SyFy is looking to bring a different wizarding world to the screen. The NBCUniversal cable network has ordered a pilot to be produced based on The Magicians books by Lev Grossman.
The hour-long drama will be produced in-house by Universal Cable Productions with John McNamara (Prime Suspect) and Sera Gamble (Supernatural) writing, reports Deadline. Michael London and Janice Williams will produce.
The Magicians’ plot centers on a group of New Yorkers in their 20s who discover that the magic they read about as kids is actually real and dangerous for humans. As Entertainment Weekly points out, the lead charcater is Quentin Coldwater, who goes from high school to a magic college, where learning is mixed with parties and sex. So, clearly, this is not Hogwarts.
Grossman’s series includes three books - 2009’s The Magicians, 2011’s The Magic King and the upcoming The Magician’s Land. Fox had actually tried to mount a series adaptation back in 2011, with Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz writing, but, much to Grossman’s disappointment, the pilot didn’t happen.
The books have still been an international success, with copies printed in 22 countries.