66 replies to this topic

[Dragon greyscale]

The Dragon has three heads, on 28 November 2012 - 12:20 AM, said:

Thing is though, his whole career pretty much rests on how well the show and books go.
He knows that.

He's 64 and he's reaping in cash and fame, especially since the show started. It's not like he's some spring chicken who wants to make it.
Point is, if I were him, I'd take it easy and not worry about my career so much.

[boojam]

Dragon greyscale, on 28 November 2012 - 01:53 AM, said:

He's 64 and he's reaping in cash and fame, especially since the show started. It's not like he's some spring chicken who wants to make it.
Point is, if I were him, I'd take it easy and not worry about my career so much.

n

George's career was made years and years ago ... he was an award winning science fiction author way before he went to TV writing.
Writing for TV made him a lot of money... then he has been an editor and prose fiction writer pulling in good bucks.

Still I admit he seems to have more fun having fun right now, and has more money than god.... might think he would pull in one of his past co-authors, who are very good to help out ... but looks out of the cards (sic!) right now.

Edited by boojam, 29 November 2012 - 07:23 AM.

[Ororo727 Jon Snow Fangirl]

It's going to happen anyway.  There is no way that GRRM will finish two books before the series ends.  Either D&D will make their own ending or they will end the entire series at book 5, if GRRM hasn't published #6 by 2014.

[boojam]

Ororo727 Jon Snow Fangirl, on 29 November 2012 - 01:45 AM, said:

It's going to happen anyway.  There is no way that GRRM will finish two books before the series ends.  Either D&D will make their own ending or they will end the entire series at book 5, if GRRM hasn't published #6 by 2014.

You are not suggesting they end the story without tying up all the loose ends?
Of which there seem to be too many to count right now.

Well that ought to spike book sales when  Geroge does finish 6 and 7!

[Werthead]

boojam, on 27 November 2012 - 04:22 AM, said:

What do you mean by "one year hiatus' plan killed Deadwood"?
It was HBO that declined to produce a 4th full season of Deadwood, and I think because season 3 did not have a good cost to benifit ratio.
Two things to say about that the story (based on a fair approximation of a true story) really had come to and end with the arrival of Hearst and then with the involvement of the US goverment the Deadwood story was dead!
Series creator David Milch said he had enough material for two HBO movies to finish it off, but I don't think he really had enough material to do that.
Milch by season 3 of Deadwood had really moved on to his next series John from Cincinnati (which flopped). I get the impression Milch was finished with Deadwood in 2006.
(Of course HBO ran into the anonomly that both ROME and DEADWOOD did well as DVD release , I hope they learned something from that.)

As far as actor's contracts go, that is a mystery. I can see the beginers signing for 6 years , but the veterans , I have to wonder. Tho for many of the actors , even major ones, don't have to be 'on set' during full shoot and could have other work. In fact we know this goes on especially actors who do stage work.

There are several stories floating around about the Deadwood situation. However, the one that has the most traction is that Milch wanted a break from Deadwood to work on another project, John From Cincinatti. The plan was to do the first season of that, then return to conclude Deadwood with a fourth and final season. However, HBO was unable to afford to put the entire cast of Deadwood on retainer. After Cincinatti flopped, they were unable to regroup the original cast (who had scattered to other projects by that point). They continued trying to reassemble them, perhaps for two TV movies, but ultimately were unsuccessful. A variation on this take is that HBO did not want Milch dividing his time between two series simultaneously (since Cincinatti was supposed to be an ongoing, IIRC, and a second season would have clashed with the planned fourth season of Deadwood) and canned Deadwood (rather prematurely, as it turned out). HBO did offer Milch six episodes to wrap things up with, but Milch rejected the plan as he wanted a full twelve-episode season.

Something that is unquestioned by any party is that Cincinatti was in development before this decision was made. So the question arises, why did Milch not simply make Deadwood Season 4, wrap the series up, and then make Cincinatti the following year. To my knowledge, Milch has never answered this (or even been asked it in any interview I've seen).

