The Action Fantasy Movie That Could Have Started a Bigger Dragon Franchise Than ‘Game of Thrones’ Is Back on Streaming

by

With Disney’s new series on the way, the original 2006 film adaptation of Eragon has returned to Hulu and Disney+. This revival serves as a reminder of a once-promising fantasy series that didn’t quite take off, especially considering the success Game of Thrones later achieved. Nearly 20 years after the film failed to launch a major fantasy saga like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, it’s now available to stream as Disney develops their fresh take on the Inheritance Cycle books.

Directed by Stefen Fangmeier, the film Eragon is adapted from the first book in Christopher Paolini’s young adult fantasy series. Ed Speleers stars as Eragon, a humble farm boy in the magical land of Alagaesia, who finds a strange stone that hatches into a dragon. While initial excitement helped the movie earn $250 million worldwide – seemingly enough to justify sequels – overwhelmingly negative reviews and audience reactions killed any chance of a continuation. No one wanted to risk making another Eragon movie after so many people disliked the first one.

Critics were harsh on Eragon (with a low 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), dismissing it quickly because it didn’t live up to the epic scale of Lord of the Rings. While the visual effects were decent, many found the writing to be immature – one reviewer quoted a moviegoer saying it read like it was written by a teenager. The main issue wasn’t a lack of action, but a lack of depth; the film focused on impressive visuals without building a truly immersive magical world or a compelling story to tie everything together.

Viewers, many of whom were fans of the original books, were also disappointed with the movie. One critic who was initially excited about the film quickly became disillusioned, finding the plot messy, the acting weak, and important details left out. Others described it as a dull, unofficial fan story trying to capitalize on the popularity of Harry Potter, while one person wondered why the filmmakers bothered making the movie if they were going to drastically change the book’s story.

‘Eragon’ Will Get a New Chance to Fly


20th Century Studios

Many blamed the poor reception of the Eragon movie on the fact that the book was written by a teenager, but the film itself wasn’t written by one, meaning any typical ‘young author’ issues should have been addressed. However, the Inheritance Cycle – and Eragon specifically – was incredibly popular, being a huge hardback release in 2003 and a top-selling paperback in 2005, suggesting the problems went deeper than the author’s age. Despite a strong cast including Robert Carlyle, Djimon Hounsou, John Malkovich, and Jeremy Irons (who had already starred in the unsuccessful Dungeons & Dragons movie in 2000), the biggest flaw seemed to be trying to fit the entire Eragon story into a 103-minute film.

I’m cautiously optimistic about the upcoming Disney+ series. The original movie felt rushed, and this new format could really let the story breathe and explore its themes more fully. Disney’s recent attempt to revive Willow wasn’t exactly a triumph, and with new Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings projects on the horizon, the competition is fierce. But maybe, just maybe, this is the chance for a ‘young adult Game of Thrones‘ to finally get it right – to move past the shadow of Eragon and truly ignite a new wave of dragon-centric fantasy. It’s a big ask, but I’m hoping this series will deliver where the film fell short.

Read More

2025-11-15 14:47