The status of a screen adaptation for Anne McCaffrey's beloved The Dragonriders of Pern series is a classic case of Hollywood development hell, marked by decades of near-misses across both film and television.Current Status
As of right now, the project remains dormant in development, with no active filming, casting, or production updates.
Recent Development History
The Warner Bros. Option (2014): Warner Bros. and the McCaffrey estate entered an agreement where the studio optioned the entire book series with the intention of launching a major multi-film franchise (viewed at the time as a potential successor to properties like The Hobbit and Harry Potter).
Screenwriter Attached (Late 2014): Screenwriter Sarah Cornwell was hired to adapt Dragonflight (the first novel in the series) into a feature screenplay, and Todd McCaffrey confirmed active development in his author newsletters. However, the project stalled out in the script stage, and no further public progress or greenlights have been announced since.
Past Attempts & Near-Misses
Getting Pern to the screen has famously eluded studios since the late 1990s:
The 1990s/2000s TV/Film Shifts: The rights bounced through several production houses (including Zyntopo Teoranta and Alliance Atlantis).
The Ronald D. Moore TV Pilot (Early 2000s): Battlestar Galactica showrunner Ronald D. Moore famously developed a high-concept television pilot for WB and New Regency. Sets were being built and locations scouted in New Mexico before creative differences caused the studio to completely alter the script behind his back, leading Moore to walk away and kill the project.
The David Hayter Adaptation (2011): Screenwriter David Hayter (X-Men, Watchmen) was previously hired by Copperheart Entertainment to write a film adaptation of Dragonflight before those rights lapsed or shifted to Warner Bros.
