It’s no secret that most movies are based off of books, and it is widely known that beloved horror author Stephen King has written a lot of books. But he also made one foray into young adult fantasy? According to Deadline, King wrote the book Eyes of the Dragon in 1984, as a break from horror and so that he could produce a work that his kids could read. Now, around thirty-five years later, Hulu has decided to adapt the series for television.
Hulu is not unfamiliar with King adaptations. SyFyWire reports that Hulu previously helped produce two other television adaptations of King’s work, 11/22/63 and Castle Rock. But Hulu isn’t the only major network currently putting out works based off King novels, It Chapter Two is set to hit theatres on September 6, 2019. The interesting thing about Hulu competing for the rights of Eyes of the Dragon (and beating out Apple), is that a main antagonist continues the mythos of a shared King universe, which is something Castle Rock has already tapped into.
A brief summary of Eyes of the Dragon involves a malicious plotting magician, a firstborn son framed for the death of his father, and the second son (and now heir to the throne) imprisoning the elder son despite knowing of his innocence. There is of course more to it than that, and as with any King novel it is said to be highly detailed.
As to the shared King universe, the conniving magician is a character that hardcore King fans will recognize as the villain from a couple of other King works, The Dark Tower and The Stand. While both works have previously been adapted, both are currently being adapted for a second time at separate networks, CBS All Access and Amazon respectively.
One thing Eyes of the Dragon has that the other two don’t? A chance at filling the dragon-sized hole that will be left after the final episode of Game of Thrones which airs later today. There are several shows vying for the public’s attention and the industry accolades that come with being the next Game of Thrones. While Eyes of the Dragon has more of a young adult feel to it, it also incorporates a lot of the fantasy elements that made Game of Thrones a magical, metaphorical show. Right now, Eyes of the Dragon is only in pre-production, with Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, The Lego Batman Movie) having been tapped to write the pilot episode and act as showrunner. Time will tell if Eyes of the Dragon can come quickly enough and can capture enough of the viewing population’s imagination.