BREAKING GEEK NEWS: HBO ordered a pilot for A Game Of Thrones.

[LeftyMom]

From GRRM's blog at http://grrm.livejournal.com/ :

Huge, Huge News

HBO has given the production order.

They will be filming the pilot episode of A GAME OF THRONES.

It's just the pilot so far. They'll need to see that before they decide whether to proceed with a full season's episodes. So let's all hope the pilot will kick serious ass.

It should. David Benioff and Dan Weiss did a terrific job with the script. And yes, all of you can relax, it's very faithful. Dan and David will be the executive producers for the pilot and (we hope) the eventual series.

More details when I have 'em. The news is very fresh. HBO just issued their own press release, which should be up on their website soon, if it's not there already.

Winter is coming to HBO. Hot damn.

http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/11/hbo-orders-fant.html

[Parche]

1. A Game Involving toilets?

:shrug: :hi:

[LeftyMom]

5. .

:spank:

[meow2u3]

44. Let's see who can flush the most in 60 seconds!?

:shrug:

[SteppingRazor]

2. OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!

That's my initial reaction, but my second thought is: Man, it'll be so easy for them to fuck this up.

[Epiales]

3. Fantastic News! Just don't ruin it... n/t

[NewJeffCT]

4. Now, who do they cast in all the major roles?

any guesses?

[MilesColtrane]

6. Never heard of those books.

My idea of Fantasy consists of hookers and eight balls, not dragons and dwarves.

[DarkTirade]

7. Ve shall see if it ends up sucking or not.

[FloridaJudy]

8. Holy cow!

And I don't have cable :cry:

Maybe my son can record it for me...

[XemaSab]

9. .

:popcorn:

[flvegan]

10. Great. Another group that a community of nerds can dress like

at the conventions. :eyes:

:rofl:

[LeftyMom]

12. Shut up.

[XemaSab]

15. You say this in future tense like it hasn't already happened

Excuse me, I need to go iron my skirt that goes with my Hogwarts uniform. BBL.

[Lyric]

11. They're doing it as a series? Yuck.

I'm a GRRM fanatic. Please, please, PLEASE do not let them fuck this up. Ugh.

[LeftyMom]

13. One book per season.

I figure that's about right- any more compressed than that and they'd have to leave out a lot of people.

[Lyric]

14. What concerns me most is that they'll "edit" it for TV consumption.

Granted, HBO is cable, but still...there's a lot of stuff that will be ruined if they decide to drop certain book details that might weird people out--like the Jaime/Cersei incest stuff. I mean, a huuuge chunk of the story is entirely dependent upon them keeping that detail in place. If they change it (like making Jaime and Cersei "step-siblings" rather than biological twins) it'll ruin the story.

That's the kind of stuff that worries me when a story like this is translated to TV as a series. Well, that and the chance that they'll drop other important-but-subtle plot details for the sake of more sex and violence.

[LeftyMom]

17. HBO is really the only channel I trust to leave all that in.

GRRM says it's really faithful, and I don't think he'd say that if they were leaving out major stuff like Joffrey's parentage.

Remember too, he's done a lot of writing for TV, so he probably had a pretty good idea on what could get clipped out for the screen version all along.

[XemaSab]

18. Wasn't there incest in "Rome"?

:shrug:

[LeftyMom]

20. Yep.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. Hot Octavian on Octavia action.

Don't say that three times fast.

[TZ]

16. Wow.

Considering how much ummm explicit stuff there is in the books, this surprises me a bit..though I suppose HBO is used to putting that type of stuff on...In fact, I'm not sure I really WANT to see visuals of some of the more graphic stuff.....:scared:
This will either be waaay to graphic for the average viewer or it will be a complete watered down version and therefore boring...

[LeftyMom]

19. It'll be graphic. HBO gave us Oz, after all.

Hell, by comparison this should be pretty tame.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. Damn shame the novels have gone the way of Robert Jordan.

[XemaSab]

23. LIES!

:o

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. Search your feelings.

You know them to be true.

[yellowdogintexas]

47. damn lies.

[LeftyMom]

24. D00d, stop trolling my thread.

Robert Jordan. Pfft!

