SDCC Panel Video: THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES

The San Diego Comic-Con panel for The Shannara Chronicles just finished!

Here is the video presentation that was shown to the room! It is the first of several such videos/trailers that will be released in the forthcoming months until the shows release!

The Shannara Chronicles will air January 2016!

Prepare to return to the Four Lands…

Shawn Speakman

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98 responses to “SDCC Panel Video: THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES”

  1. Holy cow, goosebumps and chills. There is nothing like seeing the images you have had in your head for so many years be displayed on the screen in front of you. I was already excited before, and I am even more excited now. (Now I just needed to get access to MTV by January!)

    And I loved the fallen Space Needle, being from Seattle myself 🙂

  2. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!!

    Goosebumps from the start!

    Is that the Hall of Kings I saw in there Shawn? Oh wait, no spoilers… Darn it!

    Here’s me eating crow!

  4. Oh Lord, this isn’t soon enough. Excellent scenes, although the was quick interchange between them , and I couldn’t pretty understand all the time what exactly it was that I was seeing. And the music, tell me this will be the show’s music PLEASE!

  6. Wow wow WOW! I soooo cannot wait to see this, I’ve got chills! This looks fantastic Terry!

  7. WOW!!!! awesome short little tease!!! did i see historical landmarks like the space needle if so very cool!!!from this short little video it looks like its awesome,awesome,awesome, cant wait till january 2016 give me more!!!!!

  8. The Ellcrys looks damn majestic and big! There is a strange scene at 2:30 of the trailer where the guy on right appears to be Dadga Mor, but can’t tell who the girl is. At first glance I thought it could be the scene where Amberle transforms, but on freeze frame maybe it is the Changeling (wow what a plot twist making that character female) coming thru the Forbidding to join him?

  10. Wow! Cannot wait for this to start! The Wishsong of Shannara, instantly hooked and then read all the earlier novels, was one of the very first novels in this genre that I read and to see it coming to TV in this fashion is so incredible! The epic scope and awesomeness of the Shannara world has always been, and will always be, my root to the Epic Fantasy genre!
    Thank you Terry Brooks and MTV for making this happen!!!

  11. Absolutely LOVE it and can’t wait to see it! As most everyone else here I’ve waited over 30 years to see this come to fruition. But with that said I guess I’ll be the first to play devil’s advocate…….am I the only one to notice the couple of similarities with LotR? The tiered city (I’m assuming possibly Arborlon) that looks very much like Minas Tirith…and the creature that looks exactly like an orc? Again, I’m very excited and happy that this is coming, but as this is probably my favorite series of all time, and after Sword took a beating when it first came out in it’s comparisons to LotR, I’m hoping that this doesn’t happen again.

  12. Wow! … That’s about all I can say right now. That looks absolutely fantastic. Far exceeding what I expected from what I just saw. The destroyed elements of our world, like the Space Needle, was a great idea and …. wow. Nice job guys. Everything looked great! Only part that made me say huh? was Allanon’s hair… but that’s nitpicking!

  13. I must say this looks incredible and I cannot wait to watch. I must say that I saw scenes that reminded me of events from the book, which is great considering it has been a few years since I have read Elfstones. The only thing I must complain about is this should be a movie series plain and simple but enough with that. Absolutely looking forward to this

  14. Hmmmmmmmm…… I will not voice my opinion for fear of being crucified. I will wait for it to come out.

    • Nah you won’t get that, you’ll just get Shawn’s blood pressure up even higher to make him pop a vessel.

      🙂

      I’ve made my fair share of questioning comments of late. I’m going to wait until I see the show to pass full judgement, but from what I saw today has completely changed my fears. It’s just a snippet, but still, WOW. Come on Big O, let’s give this a real shot here! Plenty of room on the bandwagon… Our Faithful, slightly stressed right now by us, Webdruid is the driver.

      • I’m not hating Pete. It “looks” good. My concern are all the “necessary changes” we keep hearing about. I (we) have been burned so many times by terrible adaptations. Like I said, I’ll wait and see.

        • Never said you were hating. Just a fan like the rest, giving Shawn a mild case of heartburn and a few ulcers.

          I agree with you on the adaptions. Sometimes we get the good, bad or the we get the ugly. Let’s just wait and see! And lower Shawn’s blood pressure in the process.

