Women-Led Independent Production ‘The Better World’ Brings Beloved Fantasy Series to Screen for First Time; Event Features Book Sales, Cosplay, and Q&A
SALEM, MA – January 16, 2026 – Cinema Salem will host an exclusive screening of The Better World, an independent fan film based on Sarah J. Maas’s bestselling Throne of Glass fantasy series, on Thursday, January 23, 2026, at 9:00 PM. The event marks the first time characters from the beloved book series have been brought to the screen, offering fans a long-awaited cinematic experience.
The fifty-four-minute film was produced by a women-led team with an entirely female cast. Filmed on location in Catalonia, Spain, during the summer of 2025, The Better World was funded through a successful crowdfunding campaign that demonstrated the passionate dedication of the Throne of Glass fan community.
Set ten years after the conclusion of Kingdom of Ash—the final novel in Maas’s eight-book series—the film takes place on Crown Princess Elena Marion Whitethorn Galathynius’s eighth birthday. The celebration coincides with the tenth anniversary of the devastating Second Valg War, bringing the story’s beloved characters together for an emotionally charged reunion. Themes of generational trauma, grief, hope, and motherhood drive the narrative as characters grapple with what it means to build the better world referenced in the title…