At long last, Michael Moorcock’s Elric Saga could be coming to TV! Deadline has reported that “exclusive rights to all works” in the series have sold to New Republic Pictures’ Brian Oliver and producer Bradley J. Fischer, who are currently shopping a potential TV series around, with The Walking Dead’s Glen Mazzara and Star Trek: Discovery’s Vaun Wilmott signed on to adapt.
That’s just to begin with. According to Deadline, New Republic and Fischer want to turn Elric into a “cross-platform franchise,” potentially opening the door for Elric films, podcasts, and other storytelling formats (we suggest an interactive VR experience—let us weird Stormbringer!).
“Glen, Vaun, Brian and I all grew up on the iconic works of genre masters like Michael Moorcock, and the Elric Saga is among the most influential titles in the canon of fantasy-horror storytelling,” Fischer said, in a statement to Deadline. “We feel privileged to have been entrusted by Mike and Linda Moorcock with a character and narrative universe as rich and diverse as Elric, and hope to deliver to generations of fans the enthralling experience they’ve been demanding for so many years from these masterworks of genre literature.”
There are no specific plot details yet, but there’s plenty of material to work with across the multiverse introduced in Moorcock’s 11 novels, plus short stories and novellas.
Since you’re on this website, we’re going to assume the Elric novels are at least on your TBR pile, but if not, Moorcock’s description of Elric himself should serve as a worthy introduction:
It is the colour of a bleached skull, his flesh; and the long hair which flows below his shoulders is milk-white. From the tapering, beautiful head stare two slanting eyes, crimson and moody, and from the loose sleeves of his yellow gown emerge two slender hands, also the colour of bone, resting on each arm of a seat which has been carved from a single, massive ruby.
There’s really no way to concisely summarize Moorcock’s iconic albino warrior, but we’ll give it a shot: At the beginning of the series, Elric is the reluctant Sorcerer Emperor of Melniboné, a frail, brilliant scholar on a cocktail of magical drugs tasked with ruling over a court of exquisitely louche degenerates, and the saga traces his descent into the tortured, evil-sword-wielding antihero we know and love.
It’s far too early for a release date, a production schedule, or a cast, but we encourage you to go wild with fan-casts in the comments. In the meantime, check out Tor.com’s great Elric Reread with Karin L. Kross.
Awesome!
I know that it is a long and uncertain road from an option to a finished TV show or Movie. But this is still good news and if Elric gets to TV, I will be watching.
I’m excited, as long as it’s not sent to the far reaches of some lesser-known streaming platform.
Unfortunately for me, there aren’t that many more Moorcock books on my TBR pile.
Please let this happen!
Please be great – please be great!
Intriguing!
Gurthang…Stormbringer!
I know gatekeeping is bad. And wrong. But if I were to meet someone who said they were a fantasy fan and had been reading fantasy for, say, twenty years or more but hadn’t read any Elric, well, I can’t guarantee that I wouldn’t shake my head woefully and a bit accusingly in their general direction.
Always thought Elric would be better served by more or less traditional animation than by live action. I’d like to visit a parallel universe where Wendi Pini saw her early Elric project to completion.
Love Elric but just hope it doesn’t end up another American nothingness.
I am beyond excited for an Elric television show.
But I can’t help but think that the Netflix production of the The Witcher will have stolen his thunder. Pale skin, pale hair, violet eyes…
@11 Not familiar with the Witcher, but my guess is that it’s one of the many riffs on the archetype Michael Moorcock created.
Benedict Cumberbatch maybe the best Elric possible
Oh. Dear. But I gotta agree with @13. Put a long white wig and some red contacts on Cumberbatch and he’d be perfect.
As I recall, back in the 1980s the word was the David Bowie was supposed to play Elric. Sadly, that ship has sailed (except, I guess, for the possibility of digital reincarnation). Cumberbatch is a fine actor with a gaunt, somewhat weird countenance; he might work in the role. But he’s also an old guy in his 40s (like me). I think the project would be better off with a younger, sexier Elric.
Personally I’ve always found older men much sexier than the boy toys.
