Sony Nabs Film Rights to James Islington’s ‘Hierarchy’ Saga

Sony Pictures has landed the movie rights to James Islington’s hit Hierarchy fantasy series, setting up a potential new big-screen epic just as book two, The Strength of the Few, debuts at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list. The acquisition, reported by The Hollywood Reporter, comes at the height of the series’ momentum, fueled heavily by #BookTok and word of mouth.

No producer or director is attached yet, but Sony is developing the project as a series of films, with studio executives Peter Kang and Louie Provost overseeing.

A Roman-Style Empire, Magic, and a Viral Fantasy Hit

The Hierarchy books, beginning with 2023’s The Will of the Many, are set in a Roman Empire–inspired civilization powered by a magical energy known as the Will. The story follows Vis, a young man hiding a deadly secret as he infiltrates an all-powerful regime that literally feeds on the mental and physical energy of the masses, uncovering conspiracies that drag him into a rebellion against a world built on exploitation.

The series has exploded in popularity, with The Will of the Many becoming a #BookTok favorite and a breakout fantasy hit in late 2023. According to People, that social media buzz helped set the stage for the sequel, The Strength of the Few, which released on November 11, 2025 and quickly rose to the top of best-seller lists in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.

Islington, who first broke out with his epic Licanius Trilogy, has now sold more than 2.5 million books worldwide, with his work translated into 17 languages. The audiobook edition of The Strength of the Few also hit multiple No. 1 categories on Audible, underscoring the series’ broad appeal.

The books come from Simon & Schuster’s genre imprint Saga Press, and Islington’s route there was not a conventional one. The Licanius Trilogy began as a self-published project before Orbit picked it up, a path that has made him a reference point for authors trying the same thing.

What This Means for Fantasy Fans

For readers, the adaptation arrives at a crucial moment in the franchise. Fans closely track Islington’s progress on the third Hierarchy book, currently in draft according to an update on Reddit, and speculation is already swirling about how Sony might handle the series’ dense politics, layered magic system, and morally gray characters.

Epic fantasy adaptations are having a sustained moment, and Hierarchy brings a distinct flavor: Roman aesthetics, magic-driven power structures, and a narrative obsessed with loyalty, exploitation, and the cost of rebellion. With no creative team yet announced, it may be some time before cameras roll, but for now, book lovers can watch a burgeoning fantasy phenomenon claim its place on Hollywood’s slate while they wait for the next installment on the page.