With 'Harry Potter' winding down and 'Golden Compass' ramping up, we offer suggestions for the next fantasy or sci-fi epics on the big screen

By Don Kaye
Special to MSN Movies

Do you find yourself staring disconsolately at your "Lord of the Rings" special edition box set, wondering if you can find 12 hours to watch them all again? Getting twitchy because there are only two "Harry Potter" movies left? Panicking at the announcement that the third "Narnia" chapter has been pushed back from 2009 to 2010? Can't wait for "The Golden Compass" to begin?

If so, then it's likely you are addicted to the kind of massive epics based on published fantasy and sci-fi sagas that Hollywood has finally gotten around to making, after ignoring all those thick tomes sitting on bookshelves for years, or decades.

Starting in 2001, the one-two punch of the "Rings" trilogy and the "Harry Potter" franchise -- both billion-dollar bonanzas at the box office -- finally turned the studios' Great Eye toward other similar properties. Execs realized that three-, four- and seven-book series were the norm rather than the exception, providing a ready-made blueprint for years of tent-pole flicks. In the wake of "Rings" and "Potter," several more fantasy novels -- most of them the first chapters in ongoing stories -- have already come to the screen or are about to be served up.

"The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising," which hit screens in early October, is based on Susan Cooper's five-book series about a boy who is the last of a line of immortal warriors sworn to protect Earth. Curiously, the film is based on the second book in the cycle, not the first, and has already stirred controversy by straying heavily from the source material. Next up is New Line's expensive and ambitious attempt to recreate its "Rings" success: "The Golden Compass," based on the first volume in Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. A rich tale of multidimensional battle between good and evil, with the book's anti-organized religion subtext allegedly toned down for the screen, "Compass" is a tremendous financial risk for the studio despite the presence of stars like Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.

Looking further ahead, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" (another five-book series) hits theaters in February. "Inkheart" (three installments) arrives a month later, and the second "Narnia" film, "Prince Caspian," materializes in May. Yet while "Narnia" has enjoyed nearly the same success as "Potter" and "Rings," other recent adaptations -- "Eragon," "Stardust" and "Bridge to Terabithia" -- all pretty much stalled at the box office, which must make the studios wonder how many times the fairy dust will work.

But just in case they want to wave their magic wands and create even more saga-based films, we humbly offer up a selection of titles that we would love to see on the screen, with some of them already en route. Some are sci-fi and most have a more adult flavor, although people have been enjoying them almost since they could learn to read. Take a look:

"The Dark Tower"
The Scoop: This series of seven novels written by Stephen King over 35 years is his magnum opus, a fantasy/Western/sci-fi/horror hybrid that ties many of his other novels and stories together. It follows the adventures of Roland, the last gunslinger, as he makes his way through a parallel universe that is in danger of extinction -- and could take our world with it. His only hope? To reach the Dark Tower that stands at the center of all creation and set things to rights. Filmed versions of the "Dark Tower" books have been talked about for years, but "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams has reportedly kicked development into a higher gear, either as a TV miniseries or, more likely, a complete seven-film franchise.

Casting Call: If we could turn back the clock 40 years, the Clint Eastwood of his spaghetti Western years is the living embodiment of Roland (and in fact inspired King's character). Now? We just might hand the guns over to Viggo Mortensen.

"Foundation"
The Scoop: Widely considered the greatest science fiction saga of all time, Isaac Asimov's massive future history (he wrote seven main volumes, with other authors picking up the mantle after his death) predicts nothing less than the fall of a Galactic Empire and the rise of a new civilization in its place. Sound familiar? Unlike "Star Wars," however, "Foundation" is more concerned with blowing your mind than blowing up Imperial Star Destroyers. The intellectual nature of the books could make them a tough adaptation for action-happy audiences, but that doesn't mean 20th Century Fox isn't going to try: The first movie is reportedly in development for 2008, with screenwriter Jeff Vintar (who also adapted Asimov's "I, Robot").

Casting Call: Perhaps only Anthony Hopkins has the gravity to pull off the visionary genius of Foundation creator Hari Seldon.

"The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant"
The Scoop: Stephen R. Donaldson's "Covenant" books, of which there are eight (with two more on the way), are the inverses of "Lord of the Rings": Instead of a ring that would enslave the world, leper Thomas Covenant bears a white gold wedding band that is the salvation of an alternate realm known simply as the Land. The "Covenant" books are dark and character-driven, with Covenant struggling against the mother of all existential crises (does the Land really exist or is it a product of his crumbling mind?), but he would still make a fascinating cinematic anti-hero. Donaldson has also written a sci-fi saga called "The Gap Cycle" which might also make for a nifty franchise.

Casting Call: Ryan Gosling has the raw emotional edge to visualize Covenant's endless suffering of the soul.

"A Song of Fire and Ice"
The Scoop: This recent series (four books since 1996, with another three on the way) from author George R. R. Martin has been one of the best-selling fantasy sagas of the last 10 years. Inspired by civil wars fought over the throne of England in the Middle Ages, the series draws upon political intrigue and interpersonal drama more than monsters and wizards. The most recent entry was 2005's "A Feast of Crows," although the lengthy "A Dance of Dragons" is imminent. HBO has apparently bought the rights to the books, and turning them into an extended miniseries might just work out better for this particular story line.

Casting Call: We're not entirely familiar with all the characters here, but illegitimate hero Jon Snow might be a choice role for Johnny Depp.

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