Though it has been in the works for years, there is at last solid news on what's happening with the TV series based on Robert Jordan's bestselling fantasy series Wheel of Time. Now Variety is reporting that Sony has bought the rights and hired Rafe Judkins (Agents of Shield, Hemlock Grove, Chuck) to write and executive produce it.

Jordan's 14-book epic first hit bookstores in 1990 and has become one of the biggest selling series of all time, by some counts even outselling George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. It's a classic tale of good and evil, full of a mixture of mythologies from Western and Eastern lore. And, of course, there is a mystical dragon-related quest. But that just scratches the surface of these intricate novels, famous for their deep worldbuilding and dramatic turns. The last book in the series was published after Jordan died, and it was written from Jordan's notes by bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Further Reading Wheel of Time TV pilot producers sue Robert Jordan’s widow for defamation

The TV series has had a very weird history, with a seemingly unauthorized pilot airing early one morning at 1:30am in 2015 on FXX, starring Max Ryan and Billy Zane. There was no publicity about the airing, and it was apparently a surprise to Jordan's widow and editor Harriet McDougal. In a statement , she wrote that she was "dumbfounded" and had no idea a pilot was being made. Now, she says, the rights issues have been worked out, and the new deal with Sony is the real thing.

Given that there are likely no scripts for the series written yet, nor a greenlight on them, I wouldn't bet on this series filming for at least a year—if at all. For now, don't get your hopes up too much! But of course, hope springs eternal, and the dragon may yet be reborn.