Amazon's Wheel of Time was finally finding its stride three seasons in, and now it's dead. Another high-profile fantasy adaptation cut short right when it was starting to work. The news isn't just a blow to fans; it leaves a gaping hole in the genre space that streaming studios still haven't figured out how to fill. For every House of the Dragon, there's a Willow, a Shadow and Bone, or The Sandman limping toward cancelation. Hollywood keeps looking for the next big franchise and keeps fumbling the handoff.
One saga has been waiting patiently to claim the throne. Red Rising by Pierce Brown is a sci-fi fantasy epic with Game of Thrones stakes and Star Wars scale. It has the story, the fanbase, and the emotional payoff to become the genre's next obsession. And it's almost criminal that it still hasn't been adapted.
Why Streaming Keeps Failing Fantasy
Big-budget fantasy shows have struggled to survive in the post-Game of Thrones era unless they're backed by massive IP. HBO has House of the Dragon and the upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and Amazon has The Rings of Power and Fallout.
Everyone else had bad luck. Shadow and Bone, Halo, The Shannara Chronicles—all promising starts of questionable quality that never made it to the finish line. These shows take time to find their footing, but studios rarely give them that luxury. Most are pulled just as they're starting to work. To be fair, it's no secret that these shows, like Fallout, take so long to make.
The part that's never changed? Audiences still want fantasy. You don't need to look any further than The Last of Us or Fallout, which turned brutal post-apocalyptic video games into some of the most-watched shows on television. While game adaptations are finally treated with nuance—Elden Ring is even getting the A24 treatment— book adaptations don't always receive the same respect.
Red Rising Has Always Been The Answer
Red Rising is the rare franchise that already has everything. It's a six-book saga with a seventh (Red God) on the way, split cleanly into two arcs. The original trilogy follows Darrow, a low-caste Helldiver who infiltrates a ruling class of genetically engineered elites after the state executes his wife. The first book is contained, brutal, and razor-focused. It's The Hunger Games with Roman politics and Ender's Game strategy, all set against a sci-fi backdrop on Mars.
But that's just the beginning. Each book expands the scope without losing momentum. Golden Son and Morning Star push Darrow to extreme lows, with betrayals, heartbreak, and sadistic villains. Very quickly after the first book, the series descends into dark, mature places.
The sequel trilogy jumps forward in time to deal with the fallout. The rebellion succeeded, but peace never came. Now, the next generation inherits the consequences, and the story becomes a sprawling, multi-POV space opera that balances politics, trauma, and legacy better than the entire Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Pierce Brown Writes Action Built for the Screen
On top of all that, Pierce Brown writes action sequences that are among the best ever put to paper. Whether it's soldiers hurtling from orbit in an Iron Rain or pulse-pounding space combat, the scale always feels massive.
But what makes it hit is the detail. His one-on-one duels are vicious, tactical, and emotionally exhausting. They're not just thrilling; they hurt. Brown has a gift for blocking action on the page with such precision and clarity that it already feels like you're watching it.
Why It Hasn't Happened Yet
Pierce Brown has tried to adapt Red Rising since the books first gained traction. It was originally in development as a film series, but those talks fizzled out. More recently, Brown confirmed in a Maude Garrett interview that the rights are now being explored for a television adaptation. Unsurprisingly, the expense of a "$200 million show" means the stars must perfectly align.
At this point, a live-action show is the right move. The series has grown too large and layered for a movie franchise's confines. The sequel books alone would be nearly impossible to squeeze into film-length scripts without losing the dark, mature themes.
So, cost and complexity. Red Rising is a full-scale sci-fi war with shifting POVs, massive political fallout, and a long list of characters that all matter. Pulling that off convincingly would take a long-term commitment, a studio willing to invest in years of production, and a creative team that actually understands how to adapt a series of this size without burning out or cutting corners.
But this is exactly the kind of challenge studios should be chasing because the appetite is already there. Dune, The Last of Us, and Fallout have proven that ambitious, character-driven genre stories can dominate.
What a Red Rising Adaptation Should Look Like
The blueprint is already there: Start with Red Rising as a tight, self-contained first season. The battle school arc is brutal and familiar enough to hook a general audience.
From there, Golden Son and Morning Star raise the stakes and scale into full rebellion, giving the first trilogy a clear three-season arc. Once you hit Iron Gold, the show could evolve into a multi-POV ensemble drama with a tone shift that mirrors the books.
Casting should go young and relatively unknown. This series needs actors who can age with the roles and grow with the story. As for format, streaming is the obvious route. The days of trying to cram a sci-fi epic into two-hour theatrical blocks are over. This deserves weekly anticipation, water cooler conversation, and time to breathe.
If Amazon hadn't just pulled the plug on Wheel of Time, it might've made sense there. But now? Paramount+ might be the sleeper pick. Say what you want about Halo or the modern Star Trek slate; those shows look incredible. Red Rising is an IP that needs to look expensive, and Paramount+ is quietly becoming the place to do that. Apple TV+ is no stranger to sci-fi, either.
Give Red Rising Its Moment
Wheel of Time deserved better. Like so many fantasy series before it, it finally figured out what it wanted to be, just in time to get canceled. Red Rising has the chance to avoid that fate. It's a story that starts strong and only gets better. The books are already written. The arcs are mapped. The fans are ready. All it needs is a studio willing to believe in it.