[petronius]

26. Awesome! And the good thing about it, 90% of the cast will not need

to make a long-term commitment... :)

[LeftyMom]

27. I lol'd.

[NewJeffCT]

30. boy, isn't that the truth

There have been a few points in some of the books where my jaw dropped because I was stunned somebody died.

[cemaphonic]

39. Oh, they'll like getting to kill off key characters

I just finished the last season of The Wire.

(spoliers)


























I knew that Omar was going to have to buy it at some point, but Prop Joe? WHY?!

[petronius]

40. That's true - and on HBO, getting killed off is FAR from the worst thing

that can happen to a character...

[Supply Side Jesus]

72. Shhhh!!!!

No need to talk about Sudden Character Death Syndrome!!!

[TZ]

28. You know I just had a thought...

I hope consulting on this is not delaying "A Dance with Dragons". Come on George--we are waiting impatiently!

[LeftyMom]

29. He was probably distracted by the election.

[yellowdogintexas]

46. very very impatiently. Very nt

[NewJeffCT]

31. Who should play the main roles from the first book?

I had always pictured Wallace Shawn as Tyrion Lannister, but I think he's a bit old now. Maybe Paul Giamatti?

And, I had pictured Sharon Stone as Cersei Lannister.

Russell Crowe is way too big to play Jaime Lannister, but he was one I had pictured in the role when I first read Game of Thrones years back.

[LeftyMom]

32. You have to stick with people who will do series work.

For the main roles at least, you've got a lot more flexibility for the roles that are, well... short term commitments.

I'd like to see them stay away from big names.

[NewJeffCT]

56. I know

I was just saying that when I read the first book originally I had pictured Sharon Stone & Russell Crowe as Cersei & Jaime Lannister, and Wallace Shawn as Tyrion.

I doubt any of them would be in an HBO miniseries.

[Lyric]

42. Tyrion is a dwarf, so it seems only right to have him played by a real Little Person.

Opportunities for serious, complex, important roles for Little People don't come around very often, and I think the writers should give extra consideration to that fact when choosing someone to play Tyrion.

[NewJeffCT]

55. I had pictured him as much shorter than normal

and being called 'dwarf' derisively because of it - but, not necessarily a little person. Of course, I could very well be wrong.

[BreweryYardRat]

63. I always envisioned Tyrion as Danny Woodburn.

Specifically, in his makeup from the "Carl the Gnome" role on Special Unit 2.

[petronius]

79. That's funny - I always pictured Stone, as well

Isn't Jaime described as being a big man? I think Crowe would be good for the later books, when Jaime is sort of worn out and grizzled, but the early Jaime needs to be someone who is buff but insipid...

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[flvegan]

34. You have to speak Borg to make them understand.

:rofl:

[LeftyMom]

35. Hush, you.

:eyes:

[flvegan]

36. Does DU even TAKE Alliance Credits?

:eyes:

:rofl:

[LeftyMom]

45. You're mixing your fucking metaphors.

:eyes:

[flvegan]

48. It's intentional.

This way, I'm not JUST picking on Trekkies, but also the folks with lightsabers. Wait'll I start on those Lord of the Ring people.

[LeftyMom]

49. Keep talking, mister.

Oh, I'm throwing your b'day present in the mail tomorrow, so you should get it Monday-ish.

[BreweryYardRat]

37. Hahaha! Yes!

Now Martin just needs to hurry up and finish A Dance with Dragons.

[LeftyMom]

38. There you are.

Please go kick you neighbor in the junk for me, he's making fun.

[BreweryYardRat]

65. I am NOT the pawn in your lovers' quarrels.

Fly out here and do it yourself. ;)

[LeftyMom]

74. But, if I fly out there, kicking him will be the last thing on my mind.

God damn it.

/me sits quietly, plotting revenge

[Lucian]

51. Amen to that!

I've been waiting and waiting for A Dance with Dragons forever now!

[FloridaJudy]

53. Me too.

I'm still waiting to see if Jon Snow's parents are who I suspect they are.

Jon would make interesting casting choice (Oh God! Not a Brad Pitt or Keanu Reeves type, please!). And they'd have to cast a bunch of people to play the kids as they grow up.

[Lucian]

54. Who do you think Jon Snow's mother is?

We know Eddard Stark is his father. Who is his mom?

[yellowdogintexas]

57. Jon Snow's mother is Eddard's dead Sister. I think his father is the dead king

who wasn't Joffrey's father.

