The Status of Raymond E. Feist's "Riftwar" TV Adaptation

Executive Summary

In February 2022, Six Studios announced it had acquired the television rights to Raymond E. Feist's bestselling "Riftwar Saga" fantasy series. Three years later, as of April 2025, the project remains in development but appears to be progressing slowly, with the author describing a situation of "waiting for the other side to call back." Despite the delays, concept art has been developed, indicating some progress behind the scenes.

The Initial Announcement

In February 2022, Deadline reported that entrepreneurs Jeff Huang and Carl Choi had formed a new company called Six Studios, focused on genre content. Their first major acquisition was the rights to the first six books in Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts' international bestselling fantasy book series, "The Riftwar Cycle," for television adaptation.

The announcement revealed that writers Hannah Friedman (Untitled Pixar Feature, Disney+'s "Willow", "Obi-Wan Kenobi"), Jacob Pinion ("Fear the Walking Dead"), and Nick Bernardone ("Fear the Walking Dead", "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt") were attached to adapt the books for a potential series.

This marked the first time that the first six books, which combine the fantasy worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan, had been acquired together for development. Prior to this, BCDF Pictures had acquired rights to just the first novel, "Magician," in 2018, with "Atomic Blonde" screenwriter Kurt Johnstad commissioned to pen a TV script, but those plans fell through in 2019.

The Creative Team

The initial announcement named several key figures involved in the production:

• Producers: Jeff Huang and Carl Choi (Six Studios)
• Writers: Hannah Friedman, Jacob Pinion, and Nick Bernardone
• Consultants: Kiri Hart (Soul, Rogue One) and Stephen Feder (Solo, Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster) - former Lucasfilm executives
• Art Director/Head of Visual Development: @blackbearuwandi (Instagram handle)
• Concept Artist: Kyle Brown (who created troll concept art)

Syracuse-based screenwriter Nick Bernardone was highlighted in local news as being part of the adaptation team, showing the geographic diversity of the talent involved.

The Source Material

Six Studios acquired the rights to the first six books in the series:

1. Magician (split into "Magician: Apprentice" and "Magician: Master" in the U.S.)
2. Silverthorn
3. A Darkness at Sethanon
4. Daughter of the Empire (co-written with Janny Wurts)
5. Servant of the Empire (co-written with Janny Wurts)
6. Mistress of the Empire (co-written with Janny Wurts)

"The Riftwar Saga" series, considered one of the best-known pieces of fantasy IP not yet adapted for the screen, started with the 1982 publication of Feist's "Magician." The series now spans more than 30 books and short stories, having sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and translated into more than 20 languages.

The story centers around a multiverse of worlds that interact through tears in the fabric of spacetime called rifts. The first trilogy, titled "The Riftwar Saga," focuses on a talented, teenage magician of humble origins, named Pug, on a journey to master his craft and defend his world of Midkemia. The "Empire Trilogy," written together by Feist and Wurts, follows Mara, a girl of noble birth who is thrust into a dangerous power struggle when her family is assassinated. She must grow fast and survive by seizing power through the ranks of the brutal empire that rules her world of Kelewan.

Development Timeline

Current Status (2025)

As of April 2025, Raymond E. Feist provided a frustrating update for fans on his Facebook page. According to Feist, the TV adaptation is still in development, but progress has been slow. He described the situation as "waiting for the other side to call back" but noted that "stuff is happening" behind the scenes.

In May 2024, co-author Janny Wurts confirmed on her official forum that "The option is absolutely still in play," suggesting the project hasn't been cancelled but also not providing any specific timeline for production.

The delays in production have left many fans disappointed. With the rise of streaming services and the demand for high-quality fantasy content following the success of adaptations like "Game of Thrones," fans had high expectations for this adaptation. The longer the wait, the more pressure the production team faces to deliver a top-notch series that meets fan expectations.

Six Studios' Other Projects

While the "Riftwar" adaptation appears to be moving slowly, Six Studios has made progress on another major project. In 2024-2025, the studio began active development on a film adaptation of Garth Ennis' comic book series "Crossed."

