'Eragon' Author Speaks out on Movie Remake Demands From Fans

Even die-hard fantasy fans may have been surprised this weekend to see 'Eragon Remake' in the top [...]

By Michael Hein

Even die-hard fantasy fans may have been surprised this weekend to see "Eragon Remake" in the top trending topics on Twitter. Lovers of the franchise united under the hashtag, calling on Disney directly to give an adaptation of the novel series another chance. Author Christopher Paolini was right there with them.

The Eragon remake campaign is one of the best-organized virtual events of its kind, in an age where fans and creators often lay their hopes on social media to show studios when there is an audience they did not expect. According to an organizer named Jack, the Inheritance Cycle fandom has been discussing the idea of "a tweet storm" since June of 2020, and organizing it on Twitter, in forums and in Discord chats. The idea was simply to get the attention of Disney, which holds the right to adapt the novels now that it has acquired 20th Century Fox.

Paolini was not involved in organizing the virtual event, but he did chime in several times as it started to take over this weekend. He was in awe of his fans' dedication, and hopeful that it might bear fruit. Paolini has previously been candid in interviews and posts saying that he would like to see a new adaptation of his books, and that one sticking point in proving the fan base is interested.

Paolini gained wide acclaim when he published Eragon in 2002, when he was still a teenager. It became a widespread success, and the screen rights were optioned in less than two years. However, the film adaptation that was released in 2006 got generally negative reviews, and 20th Century Fox canceled its ambitious plans to adapt the other three novels in Paolini's Inheritance Cycle right away.

This has long disappointed fans of the series, and Paolini himself. The author wrote three more books in the series — Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance. The final book was published in 2011. They are set in the fictional world of Alagaësia, and tell a story of swords, sorcery and dragons to rival any other high fantasy adaptation in the works right now.

Fans have been extremely specific in their posts this weekend, proposing that the novels would do well as movies or as a TV series. Many have also debated whether the series should be in theaters, on cable, on Disney+ or on Hulu — all under the Disney umbrella. Some have even mocked up promotional images and shared their fan art in that context.

So far, non of these calls to action have elicited a direct response from Disney, though that's no surprise at this early stage. Paolini wrote on Reddit that a trending hashtag like this "would give me a LOT of leverage," so the next steps are likely in his hands. For now, fans can pick up the Inheritance Cycle here on Amazon in print, digital and audiobook formats. The 2006 movie adaptation is not currently streaming on any subscription-based services.

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