[Lyric]

61. I agree that Jon's Mom is Lyanna, but his father was Rhaegar Targaryen.

And Jon is gonna marry Dany and ride a dragon. This I am confident of.

:hi:

[yellowdogintexas]

64. See my correction ..LOL if I had gone back in the thread I could have saved

myself some work. I also think Jon and Dany are destined in some fashion; but if Rheagar is JOn's father, that makes Dany his aunt.

My daughter has a theory that Tyrion is somehow going to hook up with Dany and be the Prime Manipulator of Events. Tyrion and Dany would be a formidable team in the plotting and planning department.

[Lyric]

67. Yes, she is his aunt, but Targaryens are famous for intermarriage.

Dany was originally supposed to marry her brother Viserys, until he sold her to Khal Drogo. It would make sense for her to marry Jon.

I agree that Tyrion will be involved too, somehow. GRRM has repeatedly said, "The dragon has three heads." Dany is one, Jon is another...so who is the third? Maybe Tyrion. We shall see.

:hi:

[yellowdogintexas]

62. after further thought: I think Jon's father is Rheagar, killed by Jaimie Lannister

His death cleared the way for Robert to become King.

Jaime was named "Kingslayer" after he killed Rheagar; (Rheagar is Daenerys Targaryen's brother)

Yes I looked this all up in the family tree.

Anyway, Eddard's sister died in childbirth, and Eddard claimed Jon as his son to protect him.

[Lyric]

68. Actually Jaime killed the King--Rhaegar's father.

Robert Baratheon killed Rhaegar with his war hammer at the Battle of the Trident.

Edit: Yes, I am a complete and total GRRM fanatic. :P

[yellowdogintexas]

70. it would seem I need to read them all again. I probably have time to do so

before Dance of Dragons is released.

I do love those books.

Truthfully, I was wondering if I had confused who killed which Tagaryen ....all part of the backstory.

anyways, our whole family has been talking about these books since before 'A Storm of Swords'..it came out in hardback right after we read the first two. We have all read the first 3 books twice. I guess we started reading them in 1999?

So how many times have you read them?

[Lyric]

73. More times than I can count, to be honest.

The first time I read any of them was in 2002--a friend send me the first two books, and I just fell in love with the story and the writing. I tend to re-read my favorite books over and over (because I'm a geek like that) so I've probably read them 20-30 times all the way through, and then random sections before bed off and on for years (I have a bedtime reading shelf, and those are some of the books on it.)

I'm the same way with other fantasy series that I love--Lord of the Rings, Jordan's Wheel of Time, etc. I really love almost all decent fantasy lit, including the totally "uncool" ones that my lit snob friends look down on me for, like Mercedes Lackey, Anne Bishop, and Christopher Paolini. :)

[Lucian]

82. With the way GRRM writes...

you'll have time to reread all the books again before he gets done with A Dance with Dragons. I know, I shouldn't be so impatient. I want him to take his time so he can write a really great book instead of getting it done in a hurry and writing a crappy book.

[FloridaJudy]

90. I've got to do the same

It's so long between books, that I always have to back and re-read, because I can never remember who is who, aside from the main characters. Talk about a cast of thousands!

I hope Cersei finally gets her just desserts. She does seem to be turning into an alcoholic, but she's still the character you love to hate. Jaime actually seems to be becoming sympathetic - well, if you can overlook that whole trying to kill children thing...

[yellowdogintexas]

93. yep, just leafing through Storm of Swords to refresh my memory on character names

made me really really want to get back into that world.

I just finished a stint in Guy Gavriel Kaye's world which by the way is another wonderful place. Suggested reading for the Martin interregnum !!!

Have you read any of his stuff?

Start with 'The Fionavir Tapestry', a trilogy.
Then read Tigana
Lions of Al-Rasshan
A Song for Arbonne
The Last Light of the Sun

I still have not read Sailing to Sirantium and its companion book

[Supply Side Jesus]

77. An Artist Rendering

More than the rubies on the breast plate was shed that day.

[Lucian]

81. I always thought Jon Snow's father was Eddard Stark???

Maybe I misread something...

