David Farland's epic fantasy series "the Runelords" is getting a big push for Hollywood. Some have called it the "crack cocaine" of heroic fantasy, combining the world creation and artistic sensibilities of Lord of the Rings with the heart-pounding action and sense of wonder of the Matrix.
"With the Runelords," Farland says, "I wanted to create an utterly different world—the kind of place I would have wanted to visit as a teen—the kind of place where men are tested to the core, and the losers are hamburger."
Farland recently finished the screenplay for the film and will soon be taking meetings in Hollywood.
In this day and age, Farland admits that it is unusual for a film to get released without creating the comic series first. "Most films get made today because the studio can 'see' the film in advance through comics." So Farland has also begun speaking to comic-book artists regarding the possibility of creating graphic novels. "When I met with a videogame company yesterday," he chuckles, that was their first question. 'Have you started the comic book series yet?'"
In the world of the Runelords, any lord is basically a super-hero. By use of magic, a king can take attributes such as brawn, wit, speed, glamour, and stamina from their vassals. Thus one man can combine the strengths of thousands, but at a terrible cost: those who give up an attribute lose it until the bond between the giver and receiver is broken by death.
The Runelords movie web site just launched. Visitors to the site can learn more about the upcoming film and, for a limited time, download a free e-book. Learn more at
RunelordsMovie.com