“Harry Potter” for grownups is the elevator pitch for Lev Grossman’s trilogy of novels that began in 2009 with The Magicians and concludes with the August 5 release of The Magician’s Land. Despite the obvious similarities—namely, a young man who goes to a school for magic and learns about a secret world hidden just out of plain sight—the books use their arresting premise to tell a more literary story, as the lead characters have to face the fact that seeing your wildest dreams come true is no guarantee of happiness.
Adapting a story that, deep down, is about complicated interpersonal relationships, without letting it get swallowed up by what could be a gimmicky premise—not to mention sensitively handling storylines that include sex, drugs, violence, addiction, and rape—could be very difficult in the wrong hands. No worries, however, as the series is now being adapted for television by the delicate, thoughtful people who brought you Sharknado.
Yes, Syfy, the network that can’t spell its own name correctly, is now officially working on a pilot for the series it’s been developing based on Grossman’s books, with Prime Suspect writer John McNamara at work on a script. Fox had previously tried to adapt the books, but abandoned the project in 2012. No word as to when Syfy’s series might actually air, but the network is launching original series right and left, with Ascension, 12 Monkeys, The Killjoys, and The Expanse all debuting late this year or early next.