From Wikipedia:
Jon Snow is a POV character and the claimed bastard son of Eddard, by a mother whose identity is not widely known. His direwolf companion is the mute, albino Ghost (due to his albinism and eerie silence, cementing Jon's outsider status as a bastard).

:shrug:

[Lucian]

85. I want to add that...

if Jon Snow was the son of Rhaegar (as some think), then his hair would be silver like Dany's because of the Targaryen inbreeding. Or he'd be darker skinned because Rhaegar was married to Elia of Dorne.

[Lyric]

86. Here--this is the best description I've ever found about it.

http://www.towerofthehand.com/articles/a/0011/

As for the hair color thing: Dany and Rhaegar were light-haired because their parents (and grandparents, and so on) had all inbred--thus keeping the recessive genes for silvery hair and violet eyes much, much more common throughout their family. But Lyanna Stark had black hair, and in normal human genetics, darker colors are dominant to lighter colors. We know that this is true in GRRM's world too, because of the big deal he made about Robert's bastard children, and the golden hair "always yielding" to the black hair. Therefore, Lyanna could easily have passed on the gene for black hair, which would explain Jon.

[LeftyMom]

88. Not all of the Targs have the silver hair.

See The Hedge Knight- iirc at least one of Egg's brothers has normal hair.

Anyhow, the going theory with Rhaegar would be that he had an affair with Lyanna Stark, which would explain both Eddard's willingness to conceal the matter at expense of his own honor and Jon's Stark look.

[Mojambo]

60. I think the kid who is currently playing Merlin in the BBC series would make a good Jon Snow

Colin Morgan is his name

[McCamy Taylor]

41. Wow!

[yellowdogintexas]

43. This has been in the works for quite some time, glad to hear it is finally happening nt

[Lucian]

50. Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!

I can't wait to see who they cast as Cersei Lannister. :drool:

[Lyric]

58. OMG. No, no, NO. No drooling over Cersei!

Ugh! That's like drooling over Coulter or Palin! She's EVIL!

:rofl:

[BreweryYardRat]

59. I'm in favor of Tricia Helfer.

Although she might turn down the role for fear of being typecast.

Edit: Dammit! Replied to the wrong comment.

[Lyric]

78. After GIS'ing, I have to agree.

Blonde her up a bit more, give her green contact lenses, and she's awesome for Cersei.

:hi:

[Lucian]

84. Woah...

she'd be a great pick! :wow:

[BlueIris]

89. Anything to get TH off "Burn Notice."

I hate her and her stupid, unscary character in that series.

[Lucian]

83. But from the way GRRM describes her...

she sounds really attractive. I know, I know, I shouldn't be drooling over her, but still...

Did you ever do an image search for Cersei Lannister on google? Dayum.

[Lyric]

87. I am strictly in the "Lyanna was WAY hotter than Cersei" camp.

:P

[travelingtypist]

52. Hot damn indeed.

Giddy.

[Nevernose]

66. FYI, HBO bought the property a couple of years ago

And I'll bet the big success of "True Blood" whetted their appetite for more fantasy.

Now, if only they don't stop it halfway like Rome and Deadwood and Carnivale... (Though to be fair, I couldn't tell the characters apart in Deadwood and Rome -- all those greasy white men looked alike to me.)

[LeftyMom]

69. Yeah, I know they've had it for years.

I'm just surprised to see them finally doing something with it.

[Nevernose]

75. All of my geek neurons are firing at once

I wish I still knew people who roleplayed -- I'd preorder the Song of Fire and Ice PnP RPG...

And thank God HBO is doing it. The only other way to produce it and stay true to the books is animation (i.e. anime), and I'd much rather see a live-action production. Just when I'm ready to cancel my HBO subscription, they come out with something else worth watching.

[LeftyMom]

76. They're coming out with an RPG?

WHY DOES NOBODY TELL ME THESE THINGS?!!?!?

/me feints

[Supply Side Jesus]

71. HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT

I can't fucking believe this! holy Shit! I got goose bumps!! holy shit!!
oh man.... oh man...!!

[grannylib]

80. I don't get HBO, unfortunately...and has the fifth book come out yet???

:shrug: Been waiting...

[Greyskye]

91. I'd get HBO for that

But what I really want is the next damn book!

[yellowdogintexas]

92. exactly what my husband said. "Book Five, yesterday"/ nt