author and creators an entire world to play in.
According to Jones,
“We’re thrilled to be working with such a solid narrative foundation as offered by the Soleri series. Zoic has built a foundation on great storytelling, and Michael’s strong character and rich themes make this a perfect partnership to produce an amazing project.”
Visually it feels that this will be a film or series that you won’t want to miss, but development is still too early to really get a feel of how this story will translate to the big screen.
Are you interested in following the production of ‘Soleri’? Is the plot something that you think would really lend itself well to a live-action adaptation? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Deadline