In January 2025, it was announced that Rob Jabbaz, director of the Taiwanese horror film "The Sadness," will helm the "Crossed" movie. The project has a script written by "The Boys" creator Garth Ennis himself, based on his comic book of the same name. The film is expected to be in the $2 million to $3 million budget range and was eyeing a March 2025 filming date.

The fact that Six Studios is actively moving forward with "Crossed" while "Riftwar" remains in slow development might suggest that the studio is prioritizing projects that are easier to produce or finance. The "Crossed" movie's relatively modest budget of $2-3 million is significantly smaller than what would be required for a high fantasy television series like "Riftwar."

Concept Art Development

Despite the slow pace of development, there is evidence that pre-production work has been done. In November 2023, concept artist Kyle Brown shared on Instagram (@kylebrowndesign) that he was working on the project, posting early sketches for the Trolls in the series.

Brown thanked the "Art Director and head of visual development @blackbearuwandi for having me onboard this project with such an awesome team!" He also mentioned "the entire Six Studios Crew @carlchoi and production manager @ajvargas_insta."

This suggests that at least some visual development work was underway in late 2023, indicating the project hadn't stalled completely. The existence of concept art is a positive sign that Six Studios has invested resources in visualizing the world of "Riftwar."

Fan Reactions and Community Response

The Reddit communities following the project have shown mixed reactions to the delays. Fans in r/Fantasy, r/television, and r/Midkemia have discussed the adaptation extensively.

Many fans expressed excitement about the potential adaptation but concern about the long development process. Some comments from Reddit include:

Some fans have debated which books in the extensive series would make the best starting point for adaptation, with several mentioning that the "Empire Trilogy" might stand particularly well on its own.

There's also been discussion about whether the adaptation would be better served as an animated series rather than live-action, with one commenter noting: "It should be an animated series. It's just too big to make into live action unless the budget is through the roof."

Challenges in Adaptation

Several factors may be contributing to the slow development of the "Riftwar" TV series:

• Scope and Scale: The "Riftwar" saga spans multiple worlds, including the medieval European-inspired Midkemia and the feudal Japanese-inspired Kelewan. Creating these distinct worlds with proper visual effects would require significant budget.
• Storyline Complexity: The first six books include multiple protagonists and storylines that would need to be carefully balanced and integrated.
• Fantasy Market Saturation: With numerous fantasy adaptations competing for viewers' attention, studios may be cautious about investing in new fantasy properties without differentiation.
• Production Costs: High-quality fantasy television requires substantial investment. With Six Studios being a relatively new company, securing adequate funding might be challenging.
• Studio Resources: Six Studios appears to be focusing resources on the smaller-budget "Crossed" film project, which may be easier to finance and produce than an ambitious fantasy series.

Looking Ahead: What's Next?

While the adaptation is still officially in development, there's no clear timeline for when production might begin. Based on the available information:

• The option rights are still active as confirmed by both Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts
• Some pre-production work, including concept art, has been completed
• Six Studios is focusing on completing their "Crossed" film project in 2025
• There's been no announcement of casting, filming locations, or a production schedule

For fans of the series, it appears that patience will be necessary. The project has not been canceled but is moving slowly through the development process. With the renewed interest in fantasy adaptations following the success of shows like "House of the Dragon" and "The Rings of Power," there may still be a market for a well-executed "Riftwar" adaptation when it's ready.

Conclusion

Three years after the initial announcement, the television adaptation of Raymond E. Feist's "Riftwar Saga" remains in development limbo. While not canceled, the project appears to be progressing slowly, with the most recent update from Feist himself describing a frustrating waiting period.

Six Studios, the production company holding the rights, has meanwhile made more visible progress on their film adaptation of "Crossed," suggesting they may be prioritizing smaller projects before tackling the ambitious scale of "Riftwar."

For fans of Feist's work, the situation remains one of cautious optimism. The option is still active, concept art has been developed, and both Feist and co-author Wurts remain involved. However, there's no clear indication of when the project might move from development into active production.

As fantasy adaptations continue to be popular on streaming platforms, there remains potential for "Riftwar" to eventually make it to screens. Until then, fans will have to be content with Feist's assurance that "stuff is happening" behind the scenes.