HBO - GREEN LIGHT to Game of Thrones!

[Steel_Wind]

The pilot is done and HBO has seen enough to say "more please".

GRRM confirms on his blog that HBO has given the green light to Game of Thrones!


NY Times


If you’ve been jonesing for an epic fantasy to help fill the gap between Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” movies and the maybe-someday remake of “Dune,” HBO may have just rolled the saving throw you needed.
On Tuesday, the cable channel announced that it had officially ordered “Game of Thrones,” a new series based on George R. R. Martin’s “Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy novels. The best-selling book franchise, which began in 1996 with “A Game of Thrones,” chronicles the dynastic conflicts among several families on the mythical continent of Westeros.
The principal cast of the HBO series, which will run 10 episodes, features no less than 17 cast members, including Mark Addy, Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Ehle, Iain Glen and Lena Headey, as well as Tamzin Merchant (of “Pride and Prejudice”) as the heroine Daenerys Targaryen.
HBO said that the pilot episode of the series was written by David Benioff (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) and D.B. Weiss (the author of “Lucky Wander Boy”), who are also among its executive producers. Production on the series is to begin in Belfast in June; a premiere date has not yet been set. Meanwhile, Mr. Martin should have plenty of time to finish writing the last two books in what he has said is a seven-book series.


And a pic from the prologue to Game of Thrones, too!

I am HUGELY excited about this! Awesome news.



Now George: FINISH THE DAMN SERIES.

 

[catsclaw227]

I saw this yesterday as well.

I am really stoked about this, as HBO almost ALWAYS does these series' well. We can expect a high-quality production. I can't wait to see how closely they stick to the story. Obviously some parts get removed, some get slightly altered.

Side note: I see the in the NYT quote that they said that HBO "rolled a saving throw".

Nice geek reference.

 

[Merkuri]

I'm excited that this is happening, but sad that I don't get HBO (and this show still won't make it worth the price). Maybe I'll rent this on DVD one day.

And now where's the next book??

 

[Felon]

Well, they can always address the lack of closure by ending season 4 with Jon Stark sitting at a table in a restaurant with "Don't Stop Believing" playing in the background, then abruptly cut to black.

 

[Darth Shoju]

Well, they can always address the lack of closure by ending season 4 with Jon Stark sitting at a table in a restaurant with "Don't Stop Believing" playing in the background, then abruptly cut to black.

Ha-ha, nice!

 

[RigaMortus2]

I'm excited that this is happening, but sad that I don't get HBO (and this show still won't make it worth the price). Maybe I'll rent this on DVD one day.

And now where's the next book??

There is always Hulu...

 

[Merkuri]

There is always Hulu...

I checked... there are no HBO shows on Hulu right now (at least, I couldn't find any) and HBO even has its own Hulu-like service (or will have one soon) that's only for people who get HBO with their cable package, so it's highly unlikely this show will appear on Hulu.

 

[catsclaw227]

I'm excited that this is happening, but sad that I don't get HBO (and this show still won't make it worth the price). Maybe I'll rent this on DVD one day.

That's a shame. HBO has consistently put out some of the best original series I have ever seen. Even not considering the big ones they've had (Six Feet Under, The Sopranos), but they also have had Oz, The Wire, Big Love, Entourage, Rome. HBO's original movies are good too.

 

[Merkuri]

That's a shame. HBO has consistently put out some of the best original series I have ever seen.

I still can't justify the extra $50 a month it'll cost me for the required upgrade to my cable plan that would be necessary to get HBO. And that's not even counting the set-top boxes they're making everybody but "basic" subscribers buy now, or the headache of figuring out if said set-top boxes will work with the computer I'm using as a DVR.

If it was as simple as adding that one channel then Game of Thrones alone would probably be enough to make me add it, but unfortunately things don't work that way.

 

[Zaukrie]

Imagine how many comments this thread would have if Martin was actually publishing books in the series....