Disney+ has announced plans to develop Eragon, a live-action adaptation of the YA fantasy series The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini.
First published in 2002, Eragon follows the titular character after he discovers a dragon egg. He and the dragon are then hunted by the evil king and his minions who wiped out the dragons and their order of Dragon Riders. Teaming up with the last known surviving Rider, Eragon begins his training in dragon riding, magic and sword fighting to overthrow the king and his army of evil. The logline for the series itself reads:
When destiny selects an ordinary teenager to become the first Dragon Rider in over a hundred years, he must forge an unbreakable bond with his dragon, master ancient magic, and challenge the mad king who destroyed the Riders.
Disney gained the rights to Eragon when it purchased 20th Century Fox and has been looking to develop it into a series since buying the studio. To that end they have named High Potential showrunner Todd Harthan to co-create the series alongside Paolini with Harthan and Superman & Lois‘ Todd Helbing to serve as showrunners. The Amazing Spider-Man director Marc Webb will also serve as an executive producer.
Eragon is the first book in The Inheritance Cycle which consists of four books, a collection of short stories and the spin-off Murtagh which was published in 2023. Paolini has teased he is currently working on a new cycle of novels in the franchise.