[boojam]

Werthead, on 01 December 2012 - 05:50 PM, said:

Something that is unquestioned by any party is that Cincinatti was in development before this decision was made. So the question arises, why did Milch not simply make Deadwood Season 4, wrap the series up, and then make Cincinatti the following year. To my knowledge, Milch has never answered this (or even been asked it in any interview I've seen).

My quick personal opinion is that Milch had lost interest in Deadwood.
Deadwood is based on a real story, dramatized of course, really the story most exciting part of the story ended , really the last episode of season 2, once Hearst came on the scene that was kind of it.
Tho they did get enough for a season 3.

ROME on the hand ran into the problem of not making enough the first season and having the BBC pull out. Still , as has been noted, HBO was surprised by DVD sales.
Yet the story really does end when Octavian came to power, and not much happens until he dies.
I have heard the same ROME production team is going to do I Claudius!
That would be interesting, since the BBC production was stellar, but it was awfully stage bound.

Edited by boojam, 02 December 2012 - 12:48 PM.

[The Duke of J-Town]

There's also always the possibility that Martin may want to end the show differently for creative reasons, as in "what if it happened this way instead of that way."  Sort of like what Robert Kirkman's done with The Walking Dead.

[Daske]

If the show did outpace the books, which seems likely, it would be sweet revenge from the many TV-only fans intentionally spoiled by (the minority of idiotic) book readers. (Although somewhat unfair on the many book-readers who didn't spoil anyone).

Personally, I'd be happy with any way it wraps up. It's all about the ride, and both book and show have been great. In fact, heresy maybe, but I've enjoyed the show more than the last couple of books. If the show diverges somewhat, I won't be sad as long as any changes are done logically. Just dropping whole plotlines would be a shame.

[Caryn Stark]

Werthead, on 26 November 2012 - 06:36 PM, said:

The show itself and the major actors are contracted for 6 seasons. After Season 6 they will have to renegotiate, which could kill the show off if they are not careful. However, the show is also lucky in that whilst the whole thing films over six months, actors are often needed only for short bursts (allegedly Charles Dance filmed all of his Season 2 material in a fortnight). This isn't like Friends where the actors are needed on set every week for six months straight (so you end up paying them $1 million a year each by the end of the series to desperately try to hold onto them), they have the ability to go off and do other projects and then come back to Thrones when and as needed.

This sounds good... Until you remember that we already lost one of Dany's bloodriders because he was off shooting a movie somewhere. The only one who was memorable, at that.

[So1ar]

Cloaked, on 25 November 2012 - 03:36 PM, said:

I wish I shared your optimism... I remember when the series got picked up and GRRM was asked if they passed him and he was saying he had such a head start and that ASOS would have to be split into 2 seasons and et cetera, and yet suddenly here we are and S3 will be airing in spring with WOW seemingly nowhere closer to coming out than it was 3 yrs ago...

you make it sound like WOW was being written over 3 years ago. Dance just came out last year which means George has only had about a year to work on WOW.

[King Tommen]

Caryn Stark, on 06 December 2012 - 01:57 PM, said:

This sounds good... Until you remember that we already lost one of Dany's bloodriders because he was off shooting a movie somewhere. The only one who was memorable, at that.

The major actors are locked up.  The guy who had 5 lines maybe leaving the show is not an overriding concern in the grand scheme.  Ask anyone who hasn't read the books if they even remember Rakharo from the show at all.

[Mr Fixit]

King Tommen, on 06 December 2012 - 10:11 PM, said:

The major actors are locked up.  The guy who had 5 lines maybe leaving the show is not an overriding concern in the grand scheme.  Ask anyone who hasn't read the books if they even remember Rakharo from the show at all.

Hell, ask half the people who have read the books

[seppuku]

So1ar, on 06 December 2012 - 05:40 PM, said:

you make it sound like WOW was being written over 3 years ago. Dance just came out last year which means George has only had about a year to work on WOW.

