The ‘Eragon’ Dragon Fantasy Series Is Still Alive at Disney+
As Brandon Sanderson prepares to bring his Cosmere universe to series and films on Apple TV, and George R.R. Martin’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms lures even disgruntled Game of Thrones viewers back to HBO Max, another fantasy series is planting its flag on the streaming landscape. A show based on Christopher Paolini’s Eragon—which he self-published as a teen before finding mainstream, best-selling literary success and writing three sequels—is moving forward after several years in limbo at Disney+. If that sounds familiar, yes, Eragon was already adapted into a feature film back in 2006, scoring a modest box office return. Tepid reviews meant plans for additional films in Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle series were scrapped. But 20 years later, Disney+ is hoping to spark some dragon-based magic with a fresh take—not unlike the blueprint laid down by its hit Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which revived Rick Riordan’s characters and stories after feature films were released in 2010 and 2013.
This isn’t news in and of itself; the Eragon series has been kicking around since 2022. But as Variety reports, as of today there’s some real movement. There’s a pair of showrunners attached in Todd Harthan (High Potential) and Todd Helbing (Superman & Lois), with Harthan credited as co-creator alongside Paolini. Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) is also aboard as an executive producer. In its initial reporting on the show back in 2022, Variety noted the official logline: “When destiny selects an ordinary teenager to become the first Dragon Rider in over a hundred years, he must forge an unbreakable bond with his dragon, master ancient magic, and challenge the mad king who destroyed the Riders.”
There’s no word yet on who might star, or when Eragon might fly its way onto TV screens. Are you excited about this title joining TV’s current fantasy boom? Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