Over the years, there have been too many Elric media projects that never made it to fruition – or maybe the same one that kept rising from the dead like a phoenix – but the cycle of hope followed by disappointment was the same, in either case. So, I’m not getting my hopes up this time until I actually see it.
Hmm, Cillian Murphy is the first person that comes to mind for Elric. Christian Bale maybe for Yyrkoon? No way the teevee series has the money to buy them, I suppose, but they’d both be pretty swell in those roles.
Speaking of Moorcock, the Appendix N Podcast (a podcast devoted to discussing the “inspirational reading” Gary Gygax listed in Appendix N of the original AD&D Dungeon Master’s Guide) just scored a coup with an hour-long interview with Moorcock himself that was a lot of fun to listen to.
@9 I would also love to see Pini Elric. Especially if she teamed up with Dave Sim so that Elric could meet Elrod.
https://comicvine.gamespot.com/elrod/4005-27448/
@various. I gotta stick with my guns here. Elric is the ultimate teen angst idol. I’d cast a talented unknown in his early 20s.
Alexander Skarsgard = Elric
Get the talent and spend the money to cast the role(s).. I think an “unknown of quality” is better than “a known of fame but lacking”. Equally important will be Cymoril, Moonglum, the Dyvims and Yyrkoon… without the support, the whole endeavor will be fruitless. I am guardedly excited.
I always thought Marilyn Manson would be a good choice. Might be a little late for that.
I can hardly wait for the end product. Just keep in mind “What would Mr. Moorcock think of it and is it close to his idealism of his characters?” And like was stated in one of the comments, you need the supporting roles of his companions and arch rivals to complete the circle. So as long as you don’t go too outlandish it’ll turn out GREAT. I have faith in you to do the series justice. :)
The most important aspect is the handling of Stormbringer. It has to be right and it has to be a very important co-star type of thing. The ghoulish nature of a hellsword, one of the most powerful weapons of all time in fantasy, must be spot on. An elven looking Elric, as the Melniboneans are akin to the Eldren and Vadhagh in the Moorcock multiverse is even secondary to getting Stormbringer right. A glowing black longsword is not going to cut it ( sorry for the unintended pun ). It’s 2 handed broadsword. It’s covered in glowing red runes and glows with black fire. It howls and expresses emotion in it’s howls of glee at being allowed to kill. And when it kills it draws out the life force of it’s prey. That has to be done properly or the whole project is doomed. PLEASE don’t do the show without really making sure that everyone can tell just what and how powerful Stormbringer really is. It has to scare the hell out of the audience.
Dominic Monaghan from the Showtime’s Shameless — a fine actor of ginger complexion — would make a perfect Elric of Melnibone.
I think Tom Hiddleston would make an outstanding Elric.
I love the Elric character, the ultimate reluctant hero who just wanted to be left alone. Prince Nuada from HellBoy-the golden army looked great has Elric.
I also hope they do a Audio book of this series- I know they already have 2 audio book out but never completed it the series- it’s a great audiobook, no idea why it was never completed.
Just don’t let SciFi Channel touch the Elric series, there is no character they can not F***up.
…back from a hell realm to say…
I first discovered Elric and the many incarnations of the Eternal Champion decades ago … (’79?) and became utterly and entirely enthralled.
Elric is described as an otherworldly beauty; thin, tall with slanting eyes.. in Human terms this sounds possibly Japanese, Korean, slightly feminine/ethereal. Not a western ideal of handsome. A mythical beauty of a man. While Hiddleston falls close to this when made up as Loki or as Adam in Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive. …Cumberbatch… it really depends.
Will the writers/producers enable a full on exquisite adaptation of these alien god-like beings inhabiting the Dragon Isle ? IMHO Guillermo del Toro needs to be a lead on this one.
the elric series is tricky there are many problems along the way but the overall story is still one of my favorites along with amber in order to produce this in film im afraid you would have to take artistic word. but the story is so big and there is so many faboulous twists it would be hard to put into a mini series without seeming unbelivable they are going to have to cut it down whitch will be disapointing