A live-action adaption of the Eragon novel is apparently in the early stages of development over at Disney Plus. The series would follow “The Inheritance Cycle,” a series of young adult novels written by author Christopher Paolini, with Eragon serving as the first book.
“The Inheritance Cycle” follows a young farm boy named Eragon, who discovers a dragon egg that subsequently hatches into a dragon that he names Saphira. Eragon discovers the history of the Dragon Riders, a once powerful order that were wiped out by the evil King Galbatorix, who now rules over all of Alagaësia. With the help of his mentor, Brom, and through his shared bond with Saphira, Eragon must learn what it takes to be a Dragon Rider so he can free the land of Galbatorix’s evil.
The news of the Disney adaption came from sources close to Variety magazine, which has also rumored that author, Paolini, will be on board as the series co-writer, though it is still too early to say for sure.
This is not the first time the books will get an on-screen adaption, as the first book also got a film adaption back in 2006. Despite a stellar cast, including Jeremy Irons as Brom, Rachel Weisz as the voice of Saphira, and John Malkovich as Galbatorix, the film was a critical failure and was unable to make a huge mark at the box office, grossing $250 million against the film’s $100 million budget. In 2021 fans of the original books created the hashtag #EragonRemake, in hopes that Disney would grant the books the adaption they deserve.
This is not Disney’s first YA adaption as Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy Jackson‘ series, is currently in production, with the writer taking an overseeing role on set. This series also had issues when it was adapted for the big screens with fans upset with the adaption and Riordan distancing himself from them. It would seem that Disney may have the right idea in keeping the authors on board if they hope to keep fans happy by staying as true as possible to the source material.
Reps for Disney and Paolini have yet to comment on the news.