James Barclay

Parmenion · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 584

Read this...this is excellent news, for fans of the work and fantasy as a whole!!

HBO has acquired the rights to turn George R.R. Martin's bestselling fantasy series "A Song of Fire & Ice" into a dramatic series to be written and exec produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
"Fire" is the first TV project for Benioff ("Troy") and Weiss ("Halo") and will shoot in Europe or New Zealand. Benioff and Weiss will write every episode of each season together save one, which the author (a former TV writer) will script.

The series will begin with the 1996 first book, "A Game of Thrones," and the intention is for each novel (they average 1,000 pages each) to fuel a season's worth of episodes. Martin has nearly finished the fifth installment, but won't complete the seven-book cycle until 2011.

The author will co-exec produce the series along with Management 360's Guymon Casady and Created By's Vince Gerardis.

Martin's series has drawn comparisons to J.R.R. Tolkien, because both are period epics set in imagined lands. But Martin has eschewed Tolkien's good-vs.-evil theme in favor of flawed characters from seven noble families.

The book has a decidedly adult bent, with sex and violence comparable to series like "Rome" and "Deadwood."

"They tried for 50 years to make 'Lord of the Rings' as one movie before Peter Jackson found success making three," Martin said. "My books are bigger and more complicated, and would require 18 movies. Otherwise, you'd have to choose one or two characters."

Aside from writing the most recent draft of "Halo," Weiss recently adapted the William Gibson novel "Pattern Recognition" for WB and director Peter Weir.

Benioff and Weiss were repped by CAA and Management 360.

Mantyluoto · Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 573 Location: Somerset, UK

most excellent news General P but Drizzle beat ya too it.

i cant wait to see who they get to play the characters........

Drizzt · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 1081 Location: Easington, UK

Hehe... beat you to posting this Robin buy, hey, who cares so long as they DO get to make this..!!
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Mantyluoto · Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 573 Location: Somerset, UK

did you notice they changed the name of the series already to "A Song of Fire & Ice"!!

thats how i used to say it until recently!

Drizzt · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 1081 Location: Easington, UK

Hehe... who knows what might change. The books won't all be done until 2011 - assuming Martin stays on course - so it'll take decades for the series!! Razz

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Saxx · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 71 Location: Winterfell

I just hope Jon Snow and The Hound are done right!
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Excuse me, is your refrigerator running? Because if it is, it probably runs like you - very homosexually - Peter Griffin

Farseer · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 31 Location: Cardiff, UK

My main concern would be the casting of Tyrion. If they got that wrong it would be devastating. Im looking forward to the series a lot but im really sceptical that they will pull it off. surely it will be too hard to cover all the characters in a tv show.

Drizzt · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 1081 Location: Easington, UK

It's the only way. They could never, ever get it done properly in movies. And you're right, Tyrion's casting will be crucial.
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Saxx · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 71 Location: Winterfell

There was a cool dwarf fella in Nip/Tuck that i saw, he got it on with Shauns wife. Rough him up a bit and he could do it!
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Excuse me, is your refrigerator running? Because if it is, it probably runs like you - very homosexually - Peter Griffin