George R.R. Martin’s fantasy epic has been greenlighted.
The plan is to adapt one novel each season, starting with 1996’s “A Game of Thrones.” – AintitCool
Martin himself will be doing some of the writing chores (further pushing back Dance of Dragons, eh?) along with others. Frankly, I’m really excited. After seeing Rome/Deadwood I have faith in HBO doing a multitude of eras… so the medieval War of the Rose inspired Game of Thrones should be no problem. Moreover, the lengthy treatment of each book really ought to do the series justice. Finally, the complexity of the books translates well to HBO as series such as The Wire and The Sopranos have found success whilst juggling a cast of characters comparable to the immensity of Martin’s works.
Very exciting news, indeed. I cannot wait to see the final product. However, this means I need to get crackin’ in finishing storm of swords and start feast for crows.
Yes, please.
I’m very surprised that HBO have decided to film an unfinished (and seemingly trapped in Production Hell) series. Surely a completed fantasy saga would work better?
I’m not surprised they did it; just surprised someone had the brains to see what is popular RIGHT NOW, and try to take advantage.
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Too bad its on HBO, which I don’t get.
Awesome. Can’t wait to see it. But GRRM himself should not be allowed to do anything but keep working on the novels until they’re done!
Chris: “Surely a completed fantasy saga would work better?”
Have any in mind that haven’t already been done?
Sword of Truth is now a TV show.
It’s completed, but its really awful… the show looks to be faithful to that same sense of Any-Rand-Objectivism-Meets-Magic Marty Stu Character-Meet Iraq War Bully Pulpit…
Ugh
Bartoneus: “Have any in mind that haven’t already been done?”
Personal preference: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
It’s complete, it hits all the fantasy checkmark boxes SoI&F does (dragons, evil ice age, civil war, annoying princesses in disguise, relentless dog-themed bounty hunter), and there’s never been a better fantasy villain than Ineluki Storm-King.
Sword of Truth?
and just to be fair:
A Game of Thrones
Link for more and more and more.
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I wonder what the chances of an unshaven Jeremy Irons showing up in the televised version? Pretty good, I’ll bet.
@Agio: Eragorn the movie was the adaption that book deserved (hackneyed, derivative, unoriginal). An inspired unshaven well-directed Jeremy Irons would be a perfect Eddard Stark.
Re: Eragon, couldn’t agree more… and I didn’t make it through either the print or the film version. If I I feel like spending time digesting hackneyed fantasy I’ll just keep plowing through the Wheel of Time.
But you have to admit that Irons, who I do think can be an inspired actor under the right circumstances, is a bit of recidivist when it comes to bad sword & sorcery. Don’t forget his turn in the sleep-inducing Kingdom of Heaven. And I suppose the less said about his appearance in the Dungeons & Dragons movie, the better. (Though that movie at least had the benefit of a certain hokey enjoyability.)
Still in the hands of competent directing (and perhaps a better agent) he could be great… though Irons doesn’t strike me as a Ned Stark. I see him in one of the more murky roles, like Stannis Baratheon or Littlefinger.
Speaking of fantasy GRRM casting, I want to see Brian Blessed land the role of Robert Baratheon. Though he might be a bit old for the part, now.
Chris: “Personal preference: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.”
That would make my week. I say week because the Song of Ice and Fire news already made my day, and I like Memory, Sorrow and Thorn better. I love all of Tad Williams’ books, but none of them resonate with me nearly as strongly as this one, the first of his that I read.
There might be a problem with it, just because the climax isn’t really a battle at all, but it also is focused more on character drama than on big setpiece battles, and could probably be adapted faithfully even without a TV-MA rating. Heck, I’m tempted to say they’d make better movies, but I don’t think the story could be done justice with even three movies … and “Stone of Farewell” would probably not carry a movie on its own.
Ineluki is one of those rare villains who remain incredibly frightening while simultaneously being quite sympathetic, which is why I love him. He’s like Darth Vader, without the prequel backstory making him unlikeable even before he was evil.