Peacock has canceled his planned TV adaptation of the bestselling and award-winning fantasy trilogy, The Green Bone Saga.
The Universal-owned streaming service revealed in 2020 that it had begun development on the show, which was supposed to be based on the first novel in the series, Jade City. Dave Kalstein, who most recently oversaw the Bourne spin-off Treadstone, and Breck Eisner, director of the Vin Diesel-led fantasy adventure The Last Witch Hunter, and many episodes of The Expanse, were in charge of overseeing the series.
However, The Green Bone Saga author Fonda J. Lee revealed that Peacock executives have now changed their minds and will not go ahead with their show.
It’s sad to share that, after years in development, Peacock has decided not to move forward with the Jade City TV show. It’s a big disappointment. But we are looking for a new home for the project, and I have faith that someone will share the Kaul family’s vision on screen.🤞June 30, 2022
As you can see from Lee’s tweet above, the author is hoping the project will be resurrected on another streaming service or by a US broadcaster, but nothing is in the works just yet.
Fans of the book, however, are furious about the cancellation, with many responding to Lee’s message with outrage that the show might be cancelled.
I was looking forward to it 😔 I really hope it lands on another platform, I was kind of suspicious of Peacock handling the production anyway (nothing personal against the specific producers or anything, let alone the company as a whole) pic.twitter .com /bMuKUTd8SqJune 30, 2022
I was really looking forward to seeing this book adapted on screen. But either way, I’m sure a better production will take the opportunity to make it big.July 1, 2022
Lee herself responded with goodwill and added jokingly that she would no longer need to maintain a Peacock subscription.
I am touched by all the faith and enthusiasm; thank you all. I will keep you informed. On the plus side, I no longer need to subscribe to Peacock!July 1, 2022
What is the Green Bone Saga?
A trilogy of novels, it began in 2017 with Jade City, with Jade War following in 2019, and finally Jade Legacy in 2021.
Set in a mythical world, but in a setting not unlike 1970s Hong Kong, the books are set in Janloon, which is more commonly known as Jade City.
The country is dominated by Jade, a gemstone that greatly enhances a warrior’s capabilities if he possesses it. The stone trade dominates the land, as does Spice in Dune, and the powerful Kaul family uses it to hone their magical skills and defend the island from foreign invasion, as well as hoard the stone for themselves.
However, when a powerful new drug emerges that allows anyone to use the stone, a rival clan rises and an all-out war is quickly on the horizon.
The series has been showered with recognition awards, with Jade City winning the World Fantasy Award in 2018, it was also nominated for the Nebula Award, which annually recognizes the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States.
Jade War was nominated for both the Dragon and Ignyte awards, both literary fantasy awards, while the entire trilogy is in the running for the prestigious Hugo Award later this year. Past winners of this award include James SA Corey’s The Expanse series of novels, which was then adapted into a hugely successful TV series, and Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series.
Analysis: Why did Peacock not have the stone(s)?
A quick read of the story description we gave you and it’s easy to assume that Jade City would have been an expensive show to produce.
Plus, the Universal-backed streamer already has plenty of young adult fantasy. It’s about to release Vampire Academy, which brings Richelle Mead’s novel of the same name to life. In addition, there is a planned reboot of Battlestar Galactica, a big-budget adaptation of Victoria Aveyard’s young adult series Red Queen, which is being overseen by Elizabeth Banks, and a version of Wild Cards, a shared-universe series of superstars. -sci-fi heroes. anthologies, which is overseen by George RR Martin.
It could very well have been that Jade City was pushed off the plate by an abundance of other snacks, or things got too expensive. Let’s wait and see if Lee’s trilogy finds a TV adaptation elsewhere.
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