Stephen Colbert to Adapt One of George R.R. Martin’s Favorite Books Into TV Series

One of George R.R. Martin’s favorite fantasy novels might finally get adapted into a TV series thanks to the most unlikely person imaginable — late-night host Stephen Colbert.

Colbert’s production company Spartina has joined Skybound Entertainment and Vincent Newman Entertainment’s existing partnership to develop Roger Zelazny’s beloved The Chronicles of Amber into a drama series.

Martin — who was a close friend of Zelazny, who died in 1995 — has many times noted in interviews stated the novels deserve to be adapted, most recently in October, writing on his blog, “I am a fantasy fan, and I want more fantasy on television… Most of all, I want Roger Zelazny’s Nine Princes in Amber. I will never understand why Corwin and his siblings are not starring in their own show. And hey, if epic fantasy continues to do well, maybe we will finally get that. A boy can dream.”

Responded Colbert: “George R.R. Martin and I have similar dreams. I’ve carried the story of Corwin in my head for over 40 years, and I’m thrilled to partner with Skybound and Vincent Newman to bring these worlds to life. All roads lead to Amber, and I’m happy to be walking them.”

The story follows Corwin, “who awakens on Earth with no memory, but soon finds he is a prince of a royal family that has the ability to travel through different dimensions of reality (called “shadows”) and rules over the one true world, Amber. The story unfolds over ten books with two story arcs: “The Corwin Cycle” and “The Merlin Cycle.” The series has sold more than fifteen million copies globally.

First published in 1970, The Chronicles of Amber has been on a long road to getting adapted. Skybound first started working on a series back in 2016 with Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.

“Adapting one of my favorite book series of all time is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream,” added David Alpert, CEO, Skybound Entertainment. “Producing it alongside someone like Stephen Colbert, who is a true-blue super fan, is a thrill for me, and will be for anyone who’s ever listened to Stephen talk about fantasy. We can’t wait to share this amazing story both with the legion of current fans like ourselves and a new generation of fans that will undoubtedly fall for Amber.”

The producing team will soon begin the search for a writer. No distributor is on board yet either, but Spartina has a first-look deal with CBS Studios.