Werthead Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 For those unaware of the situation, HBO bought the television rights to A Song of Ice and Fire last year, with GRRM announcing the news on 18 January 2007. Writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss susbsequently begun work on the project, completing a draft of the pilot script which GRRM signed off on. The script was sent to HBO for their perusal shortly before the beginning of the recent Writer's Strike. With the end of the strike, it is possible we will see further developments on the adaption in the forthcoming months. The following fact should be remembered: HBO have only optioned the series. It is in what could be called a pre-development phase, which means that a script exists for them to look at and detailed plans for how the series would unfold exist. At this time HBO has not officially comissioned the series and could still pass on it. Note that these options are limited and expire after some time has passed. We do not know how long the option on A Song of Ice and Fire exists for. It was also recently revealed that HBO have been considering a series based on the legend of King Arthur. Apparently, HBO are not interested in making two, large-budget costume dramas simultaneously and will only proceed with one of the two projects. Should the Arthur project be confirmed, it would almost certainly mean ASoIaF being shelved for at least the lifetime of the Arthur show. However, NBC and the BBC recently confirmed that they are working on a new Arthur series. How this effects HBO's decision, and what impact that has on the ASoIaF adaption, remains to be seen. There have also been recent changes in personnel at HBO which may also have a bearing on the situation. Weiss and Benioff have said that their plan is to adapt the series into seven seasons, one book per season, and with 13 episodes in each season. GRRM, himself an experienced television producer and scriptwriter, will take a producer's credit and will approve scripts as well as writing one episode per season. However, his role on the series will be limited due to the demands of writing the remaining novels in the series (which, obviously, must be completed before HBO 'catches up' with him!). There have recently been two attempts to discredit the adaption by an individual with the user-name 'Mystar' on the SFFWorld forum. This person claims to have inside information that the series will not proceed, first claiming that it had been dropped last year, and more recently that HBO had scrapped it during the strike. In both cases this information has proven false, and no credence should be given to news from this source. Reliable news will be come from GRRM's website and no other source. This thread is for discussion of the project, but please use existing or new threads in the General forum for in-depth discussions of the possible casting or writing of the series. Update: 14 June 2008 GRRM confirms on his blog that the writers have turned in their second draft to HBO, who seem pleased with it, and that HBO and the BBC have agreed to co-produce and co-finance the series if it gets made. The HBO and BBC previously co-produced the series Rome. Whilst this news is very hopeful, GRRM reiterates that the show remains a script in development, not a show in production. Update: 10 September 2008 GRRM has confirmed that HBO have exercised their option and now own the television rights to A Song of Ice and Fire. Whilst this doesn't mean that the show is in pre-production or 100% go, it is a very significant step forward, as money has exchanged hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCOTNW Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 So there are 4 books out now which equals four seasons of the show. DWD coming out next year to make the 5th season. that would give GRRM 5 years to crank out the next installments, gaining a year each time. I guess that is enough buffer time to allow GRRM to finish the series in time for HBOs needs. I was thinking that the series being incomplete might be a downer for this project. I mean, what if GRRM doesn't finish the series? Perish the thought, I know, but HBO has to consider that possibility, or the chance that it takes GRRM longer than expected to complete the remaining installments. I am a little torn on whether I would want to see a video version of this series anyway. I really value the way that I imagine the setting and characters in my own mind, and I hate that I can no longer imagine the Tolkein characters without seeing the Peter Jackson cast. Except for Arwen. I don't mind imagining her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faceless Man of Braavos Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Just checked out the SFFWorld thread on this subject... the usual suspects are still infesting that board it seems - I haven't posted there in years. As for HBO-ASoIaF, unless they want to do it right and write the biggest cheque in television history, I don't want to see this happen. This is not the series to do if HBO is concerned with keeping a budget under control. The books deserve a grand treatment... not a half assed effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dita Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I'm really excited about this project, but am i the only one that thinks it would be better to finish the books before jumping to the picturisation? AFFC alone has taken 5 years and i don't want that GRRM feels pressurred into writing the remaining books so that HBO can make Season 6 and 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCOTNW Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Not only do I not want GRRM to feel pressured, but it seems that he needs diversions from ASOIAF to keep himself motivated. If he is doing other projects, as well as writing one episode for each season of the HBO show, it will definitely push out the future installments of ASOIAF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewthur Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I am a little torn on whether I would want to see a video version of this series anyway. I really value the way that I imagine the setting and characters in my own mind, and I hate that I can no longer imagine the Tolkein characters without seeing the Peter Jackson cast. Except for Arwen. I don't mind imagining her. This was my first thought when I heard HBO had bought the rights. Well except for the Tolkein part, I saw the movies first. Though I don't mind imagining Arwen either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightofTheLaughingTree Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I think Peter Jackson did a great job with LOTR. I hated some of the things he cut, but overall when watching the film I still felt like I was in the world of Middle Earth much as Tolkien would've dreamed it. However, I don't think that would've come across the same if it weren't allowed a 200+ million dollar movie budget. I just