HBO turns 'Fire' into fantasy series
Cabler acquires rights to Martin's 'Ice'
By MICHAEL FLEMING

George R.R. Martin series
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.


*****


I finally have concrete evidence that prayer does work.

I pretty much have faith in anything HBO does after the Wire and Six Feet Under, this looks cool.

this is pretty cool. i read the first one which was really good. its very realistic and not too fantasyish.

the problem is solid shows like deadwood and rome cost a lot to make. they don't draw enough viewers and end up getting cancelled prematurely. will hbo commit to 7 seasons?

i'd put my money on 2.

Yeah, probably two. That would still be better than every episode of CSI, NCIS, and The Closer combined.


Part of it depends on how the story is told, if it's broken down by perspective, like the books, I think it would do well. Lost has proved this kind of non-linear story telling can work on TV, so they should try and stay true to that.

But more than that, two things are really important: no computer generated wolves and make sure the kids are kids. Don't age the characters to make it more accessible. Part of what makes the books great is the different experiences of the same events as viewed by the kids vs the adults.

They should just do the Dark Tower series instead

From G RR Martin's LiveJournal:

But 50% of the Dark Tower is bad, 30% so-so and 20% actually good.

HBO orders fantasy pilot 'Thrones'
November 11, 2008


HBO has given a pilot order to fantasy project "Game of Thrones."

The program is based on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling series of novels "A Song of Fire & Ice" and executive produced by David Benioff ("Troy") and D.B. Weiss ("Halo"). The title “Game of Thrones” is from the first novel in the series.

If greenlit, “Thrones” would represent the rarest of TV genres: a full-fledged fantasy series.

Though broadcasters have embraced sci-fi-tinged shows in recent years following the success of ABC’s “Lost” and NBC’s “Heroes,” and supernatural themes have been given a spin by CW’s “Supernatural” and HBO’s own “True Blood,” high fantasy is nearly nonexistent in primetime TV history -- and “Thrones” is an unabashed member of the genre. The books have swords, dragons, magic, the works.

“Fantasy is the most successful genre in terms of feature films given the incredible popularity of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and Harry Potter movies,” Benioff said. “High fantasy has never been done on TV before and if anybody can do it, it’s HBO. They’ve taken tired genres and reinvented them -- mobsters in ‘The Sopranos’ and Westerns with ‘Deadwood.’”

The cost of producing a fantasy series is usually a big factor that deters networks. The producers note “Thrones” is written as a character drama and major battles often take place off stage.

“It’s not a story with a million orcs charging across the plains,” Weiss said. “The most expensive effects are creature effects and there’s not much of that.”

Martin plans seven books in the series. The producers intend for each season to span one novel.

But before the series can get on the air, the producers first have to slay a more formidable threat than any dragon: pilot competitors. HBO has 10 other pilots in contention for series orders. Though the network declines to project how many shows will receive an order since HBO doesn’t need to fill a specific number of time-periods like broadcasters, at least six are expected to get a pickup.

Also, the success of “True Blood” may work in “Thrones'” favor. HBO has always sought to defy any sort of specific genre branding for their network, emphasizing that each project is judged on its own merits. Yet given how the vampire drama continues to gain viewers, and how Showtime’s swords-and-monarchy historical drama “The Tudors” has performed strongly, it’s not unreasonable to believe the network may see “Thrones” as a good fit.

Previous fantasy titles on TV are few and far between. ABC’s “Pushing Daisies” might qualify as a member of the genre, though its fantastical elements are wrapped in a modern day crime procedural. ABC Family’s “Kyle XY” could fit. Some would consider the WB’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fantasy, though supernatural drama is probably a more appropriate term. Former syndicated program “Xena Warrior Princess,” however, is firmly in the genre. NBC’s upcoming “Kings” also qualifies.

Some thoughts: I suspect a fair number of viewers are going to love this idea -- a high fantasy series with a grown-up budget and no content restrictions? Not even the hugely popular movie franchises cited by the producers have offered such a prospect, because no studio greenlights a fantasy budget without the promise of a PG-13 rating. Combined with "True Blood," this also suggests an interesting, AintItCoolNews-targeted direction for the network. Less edgy-PBS, more R-rated Comic Con.

true

Movement on this project....