          • well pete just like shawn said in naything that goes from book to tv or big screen there are going to be changes,we as fans just have to have faith and know terry was involved form the beginning on this and he signed off on all changes and things that were ommotted from the book,I have a strange feeling that we wont see flick in this standing on the porch when allanon rides up to storlock wounded from his attack by thr demons at paranor. just wait and see looks awesome

          • Thanks, Pete, for understanding. As I’ve been saying all along, the right people are behind the creative aspect of this TV series. It’s going to be amazing. Wait until you get the real trailer. 🙂

        • As I’ve related in the past and shown with examples, changes are necessary to adapt from a book medium to a TV medium. I’m sure you will watch episode one and, based on that, you will decide whether to watch the rest or not. 🙂

          • Of course I’ll watch the rest. I’m giving this show my all! I still watch shows I really don’t like, but I’ve invested several seasons into it I just need to see it through. I’m certain this is NOT going to be the case. There is no way Terry would let the show get away from its core meaning regardless to adapt to a different medium.

            I am in this for the long haul. But I have faith. It will be alright, no…. It will be awesome!

    • I am with Big O, I think.

      Although the teaser looks sound but it’s not the Shannara (Elfstones) I read at all, this looks like a Sci-fi or Final Fastasy movie. If I watched the teaser and it didn’t say Shannara on the title, I would think it was some type of stupid Sci-fi show.

      Look we all know Sword was 90% of the story of LOTRs, but it was a better book, IMO, with more adult themes. Elfstones is my favorite fantasy book of all-time, but this is some type of strange attempt to cover its true roots… which is a fantasy world born from middle earth but altered.

      – Looks like a fairly high production value
      – Looks like a sci-fi show
      – Looks nothing like the fantasy world of Shannara
      – Looks like an attempt to bury the truth that Shannara was born of middle earth
      – Looks like I will be disappointed

      I love Elfstones, this ain’t it.

      • Ummmm hello,teery has always said the shan nara world was not born out of middle earth but was our world destroyed by the great wars and then made into the four lands as we know it.and the teaser trailer does not look Sci fI to me as far as the four lands looking made up,how did you expet them too look.just give it a chance and let’s find out together

        • Well, I read the first three books before I read TLOTRs and Hobbit. Anyone that says Sword was not a directly taken from TLOTR hasn’t read either, what Terry says makes no difference there. I thought the dark world of Shannara was much better, the writing is much better, the first three books are great.

          “how did you expet them too look”

          Like everything was described in the book and art, this looks like Final Fastasy or a Sci-Fi’ish… very strange but not strange, if one is trying to cover ones tracks i.e. looking like TLOTRs. I don’t think it looks bad, it just doesn’t look like Elfstones to me…. the whole Allanon as a normal looking guy kind of ruins the whole thing as well. Just from the 3 minute clip there is way too much CGI or CGI scenes, and most of them look sci-fi movie, look I wish it didn’t but it does.

          I would rather they didn’t hide the roots, I actually do like one part… the big valley with the oil tanker covered in vegetation. If I had not read the books, I would probably think it looks decent for a TV made show.

  16. AWESOME ! It’s so good ! I am shaking, thanks terry, thanks mtv ! Hope the story is as good as the landscapes and the effects !

  17. I was speechless watching that teaser, Congrats to Terry for finally getting on film, I hope they do the book(s) justice.

  18. Oh my god, this looks fantastic! I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. January can’t get here soon enough.

  19. This. Looks. Amazing. So amazing that I’m not even going to complain about the far out release date. Now to watch many more times. Good job to everyone involved. The trailer was well worth the wait.

  24. MTV hit a homerun. Gough, Millar, Favreau – congrats! Series is in good hands…At the end, the CGI will only be half fulfilling if the acting or dialogue does not complement it. I will give the cast all the benefit right now. I think it will be awesome. I am more excited for this than SW Episode 7….

  25. Just seeing Wil with the Elfstones even for a brief second is a dream come true for me.

    This trailer is awesome. I was blown away. The demons looked fantastic. Eventine looked amazing (I think JRD exceeded my expectations). The Ellcrys was beautiful. I could go on…

    There were a few things that confused me a bit but I will save that for the forums.

    Cant wait! For the first time in 20 years.. I WANT MY MTV!!!!

  26. how do you pronounce it. I always said Shann-ara but they are saying sh-nar-a. Anyway, looks like it will be AWESOME. What a way to help the winter blues!

