A new fantasy TV show is in development at Amazon Prime Video, based on a bestselling book series. Only weeks after Amazon announced the cancellation of its high-budget epic fantasy title, The Wheel of Time, the streaming platform has a potential replacement in the works. With titles like The Rings of Power in Amazon's ever-growing original TV library and others like Fourth Wing and God of War supposedly on the way, Prime Video is still trying to maintain its presence as a go-to for fantasy television.
Following Game of Thrones, every streaming service has wanted a major fantasy title of its own, and though The Wheel of Time didn't pan out, the hunt for more never stops. The 21st century has shown fantasy truly take off as a bestselling genre, with new subgenres appealing to vastly different audience pools. Amazon's new show is likely to target a fresh demographic of fantasy TV audiences.
Amazon Prime Video Is Adapting Lauren Roberts' Powerless
Powerless Is A Bestselling YA Fantasy/Romance Trilogy
According to Deadline, Amazon has picked up the YA fantasy series Powerless, by Lauren Roberts. The trilogy is geared toward younger audiences than titles like The Rings of Power, and might find more common ground with YA shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty. The romantic fantasy series, which has trended on TikTok, is being developed for TV by Daphne Ferraro, a writer who's worked on titles like Maxton Hall: The World Between Us and Netflix's hit mystery sci-fi show, Dark. The studio behind the project is Olive Bridge Productions (Anyone But You, Peter Rabbit).
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Powerless takes place in a fictional world ruled by the Elites, following a main character in a lower class called the Ordinaries. Paedyn Gray is a thief whose father was executed by the king, and her life takes a surprising turn when she incidentally saves the prince. The focus of the books is centered around an event called the "Purging Trials," in which Paedyn is forced to compete. The series mixes elements of high fantasy, romance, and dystopian themes, much like Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series.
Our Take On Prime Video's Powerless
Powerless Sounds Like Fantasy Hunger Games
I was disappointed that The Wheel of Time didn't work out for Amazon Prime, but Powerless seems like a more guaranteed hit if it's executed well. The romantacy genre has struggled to get off the ground in Hollywood, with titles like ACOTAR and Fourth Wing stuck in development for years. If Prime can push Powerless along, it can pave the way for an entire subgenre of fantasy on television, offering an appeal similar to the wildly successful Hunger Games movies. It just needs to land with its target audience.
Source: Deadline