'Kingkiller Chronicle' Series: Lin-Manuel Miranda To Mastermind TV Show And Movie Adaptation

It’s been over a year since Lionsgate picked up the rights to Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle, a fantasy trilogy (Book 3 is still in the works) and so far the only real development has been the hiring of screenwriter Lindsey Beer ( Dungeons & Dragons ) for the first film, based on the first novel The Name of the Wind. That all changed Tuesday, when Lionsgate announced that Hamilton creator and Moana songster Lin-Manuel Miranda would be the “creative producer and musical mastermind” of both the feature film and television series adaptation of The Kingkiller Chronicle.

Though the ambitious adaptation — which may now include a Miranda-produced stage version in addition to the TV show and movie — has often been compared to that other titanic fantasy adaptation, Game of Thrones, The Kingkiller Chronicle is a different beast entirely. Tracking the life of adventurer, musician, warrior and sorcerer Kvothe, The Kingkiller Chronicle is far more intimate than the sprawling political landscape of Westeros. Instead, The Kingkiller Chronicle follows one man as he looks back into his past and the adventures that lead him to become an anonymous roadside innkeeper in a darkening fantasy world.

Lin-Manuel Miranda will join forces with Beer and series writer Rothfuss, who is also an executive producer on the project. Miranda’s addition to the team signals to Kvothe fans that The Kingkiller Chronicle movie and TV series won’t neglect the book series’ heavy emphasis on Kvothe’s musical and poetic talents (he may be the finest lute player in the city of Imre). According to Lionsgate’s press release, “Miranda and Rothfuss will be intimately involved in the development of new characters and storylines explored in the TV show.”

“Lin is an incomparable talent and a huge fan of the trilogy,” said Erik Feig, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group’s co-president. “Working closely with Pat, his creative oversight of the franchise will bring an incredible level of detail and continuity to all of the projects.”

"Pat Rothfuss' Kingkiller books are among the most read and re-read in our home. It's a world you want to spend lifetimes in, as his many fans will attest. Pat also writes about the act of MAKING music more beautifully than any novelist I've ever read. I can't wait to play a part in bringing this world to life onscreen,” Miranda said.

Rothfuss also expressed excitement over the collaboration, saying, “the creative team we've been assembling is amazing. They're brilliant folks, uniquely suited to dealing with the challenges of bringing a story like mine into multiple mediums simultaneously. Now, on top of all that, we've brought Lin-Manuel Miranda into the mix. Seriously. Let me type that again just for the joy of it: Lin-Manuel Miranda is going to be helping us adapt Kingkiller. There is no living human being I would rather have a creative collaboration with. There are no words that can express how excited I am."

Perhaps now the excitement for The Name of the Wind movie will be as ravenous as fan hype for the release date of The Kingkiller Chronicle Book 3.