15 Fantasy Worlds That Need To Come Alive On Screen
Some books are so packed with magic, monsters, and mind-blowing worlds that leaving them on the page feels like a crime. Imagine the floating cities of His Dark Materials, the dark intrigue of The Priory of the Orange Tree, or the storm-lashed continents of The Stormlight Archive, universes that demand to leap off the page.
Readers have been dreaming of seeing these adaptations for years, from the fiery dragons of A Song of Ice and Fire to the spellbinding halls of Harry Potter’s wizarding world. Dive into 15 fantasy worlds so vivid, so wild, you’ll wonder why nobody’s brought them to life yet, and start imagining the epic scenes that could redefine cinematic magic.
1. Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson
Ash rains from the sky. The sun glows red.
A ruthless immortal ruler has controlled the world for a thousand years. Welcome to Scadrial, the bone-chilling setting of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series.
The magic system here is unlike anything else: characters swallow metals to gain powers like super strength or the ability to push and pull on objects. How cool is that?
A screen adaptation could be visually stunning and emotionally gripping.
2. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
Imagine a planet where storms the size of continents slam into the land every few days. That is Roshar, the jaw-dropping world at the heart of The Stormlight Archive.
Creatures called spren drift through the air like living emotions, and warriors bond with them to gain incredible powers. The world-building here is so layered and detailed that fans have literally drawn maps of it.
Bringing Roshar to life on screen would be an absolute visual feast.
3. The First Law Universe by Joe Abercrombie
Forget shiny heroes and happy endings. Joe Abercrombie’s First Law universe is raw, gritty, and refreshingly honest about human nature.
Characters here are deeply flawed, politicians lie, warriors break, and wizards scheme for their own gain. Think of it as the fantasy world that refuses to sugarcoat anything.
Fans of morally complex storytelling would absolutely love seeing this adapted, especially after the massive success of shows like Game of Thrones.
4. The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
Every few hundred years, the world ends. That is not a metaphor in N.K.
Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy. It literally happens, over and over again.
Set on a supercontinent called the Stillness, this world is plagued by catastrophic seismic events called Seasons. People called orogenes can control the earth’s energy, but they are feared and oppressed for it.
The story tackles big themes like survival, identity, and injustice with brilliant creativity. Truly unmissable material for a screen adaptation.
5. Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Picture a flat world carried through space on the back of a giant turtle. Yes, really.
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld is one of the most brilliantly funny and satirical fantasy settings ever created.
With over 40 books, it skewers everything from politics to religion to Hollywood, all with a wink and a smirk. Some short adaptations have been made, but a full high-budget series covering the City Watch or the Witches storylines?
That would be legendary, just saying.
6. The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
Kvothe is basically the most interesting person who ever lived in any fantasy universe ever. He is a legendary musician, a feared magician, and somehow also a failed hero telling his own story from a quiet inn.
Patrick Rothfuss built a world called Temerant, full of naming magic, mysterious villains called the Chandrian, and a university where students literally study the science of magic. Fans have waited years for a proper adaptation.
The story is absolutely begging for the screen.
7. Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Long before Harry Potter packed his trunk for Hogwarts, Ged was learning magic at a school on the island of Roke in Earthsea. Ursula K.
Le Guin created this archipelago world back in 1968, and it still feels remarkably fresh.
Magic here is tied to the true names of things, which is a concept so elegant it gives you chills. A previous TV movie tried and stumbled badly.
Earthsea deserves a faithful, beautifully crafted adaptation that honors its depth and originality.
8. The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
If fantasy worlds had a heavyweight championship, Malazan would probably win by a landslide. Steven Erikson’s series spans thousands of years, multiple continents, and literally hundreds of named characters.
Gods walk among mortals, undead armies march across continents, and empires crumble in real time. Adapting this would be a massive challenge, but the payoff could be extraordinary.
Fans have called it the most ambitious fantasy series ever written, and honestly, that title feels earned.
9. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
What happens when you cross Ocean’s Eleven with a sprawling fantasy city built on ruins? You get Camorr, the gorgeous and dangerous setting of Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora.
Locke is a master thief and con artist who steals from the rich with breathtaking creativity. The city itself feels alive, layered with ancient secrets and criminal politics.
A film or series adaptation would have style, wit, and non-stop tension baked right in from page one.
10. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan spent over 20 years building one of the most detailed fantasy universes in history. The Wheel of Time spans 14 books and introduces a world where magic called the One Power shapes civilizations and destinies.
Amazon’s recent series gave it a shot, but many fans felt it only scratched the surface. The world is so enormous, with so many cultures, prophecies, and characters, that a truly faithful adaptation could run for a decade and never run out of story.
11. The Chronicles of the One by Nora Roberts
After a plague wipes out most of humanity, magic rises to fill the silence. Nora Roberts’ Chronicles of the One trilogy blends post-apocalyptic survival with witches, demons, and chosen heroes in a surprisingly emotional package.
The world feels grounded and real even while being completely fantastical, which is a rare trick to pull off. Strong female characters, found family themes, and epic magical battles make this series perfect for a prestige TV adaptation.
Fans of shows like The 100 would be obsessed.
12. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Inspired by the history of 20th-century China, R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War drops readers into a brutal military fantasy world where a scrappy orphan girl rises from poverty to become a terrifying war goddess.
The magic system draws on shamanism, and the story pulls no punches about the horrors of war. Where most fantasy softens the edges, this series sharpens them.
A screen adaptation would need courage and vision, but the result could be one of the most powerful fantasy stories ever told.
13. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Arriving without warning and vanishing before dawn, Le Cirque des Reves is a circus like nothing the world has ever seen. Black and white striped tents, enchanted attractions, and a mysterious magical competition happening behind the scenes make Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus one of the most visually stunning fantasy settings ever created.
The atmosphere is pure magic. A film adaptation could be breathtakingly beautiful if given the right creative team.
Think of it as a gothic fairy tale wrapped in velvet and stardust.
14. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman’s trilogy already got a BBC and HBO series, and fans are still hungry for more. The world of His Dark Materials is genuinely mind-expanding, featuring parallel universes, armored polar bears, and soul companions called daemons that walk beside every human.
The ideas packed into these books, about free will, religion, and growing up, are huge. The BBC series did a solid job, but the books contain so much more.
A theatrical film trilogy could take things to an entirely new level of wonder.
15. The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings begins with a boy named Fitz, a royal bastard trained as an assassin, who bonds with a wolf and discovers rare mind-linking magic called the Wit. The emotional depth of this series is almost unfair.
Characters feel so real you might forget they are fictional. Dragons, sea serpents, and ancient civilizations add layers of wonder to an already gorgeous world.
Adapted faithfully, this could rival anything fantasy television has ever produced. Share this with a fellow book lover today!