don't think HBO would invest the necessary resources it would take to make a series about ASoIaF that would do it justice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCOTNW Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I think Peter Jackson did a great job with LOTR. Just to clarify, I agree with this. Nevertheless, it becomes impossible to maintain my own imagination of Tolkein's world in parallel with Peter Jackson's. I just don't want that to happen with my imagination of the GRRM universe. For example, when I look at some of the artistic renditions of characters in any medium, or even the licensed stuff that GRRM has approved, I still look at it and say, "Man that is not my image of the Hound at all." If the HBO production was any good (Like LOTR), it would start to supplant my own vision of things, and that would be tragic to me. It's no big deal though, I don't even have HBO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bird of the Canals Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Seven seasons huh? I think it would be best to combine A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons into one big 26-episode season instead of making them into two separate ones. Splitting the stories into two divisions may fly for the novels but I don't think it'll fly on TV. Maybe just they can combine the titles into something like A Banquet with Crows and Dragons. Of course, there's no need to worry about such a thing until the time comes, if luck would be so kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Blackfish Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Seven seasons huh? I think it would be best to combine A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons into one big 26-episode season instead of making them into two separate ones. You know, ASOS is really really big. Maybe they could incorporate some of that into some of AFFC and the rest of AFFC with ADWD. It would be odd to be missing an entire half of the cast for a whole season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siyrean Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 as for him not being able to finish the books in time for the series, it'll take well over a year for the first season to even get out if it is green lighted, he's got plenty of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriele Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I am a little torn on whether I would want to see a video version of this series anyway. I really value the way that I imagine the setting and characters in my own mind, and I hate that I can no longer imagine the Tolkein characters without seeing the Peter Jackson cast. Except for Arwen. I don't mind imagining her. See, and Arwen totally didn't do it for me. For me, Aragorn, Éomer, Éowyn and Faramir came closest to the images I had of them. Gandalf wasn't bad, either, but Denethor was over-acting and Legolas more an anime star than an elf. But I still like the movies well enough to have bought the extended DVDs, and they're the only ones besides my collection of opera DVDs. If the HBO series comes as close to my images as LOTR, I'd be a happy camper, eh... fangril. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Jamie Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Well I think HBO would do a great job look at rome and Deadwood both look great,and in this age of digital film making it's much cheaper to put this kind of film together even LOTR would have been a hell of a lot harder say in 1983. as for George having to finish 2 more books ASAP, though I would love to see them, there are plenty of ways to pad them out, 1 the average HBO season is less tha 23 episodes thus a book may take 2 seasons, secondly we are assuming they are going to release seasons in a quick and efficient manner, however anyone who is a fan of the Soppranos can vouch for year long season delays are to be expected.I would be more likely to fear that the actor they get to play Walder Frey will die between seasons than the notion that G.R.R.M. will be rushed by the series Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewthur Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I don't even have HBO. Nor do I. I guess I'll be forced to get it if this comes through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swampy Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Well I think HBO would do a great job look at rome and Deadwood both look great,and in this age of digital film making it's much cheaper to put this kind of film together even LOTR would have been a hell of a lot harder say in 1983. as for George having to finish 2 more books ASAP, though I would love to see them, there are plenty of ways to pad them out, 1 the average HBO season is less tha 23 episodes thus a book may take 2 seasons, secondly we are assuming they are going to release seasons in a quick and efficient manner, however anyone who is a fan of the Soppranos can vouch for year long season delays are to be expected.I would be more likely to fear that the actor they get to play Walder Frey will die between seasons than the notion that G.R.R.M. will be rushed by the series Unfortunately, I believe Rome was shelved due mainly to cost. I can't imagine that ASOIAF would be less costly to make than Rome was. If HBO does it, I think it will be awesome. I am not holding my breath though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauron The Small Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Yes, Rome was canceled due to huge production costs (IIRC 100 000 000 $ per season) 2 bad I enyojed it immensely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insert Edit Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Unfortunately, I believe Rome was shelved due mainly to cost. I can't imagine that ASOIAF would be less costly to make than Rome was. If HBO does it, I think it will be awesome. I am not holding my breath though... Yep, most expensive show in TV history. An Italian network, the BBC and HBO shared the costs. When the BBC withdrew its dollars (Euros) then HBO torpedoed the project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cronos619 Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 However, HBO will have the rights to all moneys earned from DVD sales. Maybe Ran could tell us how many active users there are on this board. How many of us will actually by the DVDs? Maybe if we all sign a letter of intent to by the DVDs and send it to HBO, it might give them something extra to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All-for-Joffrey Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Is this the same Mystar who trolls these boards and wuvs Goodkind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Stinson Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Is this the same Mystar who trolls these boards and wuvs Goodkind? That's what I was wondering myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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