Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ Series to Be Adapted by Endeavor Content, Motive Pictures

By Manori Ravindran

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Terry Pratchett’s comic fantasy series “Discworld” is coming to screen.

Narrativia, the production company launched by Pratchett in 2012, has struck an exclusive development deal with Motive Pictures and Endeavor Content for a series of TV adaptations. It is not yet known which of the “Discworld” books will be adapted initially.

The “Discworld” series of novels has sold more than 100 million copies globally, and the adaptations are to remain “absolutely faithful” to Pratchett’s original works.

The deal was struck by Rob Wilkins of Narrativia and Simon Maxwell of Motive Pictures, with Endeavor Content. Executive producers for Motive Pictures will be Maxwell and Sam Lavender, while Endeavor Content is handling worldwide sales.

Pratchett died in 2015, having completed more than 40 “Discworld” novels. The series’ final book was completed in the summer of 2014. Pratchett once said of the series, “The nature of ‘Discworld’ gave me the opportunity to do all kinds of things,” he said. “I could fit more or less anything into it. By about book four, I discovered the joy of plot.”

Popular books in the series include “Mort,” “Going Postal,” “The Color of Magic,” “Small Gods,” “Guards! Guards!” and “Wyrd Sisters.”

Most recently, “The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents,” from the “Discworld” series, was adapted into an animated feature entitled “The Amazing Maurice.” In 2019, Pratchett’s book “Good Omens,” written with Neil Gaiman, was made into a six-part series for BBC Two and Amazon Prime Video.

Rhianna Pratchett, co-director of Narrativia and Pratchett’s daughter, said: “Discworld teems with unique characters, witty narrative and incredible literary tropes, and we feel these should be realised on screen in a form that my father would be proud of. It’s wonderful to embark on this journey with Motive and Endeavor Content, who both perfectly share our vision to make this a reality.”

Rob Wilkins, managing director of Narrativia, added: “The Discworld books are a huge source of joy to millions of readers, and rightly so; every paragraph, phrase and footnote was crafted with brilliance and flair and we are committed to bringing Terry’s world to the screen with the respect and care it deserves. With this partnership, we are delighted to say that Discworld has finally found its home.”

Simon Maxwell, CEO of Motive Pictures, said: “Discworld is a national treasure and we are thrilled to be forging this new partnership with Narrativia and Endeavor Content. Together we will produce shows that will be loved by millions of Discworld fans worldwide, whilst also opening up Sir Terry Pratchett’s epic creations and legacy to new audiences. We launched Motive to make high quality British shows with global scale and impact and I can think of nothing that exemplifies that ambition more than this hugely exciting partnership.”