Peter Dinklage To Play Tyrion In HBO’s SONG OF ICE AND FIRE??
http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/node/40001

Perfect casting if true.

That is perfect.

I would like to see a high quality American Gods mini-series. I think it could be pulled off by HBO.

From GRR Martin's blog:
Winter Is Coming... to HBO

* Apr. 21st, 2009 at 11:38 PM

At last it can be told.

The news has finally been made public, so I'm finally free to whoop and holler and share the great news -- the HBO pilot of A GAME OF THRONES will start filming in October, in Northern Ireland. The announcement was made in Belfast. Here you go:

http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news/ ... o-film.htm

Yes, I'm thrilled. Ireland should be a great place to film. And the facility we'll be using, the Paint Hall, is amazing as well:

http://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/page.asp?id=211

Before it was a film studio, the Paint Hall was part of Belfast's famous Harland & Wolff Shipyards, where the TITANIC and many other ships were constructed. The facility is pretty titanic as well. Of course, all of us connected with A GAME OF THRONES are hoping we'll fare somewhat better on our own maiden voyage.

Yes, Parris and I will be going over to Ireland this fall to see at least part of the filming. Not for the whole shoot, alas, I don't have time for that... but we have to be there for at least part of it. Maybe we'll see some of you in a Belfast pub.

There's lots of other exciting news on the pilot as well, but nothing I can share. Sorry, lips are sealed. You'll have to wait for Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss... and HBO.

The good news just keeps coming....


Two will play HBO's 'Game'
Director McCarthy, actor Dinklage in for pilot

By Nellie Andreeva
May 5, 2009, 11:00 PM ET


Tom McCarthy has come aboard to direct HBO's fantasy pilot "Game of Thrones," on which the star of his first feature, "The Station Agent's" Peter Dinklage, has been tapped for a key role.

Based on George R.R. Martin's best-selling "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels, "Thrones" is described as an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom. Dinklage will play Tyrion, the Queen's brother who is treated as an outsider because of his size.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss penned the pilot script and are exec producing. HBO Entertainment president-turned-producer Carolyn Strauss, Management 360's Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, Ralph Vicinanza and Martin serve as co-exec producers, and Mark Huffam and Frank Doelger are producers.

"Thrones" is slated to film in the third quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in what the country's First Minister Peter Robinson hails as "the first TV production of such vast size and scale that has been filmed in Northern Ireland."

Dinklage, repped by manager David Ginsberg and attorney Karl Austen, is filming two features: the indie "Pete Smalls Is Dead," which he also co-produces, and Screen Gems/Sidney Kimmel's remake of "Death at a Funeral."

"Thrones" marks the first TV directorial gig for the Gersh-repped McCarthy, an actor who wrote and directed two features, 2003's "Station Agent" and 2007's "The Visitor," both of which landed him Indie Spirit Awards. On the acting side, McCarthy next appears in "2012."

I am pretty stoked for this but I am trying not to get my hopes up, just because HBO ordered a pilot doesn't mean they will pick up the series, they likely will because they need a new drama in the same vein as Rome(which they screwed up big time by canceling) but it is not 100%. This has serious potential though and they (Benioff and Weiss) have showed they are listening to fan suggestions as well by posting at westeros forums that they pursued Dinklage because GRRM and the fans both thought he would be ideal. Anyways I really hope this gets picked up.

Rome was only cancelled because they had a massive fire on set that burned down their 80% of their set pieces. HBO weighed the cost of rebuilding all of those sets and decided it wasn't worth it.

I would think ASOIAF is different too because it has a solid fan base already as opposed to the other shows you mentioned which had to build a fan base.

I gotta believe that if enough people at HBO have read the first book to agree to the $20 million or so that the pilot will cost, they will go with at least one season... the sets would already be built.

I hadn't heard that the pilot alone is going to cost 20 mil, where is this info from? I know it is being filmed at the paint hall in Belfast ,N. Ireland which is apparently just massive. They built the titanic there, and it housed the set for city of ember which is apparently one of the largest sets ever built.