Videos by ComicBook.com
And any fantasy world that stands out enough to land it among the classics deserves a chance on-screen, as there’s a reason it’s so popular on the page. The most obvious examples come from franchises like The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Chronicles of Narnia, but even Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, and Robert Jordan’s “Randland” have been brought to life (albeit with varying degrees of success). The fact that so many fantasy staples have been depicted in some capacity makes it all the more disappointing that the Malazan Empire hasn’t.
Despite Being One of the Best Fantasy Worlds, the Malazan Empire Has Never Appeared On-Screen
Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont’s Malazan Empire is often touted as one of the best fantasy worlds ever made, with Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen series cementing it among the genre’s greats. It’s no surprise that this backdrop gets so much praise. Between Erikson’s 10-part main series and Esslemont’s connected books, the Malazan Empire is more thoroughly fleshed out than even George R.R. Martin’s world in A Song of Ice and Fire. The scope and detail of the world-building is next level, which is part of the appeal. It makes the series political themes that much more believable, as the creators aren’t afraid to get into get into the weeds of it all.