    • It’s usually one of the two. I always said it your way, too, while my buddy has always said it the way the producers say it. Incidentally, whenever I’ve heard Terry at signings, he says it your (our?) way (SHAN-ara, with the first A like in Apple and not Awesome). But, he always says in response to the question, “Whatever works for you, it’s yours.” Which is cool, that he’s not terribly hung up on it. (Watch the Behind the Scenes of SW: The Phantom Menace and watch George Lucas constantly correct Jake Lloyd for a different way to handle it.)

  27. OMG So very excited! Cannot wait until season starts. It looks like it will be a fantastic show. The trailer gave me goosebumps. Great job Everyone

  29. We know the storyline is sound. Now we know the setting, sets, CGI, and costumes are sound. If the acting and directing is on a par with the rest, this show could be at least as successful as GOT. Looks GREAT.

  30. Holy cow this looks AMAZING! I am nearly in tears and have goosebumps! I cannot say enough how absolutely spectacular this looks, and I am so beyond excited!! By the way, I loved the fallen Space Needle! 😀 I will be getting MTV just for this!!

  31. Well this makes me swim in the pools of midnight.

    It looks good and definitely a must-watch.

    Some parts, as fans I would assume, are hard to understand? The glowing orange marks on Allanon’s? neck?

    The female demon? Possibly changeling?

    All these questions, that…I dont want answered. I prefer to wait and watch and find out for myself.:)

    Looks good.

  32. I am so excited about this stunning series! What a thrill it will be to witness this remarkable three book trilogy unfold for one hour each week during the season. I hope with all my heart that MTV continues the show into the other nine sets of this on going history in Shannara. Thirty books could make for an amazing ten year run with constant cast fluctuations as time ebbs & flows moving forward & backward in time in this fantasy world. To witness the locations I have only ever seen in my minds eye growing-up on this book series will be absolutely amazing. January 2016 can’t come fast enough.!

  33. Can’t wait! Loved this series when it first came out and the magic within with the writing and the Hildebrant artwork. Excellent visual presentation on the teaser though. And good to see you representing New Zealand with the T-shirt, Terry!

  34. well it does look awesome but two things i hope are in there

    1-i really,really,hope allanon comes to will in storlock just like in the book

    2-i hope flick makes a cameo

    3-i hope they included the scene when allanon goes back to paranor to find the location of the blood fire and gets attacked by the demons!!!

    other than that it looks AWESOME!!!!!!

    • I think we see part of Paranor in the trailer, there’s a part where someone is reading some magical books, they must be the histories.

      Has the new cover come out in stores yet, or is it just for comic con?

  36. Been a huge fan of the Shannara books by Terry Brooks for a very very long time. While seeing other fantasy authors put their books onto the screen in big movie blockbuster. I’ve been wondering if Terry will get his turn to show the audience his version of a fantasy world. A big move to put his creation on television. I believe this will be a good move for the Shannara chronicles. The trailer looks totally awesome and will get the fans and viewers on the edges of their seats. Hope it works out. I know I’ll be watching 😀

  37. Holy freakin…..just wow wow wow……I can not wait for this!!!!!! That trailer makes this look completely epic!! I have been hoping they would make these books into a show for a long time. With the worry that if they did, it would be ruined like so many before. But this…..this looks amazing!!! I am SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  38. Wow. This is way better than I ever imagined. The sets look fantastic, the chararacters… Amberle looks EXACTLY like I imagined her. THE BLEEPING SWORD. Everything. Wow.

    My fears feel like they’re almost gone. I’m hoping that the actual music of the show is a little more meaty than what we got in the trailer, and I still need to see lines carried out, but wow.

    I am VERY excited for January.

  39. There you go! Now we the fans have got something we can show to people who don’t know what shannara is with pride. That trailer will win over lots and make us forget the bad D&D picture you posted the other day.
    I do notice changes but nothing bad and was to be expected. Anyone expecting a true adaption should find something else to watch in January cuz you’re only going to be upset.

  40. What! January! You’ve got to be kidding me! This show can’t come soon enough and this trailer shows that we’re in for a wild ride. The world looks beautiful, the actions scenes are just epic and above all, it’s apparent that everyone who was a part of this project put a lot have completely put their hearts into the project. So look out HBO, you’re about be dethroned (get it,) as the single holder of an epic fantasy small screen!

