News release: 24 December, 2025
Writer-director James Morcan, who celebrated his directorial debut this month with the streaming release of his mystery-drama movie ‘Anno 2020’, announced today he is putting his father’s recently published historical adventure ‘New Zealand: A Novel’ into early development as a television drama series.
The novel soon to be adapted to a TV drama series.
New Zealand-born, Sydney-based James said he and Lance (Morcan Snr.) have already begun adapting the ‘New Zealand’ novel to a TV script.
“It’s very cinematic and I could see a movie or ideally a televised drama running through it as I was reading it,” said James who usually writes in collaboration with his father.
“The story spans almost 500 years and covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by the Islander ancestors of today’s Maori people and the European explorers who followed them. From the outset the two stories are interposed. It starts in the 1300’s with the departure of Islanders from Hawaiki in search of land far to the south.
“The novel is attracting excellent reviews and our publisher, Sterling Gate Books, announced this week the audible version is the company’s bestselling audiobook of the month.”
The prolific father-and-son writing team have already adapted several of their novels to feature film screenplays, including contemporary thrillers and other historical adventures.
Papamoa-based Lance Morcan said ‘New Zealand’ (working title) would be one of their first TV drama scripts.
“Two further novels in the ‘New Zealand Series’ have already been scoped so it’s quite conceivable the planned drama series will suit several or even multiple seasons,” said Morcan Snr.
“Initially, we will package it but will look to attach an experienced producer to head the production. It’s our intention that James will direct one or more of the episodes.”
For more about the Morcans’ film-related ventures visit their IMDb film industry pages at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1909596/
To visit the ‘New Zealand’ blog site go to: https://morcanbooksandfilms.com/category/new-zealand-a-novel/
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Morcan Books & Films 