A beloved modern-day fantasy classic is getting a major Hollywood adaptation, according to a new report. Bringing big-name book series to the big screen is nothing new, but with names like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Twilight now taken off the board (even if all those franchises continue to live on in one way or another), studios are always looking for the next book-to-screen hit.
Sony Pictures may have found its next play in the big-name adaptation space in the form of James Islington's Hierarchy series of novels. On the eve of the second book in Islington's hit fantasy series grabbing the top spot on the New York Times Best Seller List, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Sony has acquired the movie rights to the franchise.
This is reportedly one of the biggest book acquisitions of 2025, and comes a mere 13 days after Islington's second Hierarchy book, The Strength of the Few, hit store shelves for the first time.
Sony's purchase of the rights adds a significant name to the studio's stable of IP, bringing in one of the most-celebrated names in fantasy literature of the last five years. Islington's first book, The Will of the Many, maintains a stellar 4.6/5 rating on book review platform Goodreads with over 170,000 total reviews.
It was even nominated for the top fantasy book of 2023 on Goodreads, but ultimately lost out to Leigh Bardugo's Hell Bent.
Hailing from Australia, Islington worked in the tech sector before finding success as an author. His first trilogy of books, known as The Licanius Trilogy, has grown an extensive and devoted following, establishing him in the conversation as one of the breakout fantasy writers of the 2020s.
The Hierarchy series focuses on a fictional society, Caten, that takes great inspiration from the Roman Republic. In Caten, citizens lower on the societal ladder must give up some of their power (called Will) to those living in high society.
The story centers on a young man named Vis, who enlists at the Catenan Academy to rise through the ranks and uncover the secret behind a devastating accident from decades ago. However, even he harbors a dark secret of his own, which could come back to bite the central hero on his quest for the truth.
Why Adapting The Hierarchy Franchise Is a Perfect Idea
When it comes to big-name book-to-movie adaptations, there is going to be some level of trepidation among fans. Questions about whether changes will need to be made or concessions to the original vision will undoubtedly arise. However, the Hierarchy book series feels perfect for the big-screen treatment, and potentially could be the next big hit from the fantasy literary world.
Just as franchises like The Maze Runner and The Hunger Games did before it, Hierarchy has a couple of exciting things in its favor. It has a fascinating world, a thrilling premise, and (most importantly) a baked-in devoted fan base.
Since the release of The Will of the Many in 2023, the Hierarchy fan community has continued to grow. That, of course, peaked most recently as the second book in James Islington's hit series claimed the top spot on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
This means there is a group of people out there that will be in the theater whenever this movie comes out, no matter what. They want as much Hierarchy as they can get, so they will be there. If the movie is good, then it will start to reverberate out from those die-hard fans and into the ears of the general movie-going masses. And this movie has all the makings of being great (at least going by the book).
The world of Caten is vast, almost Game of Thrones-sized, with its own unique societal quirks, rules, and mysteries to uncover. If the movie can get that right, presenting a faithful version of Caten on the big screen, that is a major win right there. Then, all it needs to do is adapt Vis' story within the Catenan Academy, and we are on our way to something special.
With other bestsellers like Fourth Wing and Mistborn set to receive the Hollywood treatment, the Hierarchy franchise could fit nicely into this new era of literary adaptations.