  41. Like any reader of the Shannara books I was really excited about this but also also a little worried that it might end up tacky looking.
    So pleased at the moment as it looks absolutely EPIC!
    It might be out around my next birthday but that’s just not soon enough

  42. Terry Brooks, Mr. Speakman, MTV team & actors,

    OMG…I was thinking I needed to make it to Xmas…and now I discover I need to live till Jan. 2016. I hope I can find it through to make it. Won’t make it like as you did. Maybe…one never knows for sure. Won’t be sad if you tell Terry that even though I’m always so almost silent, and embarrassed in front of him, his life has made a wonderful thing in my life…and is awesomely still going!!!

    Cheers,
    Travis

    • I agree, Shannon. It looks to me like everyone involved is putting their best foot forward and doing justice to Shannara like it deserves. I never get tired of watching the trailer. The visuals are very impressive and I think it’s going to be really great. I can’t wait for January to come around! Finally something worth watching on TV!

  44. so proud of every 1 especially you terry 4 being so strong i live in nz perfect location.so so proud

  47. anyone else travel back in time to when you first read ElfStones , like i did watching the teaser??

    Yes?
    No?? lol

    Looks Flippn Fantastic

    and i was 14 again for the smallest of moments 🙂

  48. Such a huge following, so many stories to tell…

    Why TV? When I read these books, I go deep, living in the four lands and not coming out for days. If it is on TV the commercials every two minutes will destroy that.

    That said, I will take what I can get and watch every second.

    This deserves a full on theater IMAX experience.

  49. This teaser is definitely designed for Shannara fans.. the demons, the Ellcrys, the music! Everything loyal readers have imagined for years now being turned into a visual experience. Going by the positive resonance read here, it is going to be a big success!! Let’s all support this effort and hope for more seasons to come.

  50. Yup. Definitely putting their time into this, so differing inner visions of the series aside, looks like its going to be an edge of your seat tv show. Thanks for the tease!

  51. I started reading shannara when I was in 4th grade, have reread the series twice and every other book terry has wrote, I am super excited for this show and am glad it is finally getting adapted. That being said I waited for the first trailer to come out to pass some judgment and I am probably going to piss off shawn saying this but I am really disappointed with all the changes they are making and YES SHAWN I KNOW SOME CHANGES ARE NECCESSARY MEDIUM TO MEDIUM but I don’t remember reading about the ruined space needle or and giant cargo ships laying around in the four lands, they are probably trying to show a link to the old world before the great war but it doesn’t belong, I also didn’t see the reaper in the trailer, it might still be in the show but if they cut out the reaper which is one of the most captivating demons in any of his books I will be severally disappointed, and it seems they made the ultra bad demon sorcerer the Dagda Mor look like an orc from LOTR not helping with the similarities between the two worlds, they already cut out stee jans are they going to cut out the battle for arborlon too? My last gripe is that allanon is one of the most important characters in shannara and to see him played by manu Bennett I mean come on that’s the one character they should have spent the money on to get a good actor THAT EVEN CLOSELY RESEMBLES A MENACING 7′ GAINT OF A MAN Having vented my frustrations I will go on to say I hope I am wrong and the show turns out amazing, I really hope they go on to adapt the wishsong as it is my very favorite of all terry’s books. Looking forward to January!

    • 1. The links to the Old World begin in SWORD with the skyscrapers. Showing other similar things is not a big deal.

      2. The Dagda Mor is an ugly, nasty creature. If it looks like an Orc, that’s because they too are ugly nasty creatures.

      3. There is no 7 foot actor in Hollywood that looks like Allanon who has even an iota of acting ability. You don’t know Hollywood if you think that actor exists.

      4. If these little things are going to ruin the show for you, better not watch then. No reason for you to be angry and frustrated all of the time. I’m sure Terry understands.

      • I am going to watch the show and expect I will thoroughly enjoy it I was just ex

        • Enjoy it I was just expressing my concerns for how people who have not read the books will react, I am hoping the best for the show

    • If I was the producers, I would not have shown the Reaper in the trailer but I think if you watch at the 2:12-2:13 mark in the trailer there is a quick flash of a hooded being that could be the Reaper in its ashen grey hood/cowl.

    • The Reaper is there. maybe a twentieth of a second but it is. I didn’t see the witches either but we know they’ve been cast.

  52. I’m smashing the replay and pause buttons so hard. Good job Terry, now I can’t wait for the serie. What am I going to do for the next 6 months?

  53. Interesting music, but without dialog…I’m left in the dark. Really hope that Shannara Chronicles has audio description for all the blind FANS someday. Thanks!

