Lionsgate is moving forward with their highly-anticipated adaptation of The Kingkiller Chronicle, with director Sam Raimi entering negotiations to take the helm. Lindsey Beer, who was part of the Transformers writers room and the Godzilla and King Kong writers room, has written the screenplay adaptation, which is based on The Name of the Wind, the first book in Patrick Rothfuss' novel series. Lionsgate hasn't issued a release date at this time, or announced when production may begin, but this adaptation is on the right track.

This adaptation is just one part of a sprawling franchise that will include movies, a TV series and possible stage productions. Lionsgate announced in 2016 that multi-award winning actor, composer, rapper and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator and star of the smash Broadway musical Hamilton, is partnering with The Kingkiller Chronicle author Pat Rothfuss to serve as creative producer and musical mastermind of feature film and television series adaptations of the best-selling franchise book trilogy with an option to be involved in future stage productions as well. Miranda will serve as producer of the franchise and is expected to compose the original music and write the songs. Rothfuss is an executive producer for both film and television.

In an unprecedented collaboration between film and television, Lionsgate will simultaneously develop and produce the feature film franchise based on The Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy and a premium quality drama series that expands on the world outside of the books. Miranda and Rothfuss will be intimately involved in the development of the new characters and storylines explored in the TV show. The series was picked up by Showtime back in October, with John Rogers (Leverage, The Player) serving as showrunner. As previously announced, Robert Lawrence (Clueless, Die Hard with a Vengeance), who has been involved in The Kingkiller Chronicle series since its earliest days, will produce for film and television.

The Kingkiller Chronicle series of books and novellas has sold 10 million copies with The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear (books one and two from the popular series) both ranked on the New York Times Best Seller list. In addition, The Kingkiller Chronicle is the best-selling modern epic fantasy series behind Game of Thrones. The book series follows the adventures of a wizard named Kvothe, who, despite suffering a tragic childhood, endures to become a household name. The novel series is framed as a transcription of a three-day-long oral autobiography of Kvothe, who is now living anonymously as an innkeeper. Each book recounts one day in this three-day transcription, with the books including interjections between Kvothe and The Chronicler, who is transcribing this account.

The first book, The Name of the Wind, was published in 2007, with the second book, The Wise Man's Fear, published in 2011. The third book, named The Doors of Stone, has not been published yet and there is no official publication date for the final book at this time. Sam Raimi hasn't directed a feature since 2013's Oz: The Great and Powerful, but he has been keeping busy on the small screen with his hit Starz TV series Ash Vs. Evil Dead, which he produces. He also served as a producer on the 2015 Poltergeist reboot, the 2016 thriller Don't Breathe and the upcoming video game adaptation The Last Of Us. Variety broke the news on Sam Raimi's involvement in The Kingkiller Chronicle earlier today.