According to the Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures' and Chris and Paul Weitz's Depth of Field production company has optioned Michael Moorcock's epic series of fantasy novels, The Elric Saga.  Although the eleven Elric novels are considered one of the great achievements of contemporary fantasy literature, Michael Moorcock has resisted all previous efforts to put them on screen.  This time, however, Moorcock will function as a producer and will have at least some input and oversight on how his series of 11 novels, which he conceived back in the 1960s, will end up on screen.

Obviously the success of Lord of the Rings is behind both the studio's interest in Elric and Moorcock's appreciation of the fact that given the right talent and resources behind the camera it is possible to do justice to fantasy novels on screen.  The Weitz Brothers, creators of American Pie, might seem to be a strange choice for the Elric project, but their respectful adaptation of Nick Hornsby's About A Boy indicates that they are capable of creating a sensitive version of a serious work.