Terry Brooks, author of the SHANNARA series, sold the rights to all of the novels in that series to Warner Brothers, who only have them until 2010.

It seems they’ve finally decided to do something with them, however.  Mike Newell, director of HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, has been signed on to helm the first movie.  While SWORD OF SHANNARA is actually the first book in the series, Warners and Terry Brooks have decided to go with ELFSTONES OF SHANNARA as the first to be filmed, feeling it’s a better place to introduce the characters and storyline.  (There are 20 books in the series so far – more than twice as many as Harry Potter, so they’ll have plenty to work from…!)

According to the Internet Movie Database, the film has a projected date of 2009, but no official cast list or writer has been announced.

If all goes well, THE SWORD OF SHANNARA would then be the next one, hopefully coming out no later than 2010.