Amid the rush and the whirl of new genre projects hatching daily from the Dream Factory, IM Global Television has partnered with Elizabeth Dushku's Boston Diva Productions and David Goyer's Phantom Four to adapt Glen Cook's celebrated series of fantasy books, The Black Company, for an upcoming Lord of the Rings-like TV show.

The epic 10-book saga follows the adventures of a notorious band of ruthless mercenaries as they traverse a castled kingdom of elves, wizards, demons and shape-shifters. Dushku and Goyer's option deal includes the upcoming release of an 11th title, Port of Shadows, being published by Tor Books in 2018. Cook's imaginative, influential novels have sold millions of copies since they were first introduced in 1984.

“Glen Cook’s books turn the traditional fantasy adventure tropes on their ear with wry, dimensional characters and a modern sensibility," said IM Global Television President Mark Stern. "We’re excited to explore this intricate and exciting world for television with David and Kevin along with Eliza, Nate, Ami and Sam.”

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Goyer's name is a familiar one in geek circles as the screenwriter of the Blade trilogy, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, Zack Snyder's Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, as well as the creator and executive producer of the Starz series DaVinci's Demons.

Dushku, the star of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has eyed this enticing property for years and is expected to play the villainous role of the dark sorceress, The Lady, who lords over the Northern Empire inflicting her own brand of brutal justice.

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“’The Black Company’ is vast in scope yet remains fundamentally relevant through the morally ambiguous choices it presents at every turn," added Dushku. "We are excited to bring Glen Cook’s classic story to life with Mark and David, luminaries in the cinematic pursuit of science fiction and epic fantasy, who will inevitably assemble poignant characters embroiled in jaw-dropping action.”

No further casting news has been announced, but we'll keep you posted when this roving band of dark rogues moves into production.

(Via Coming Soon)