Prime Video Orders New Female-Led Fantasy Series Based on Popular Novels

Prime Video is adding another fantasy television series to its upcoming lineup. A female-led series based on the Rise of the Empress book series is in the works.

Deadline broke the news that Prime Video had greenlit an adaptation of Julie C. Dao’s book series, which will join the streamer’s other fantasy shows including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Wheel of Time. Crystal Liu and James Wong (American Horror Story) are set to be writers, executive producers and co-showrunners. Gemma Chan (The Creator) will executive produce the series. Two companies will produce Rise of the Empress: Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions (The Woman King) and Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions.

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The eight-episode series is set to film in Malaysia and is described as a “dark and mystical East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend.” The plot involves an ancient Asian Empire on the verge of destruction whose only hope is a marriage between the handsome heir to the throne and a princess from one of the feuding kingdoms. When competition to win the prince’s hand intensifies, chaos ensues as a peasant girl named Xifeng is thrown into the conflict by a vengeful sorceress. “In this fairytale of love and power, will Xifeng be able to save not only herself…but the whole Empire?”

“This story, led by an incredible female heroine, is an inspiring tale of strength and resilience,” said Nick Pepper, the head of Amazon MGM Studios’ wholly owned U.S. SVOD TV development and series. “Crystal, alongside the teams at JuVee and Significant, and Gemma, have done an amazing job capturing the magic created by Julie and we are thrilled to welcome James to help bring this brilliant project to life in a way that will resonate with our global Prime Video customers.”

Rise of the Empress Showrunners Discuss Adapting Dao’s Novels

In the series announcement, Rise of the Empress‘s showrunners discussed bringing the novels to screen. “I’m honored and so excited for this opportunity to bring Julie C. Dao’s extraordinary books to the screen — a sumptuous, spellbinding tale of intrigue, with a subversive heroine for the ages. […] And I couldn’t ask for a more perfect partner than Amazon to build this epic, daring new world fueled by the wondrous, twisted things we do for love.”

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JuVee Productions leads added, “Julie C. Dao’s book series not only builds a fantastical world of opulence and mystery out of Asian history but centers a character that in her defiance to be what she is expected to be, finds the strength that may give her the power to change the world.”

The Rise of the Empress book series includes 2017’s Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, 2018’s Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix and 2019’s Song of the Crimson Flower.

Source: Deadline