  54. Everything looks great but where is Stee Jans in the cast list?…. Hopefully IMDb doesn’t have the complete cast list.

    • Stee Jans is not in the show, unfortunately. When it comes to his storyline and the role he plays, it can easily be exchanged for Ander. You’ll have to watch to see if the show pulls off the ending or not. 🙂

  55. OK so I was worried and I mean worried, after Eragon and Legend of the Seaker I thought this could be a disaster. Then after announcing the adaptations I will admit I believed it was going to be bad. I have read this book so many times my cover fell off, yes the bound one. That said after seeing the comacon 2015 trailer many off my fears have been aswaged. Seeing the Space Needle and the remnece of our world firmly places this in the future as intended. Seeing that they actually spend money on cgi instead of cheep green screen tricks is a releaf. Cinematography is amazing all that remains is acting ability and how intact the story remains but if what I have seen holds true It will be a 10 hours that beats some of the best movie franchises we have seen in recent years.

  56. Can’t wait for the show ,when is next trailer out?? I just imagined Alannon to be tall with a big long beard after seeing the art work in wishsong ,just wanted to know why appearance was changed so much and can’t wait to see the reaper for the first time ,excited!!!

    • I agree I had pictured allanon much differently especially with the illustrations in Sword Elfstones and Wishsong apperantly a short allanon with short hair no beard and glowing runes on his neck is how the producers think he should look, a disappointment for me as allanon has always been one of my favorite characters.

      • The illustrations of Allanon in Elfstones are wrong compared to the text, BTW. 🙂 Keep that in mind too when forming your picturing of the character. He isn’t an old man. He has jet black hair, no gray, which denotes a man who appears to be in his early 30’s. The hair choice — a hard thing to quibble over, really. The height — doesn’t matter. It’s the presence that Manu Bennett brings that matters. And he has it in spades when in character.

        • And Manu Bennet is a PRESENCE of a man! Just ask all the dead gladiators that faced the Mighty Crixus of House Batiatus!!!

          Now only if we could get Dustin Clair as Garret Jax!

          • He doesn’t look like Allanon at all, anyone that has read the books knows this…. his presence on the teaser and you would think he was just another dude in the book…. he’s not… he’s Allanon.

          • They say not to gripe about the small things but you would think that the small things would be the easiest to get right, what scares me is I think in that publicity still of will and the ladies I think the tall girl with the broadsword is amberle, what’s up with that?? To say nothing of the still not explained glowing runes on allanons neck, I will miss the dwarfs trolls and stee jans, but it’s the sacrifices we are making to see our beloved world on the small screen, I hope it’s worth it

          • Who says dwarves and trolls aren’t in the TV series? All I’ve said is Stee Jans is not the series.

            The reason Stee Jans is not in the show will be apparent when you watch it. As for Allanon, no one can take creative license with the Druid? Terry believes strongly that this is an adaptation and not a paint-by-the-numbers retelling. For the love of all that his holy, stop trying to say “If they can’t get the little things right means the show will suck.”

          • Also, for Amberle not to carry a weapon on such a dangerous and important mission would be foolhardy and irresponsible. Plus, she’s an Elessedil, so of course she has been trained how to use it from an early age.

  57. Shane there is no Stee Jans in the cast,it is to give Ander a more significant role in the battles,I’m gutted too but we have to trust in Terry,but i don’t know wether Ammatar the Rock Troll isn’t in there too!!!

      • The Rock Troll parts were great and Jans parts were very interesting as well, unfortunately I can’t say I am excited for this… maybe if I had not read the original Shannara novels.

          • ” No reason for you to be upset.”

            I probably won’t, not sure I am “upset”, maybe disappointed. Don’t be upset by my comments.

            30+ year old fan of Elfstones, this ain’t it…. I can’t say it looks bad for a TV show though.

          • You don’t even know if it is it or not it yet. Wait until the show please. If at that time you don’t like it, fair enough. But trying to figure out if this is “it” or not is ludicrous at this stage.

        • All we can do is watch and hope it is faithful to the books, hope for the best, shannara with changes is better than no shannara, at least I hope it will prove thus

  58. I have watched and re-watched the trailer about 24 times. I think it looks amazing, and Terry seems so excited about the direction they are taking. I hope the fans of the books rally behind the show and encourage those watching the Shannara Chronicles to read the actual books. The show is going to allow a new generation of people to discover Terry’s work. Long live Shannara! I can’t wait to watch it.