GRRM has more motivation to write and finish with the series gaining ridiculous popularity. I don't believe for a second that Dance's release a few weeks after season 1 aired was coincidence. Thats how you maximize sales.

Edited by seppuku, 07 December 2012 - 08:33 AM.

[PetyrPunkinhead]

The only way I'd be pissed if the show came up w/ its own ending is if GRRM told them how the books were going to end and they basically "spoiled" the last one or two books before they were published. I've only been reading the books for the past year, but imagine how pissed someone who has been sticking w/ the series since the 90s would feel if they got their ending to SoIaF from a TV show!?!? It could get ugly.

Maybe if HBO allows the show to do books 4 & 5 as two seasons each the final season would dovetail w/ book 7. That's assuming GRRM gets book 6 out in the next 5 years. Also, they might be able to delay an extra year between seasons. HBO did a nearly two year hiatus between Sopranos seasons before. So, ya know, it's possible. Or GRRM could just hurry the fuck up, but that doesn't seem likely. :/

[Cold Pie]

If the show doesn't take a break (which I doubt it will) or GRRM finishes the books in time, I don't see any way of this ending well. While I do see the books and show as two different things, they're not as different as some people here are trying to point out. Yes, some story-lines are a bit changed, but the overall direction of the story hasn't changed significantly. If the writers would come up with their own (probably not as good) ending that would ruin the adaption, and if they would spoil the rest of the story that would be a kick in the face to all us pre-show book readers.

There were only two years between the releases of AGOT, ACOK and ASOS...

[PetyrPunkinhead]

Dragon greyscale, on 28 November 2012 - 01:53 AM, said:

He's 64 and he's reaping in cash and fame, especially since the show started. It's not like he's some spring chicken who wants to make it.
Point is, if I were him, I'd take it easy and not worry about my career so much.

Gah! Really? Seriously, don't encourage him.

Cold Pie, on 09 December 2012 - 05:38 PM, said:

...There were only two years between the releases of AGOT, ACOK and ASOS...

Huh. I didn't realize that. This...this gives me hope for the TV show.

[Cuellar]

I guess there are 2 major factors for consideration:
1) HBO rarely lets shows last 7+ years. With the 6 year contract, I'd guess they'd plan to stop there.  I could see them condensing parts of the books, since they do slow down significantly in the last 2 books.
2) George will get done with the next book before they catch up.  Basically he has to have the plot worked out and passed on to HBO in order for them to get the show complete. This could happen 3-5 years before he releases the final book.


While I'd be mildly irritated to have the book ending revealed, I've always been a huge fan of ASOIF, and have found the books are great because of the writing, characters, and is really the "journey" through the world rather than specific plot points (although most of those are excellent as well).  Not having a complete book to work off for the ending also means that most of the story besides the key plot points would still not be known, and even then, George may change it up.

[Lion of Judah]

I would be upset if they were that bold, unless something happens to GRRM I don't see this happening.

[boojam]

Cuellar, on 12 December 2012 - 08:53 PM, said:

I guess there are 2 major factors for consideration:
1) HBO rarely lets shows last 7+ years. With the 6 year contract, I'd guess they'd plan to stop there.  I could see them condensing parts of the books, since they do slow down significantly in the last 2 books.

I can't think of an HBO show that has gone past 6 seasons.
However 7 is George's lucky number and if show stays popular would HBO spring for 7?
And as been related many times George claims he knows the whole rest of the story, and related that to D and D.

If they get to season 7 without novel 7 , how about have Geroge , seasoned and fast , teleplay writer , write all 10 final episodes?

Edited by boojam, 16 December 2012 - 11:53 AM.

[ghost23]

boojam, on 15 December 2012 - 06:55 PM, said:

If they get to season 7 without novel 7 , how about have Geroge , seasoned and fast , teleplay write , write all 10 final episodes?

There is no way that will happen. The production schedule is already so tight that 5 writers (Benioff, Weiss, Cogman, Taylor and Martin) can just write 10 episodes per year, there is no way that one person could get 10 scripts out in the time HBO wants them to.