HBO to make tv series of George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire

johnnie walker · 18th January 2007, 8:07am

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryid=14&cs=1

Quote:

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.

This is just amazing news. I only discovered the series last year but i absolutley love it.

(and i also didn't know that bit about pattern recognition).

EDIT: Pattern recognition is being made as a film - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409138/

johnnie walker · 18th January 2007, 2:17pm

The more i've thought about this today, the more i realise that the way GRRM has written the books is pretty much perfect for tv. the point of view he uses (according to wikipedia its a third person limited omniscient perspective) and the way each chapter focuses on one person lends itself very well to a tv series.

Goth_pixie · 18th January 2007, 2:42pm

If they manage to pull this off, it could be amazing; the series is phenomenal. I'm always slightly nervous when books I love are adapted for the TV - if it's done badly I may have to kill them, as I adore this series.

I don't think ASOIAF could be done as films, anyway; the books are so detailed and intricate that the time constraints of the film industry would lead to so much of the depth of the books being lost.

Ness · 18th January 2007, 4:13pm

i think with martin having input on the series will make this possibly the best thing to ever have happened.

i actually cried when eddard died in the first book so i am going to love this.

this guys writing is phenomenal, he is by far the best fantasy writer ive encountered.

Goth_pixie · 18th January 2007, 4:15pm

Now for another crucial issue... the casting...

Ness · 18th January 2007, 4:21pm

TV acting, for Lannister id want jack bauer!

Goth_pixie · 18th January 2007, 4:24pm

Which Lannister, though? I just can't see him as a Jaime, though if it were being made a few years back...

I've always quite liked Lacey Chabert, could see her doing a good job as Sansa, or possibly even Dany.

Goth_pixie · 18th January 2007, 4:36pm

Just had a thought, how about David Tennant for Littlefinger, and that freaky boy from the Ring remake for Robert Arryn?

God, I'm such a geek at times.

Ness · 18th January 2007, 5:01pm

nah, the guy who was in hogfather, dracula and green street for little finger.

hes possibly one of the most talented british actors about.

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