Colin Callender's production company Playground has acquired the rights to Alan Moore's The Great When "in a competitive bidding situation," Deadline reported, noting that the book is the first in Moore's planned five-volume Long London series of epic fantasy novels that Playground plans to "adapt into a tentpole, multi-season event series."
"For the first time in my career, I'm genuinely excited and enthusiastic about a work of mine... one that I own, and believe could work marvelously in a different medium... being adapted for the screen," Moore said, adding: "In Playground, I feel that I've connected with people who respect both me and the narrative and are receptive to such input as I can offer. And, given Playground's track record, I have little doubt that this will be anything short of spectacular. It's taken me some time, but I think at last I'm ready for my closeup."
David Stern, joint managing director of Playground, commented: "Alan Moore's The Great When is an extraordinary work of imagination, combining elements of history, fantasy, and mystery to create a world that is both epic and intimate, strange yet deeply human. This project represents the type of storytelling we at Playground are passionate about, and we couldn't be more thrilled to be working with Alan, one of the most influential writers of our time, to bring this remarkable work to television."