It has been said and shown a thousand times that at Hitek we are big fans of fantasy. After our selection looking back at the sad fate of 8 abandoned fantasy film and series projects that you will never see, today we are talking to you about the cancellation of the series The song of the Lioness, a legendary saga in the United States (but still unpublished in France).
The world of Tortall: a trendy project thrown into oblivion
Tamora Pierce’s series, set in the magical kingdom of Tortall, follows the journey of Alanna de Trebond, a young woman determined to break social norms to become a knight. The stories combine epic adventures, initiatory quests and of course the essential court intrigues and conspiracies, a mixture that the public adores. With its rich universe, its nuanced characters and its contemporary themes, The song of the Lioness seems to perfectly match the tastes of today’s public. And yet, this has not yet happened.
The world of young adult fantasy is full of stories just waiting to be adapted for the screen. Among them, the cycle The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce shines as an underrated gem. In 2019, the Lionsgate studio sees it as the perfect franchise to bounce back from the success of universes as diverse as Hunger Games or Game of Thrones and bought the operating rights, announcing in the process an adaptation into a TV series. At a time when fantasy blockbusters are still as popular and captivating as ever, and where the demand for strong heroines is not weakening, the idea seems promising. Except that here it is, since then, the inaction around this adaptation seems to prove that the project has stalled.
A universe created in 1983 but ahead of its time
Created in 1983, The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce stands out for her progressive vision andt its avant-garde themes. The story follows Alanna de Trebond, a young woman determined to become a knight, a role forbidden to women in her world. To fulfill her dream, she disguises herself as a boy, thus beginning a journey of self-discovery, courage and defiance in the face of social norms. Through four novels, readers follow his transformation, from an impulsive child into a formidable warrior and a compassionate leader, an inspiring heroine for all generations.
Alanna, with her strengths, her weaknesses and her stubbornness, can, for example, make Arya Stark think of Game of Thrones. But his story is not limited to epic adventures. Alanna’s complex relationships, with other characters or her mentor Myles d’Olau, add an emotional dimension that enriches the plot from episode to episode. These dynamics, mixed with impressive world buildingmake Tortall’s imaginary universe fascinating. From the cityscape of Corus to the deserts of the Bazhir tribes, each place is essential and alive, ready to compete with the visual universes of Game of Thrones (again) or The Witcher (books obviously).
In addition, the series addresses innovative themes for its time, such as gender identity, sexuality and social inequalities. Alanna’s LGBTQ+ representation and candid approach to topics like menstruation and sexual autonomy were groundbreaking in the genre at the time of its release and remain clearly relevant today.
An extended universe ready to use
While it’s obvious that The Lioness Song would be an excellent standalone film, it could also serve as a gateway to a much larger universe, like the series and the books His Dark Materials: At the crossroads of worlds. Tamora Pierce’s Tortall is now the setting for several interconnected series, each offering a fresh perspective on the history, magic, and social structure of the kingdom. Cycles like Protector of the Small or Trickster’s Choice, exploring themes like rebellion, espionage or the quest for justicecould very quickly and very simply be considered as spin-offs if successful.In later series, Alanna appears again but as a mentor and mother, passing the torch to the next generation of heroes, which opaves the way for natural progression, like Star Wars or franchises Marvel.
An opportunity to seize
In a post-Game of Thronesfantasy adaptations have never been more popular. However, it must also be recognized that few have been able to captivate the market. Even huge machines like The Rings of Power have difficulty uniting an enthusiastic audience, and only Arcane on Netflix seems, for the moment, to have really been able to create real enthusiasm. But it is clear that The Song of the Lioness still has a lot of ingredients to stand out today. If, to date, the project seems either buried or doomed to a “hell” development that is already more than 5 years old, perhaps it will one day be picked up by a completely different studio. Will not stay more than to hope that The song of the Lioness will not have lost too much of its impact over time.
And if you liked this article, you can also discover The Lord of the Rings: this is what The Hobbit by Guillermo Del Toro must have looked like.
Source: hitek.fr
