Avid fans of fantasy literature have anticipating one HBO show for a while, and it will finally come to be--earlier this March HBO green lit A Game of Thrones, a series based off the first volume of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series. Thus far HBO has committed to the pilot episode along with nine additional episodes. There is no word yet on whether or not HBO will create subsequent seasons based on the following novels in A Song of Ice and Fire. The expected premier date for A Game of Thrones is in the spring of 2011. The script of the show's pilot was written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and was directed by Tom McCarthy.
The Story of A Game of Thrones
A Game of Thrones and the rest of the A Song of Ice and Fire series tells a tale of clashing royal families as the entire land of Westeros is caught within a power struggle for the throne. Families are torn apart and lives are destroyed in the treacherous game of royalty and knights. And this is just the trouble brewing within the country, for there are more dangers to come from all sides.
George R.R. Martin began his epic fantasy with it'd wide cast of troubled characters in 1996 with the printing of A Game of Thrones, for which he won the 1997 Locus award. He has published three more novels in the fantasy series since then: A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and a Feast for Crows. Martin is currently working on the fifth novel in the series, A Dance of Dragons.
HBO and George R.R. Martin Create a Fantasy
The pilot episode completed filming in Northern Ireland just this November, and will now continue the filming in the same area starting in June. The production of the series is something that Martin himself became emotionally invested in, as he stated on his own blog.
A Game of Thrones was chosen for HBO due to the adult tone that the fantasy series takes on. One of the draws of the series is that its high drama and intricate plot often makes one "forget it's fantasy". This may allow viewers who would not normally find themselves interested in fantasy literature or television interested in Martin's story.
The Cast of Thrones
Many new faces are appearing on this series' very large cast. Maise Williams will be playing Arya Stark, and Sophie Turner will be playing the part of her sister Sansa. There will be familiar actors and actresses, however, with actors like Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings), who will be playing Eddard Stark. The part of his wife, Catelyn, was originally to be played by Jennifer Ehle (BBC's Pride and Prejudice), but the part has been recast with Michelle Fairly (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). Check out IMDB.com for a full cast list.
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