HBO exercises its option on A Song of Ice and Fire

From George R. R. Martin's Not a Blog:

I have some exciting news to share.

(But please, guys and gals, don't get TOO excited. This is what it is, and so far that's all it is, so don't make any assumptions).

HBO has just exercised its option, and purchased the television rights to A GAME OF THRONES.

For those of you who don't know Hollywood, an option gives a production company the right to buy a property (a book, a screenplay, whatever) at a certain agreed-upon price for a certain period of time (a year, six months, whatever). When that time runs out, they can let the option lapse, renew the option, or exercise the option and buy the property. The last is what HBO has just done.

What they have NOT done is greenlight the project. A GAME OF THRONES remains in development. They're still budgeting, still looking at locations (Spain and the Czech Republic at present, I hear). No decision has been reached, so any celebration would be premature. In Hollywood it is always best not to assume something is going to happen until it actually happens.

Even so... this is a very encouraging sign, and one that suggests a continued high level of enthusiasm and commitment for A GAME OF THRONES at HBO.

So keep your fingers crossed.
Good news indeed!
Let's just hope that the tv series sees the light in a not-so-distant future. . .:-)

8 commentaires:

Jebus said...

Oh yes Lord please make this happen! It will SHIT all over the one coming out in November based on Badkind's "Sword of Truth".

Even though it features so many Aussies in it, the source material will just make it blow hard.

Anonymous said...

True Blood, HBO's new show is not looking good, SoIaF would likely be the coolest thing in history. Human history.

Anonymous said...

picture me drooling over this piece of news...

Anonymous said...

Sorry, prefer that George spend time and energy finishing his books.

Dance with Dragons now 3 years and counting from AFFC.

Frankly, we'll all be dead before this series finishes.

NOONE said...

YEAH!! I'm very excited! but i'll dial it down a notch. Just in case it doesn't come to fruition.

Anonymous said...

The tv show will be finished before he finishes the second half of the fourth book in the series.

Adam Whitehead said...

It's good news. However, at best this will go into production in late 2009 to air in late 2010 or early 2011, so it's still a fair way off. And HBO are a bit erratic with their scheduling, sometimes taking 18 months between their seasons, so I'd expect the books to be finished before the series ends, although it might be a bit tight with the last book.

Realistically, with the best will in the world, I don't see it going seven seasons. We might get the first three books done, and it would be interesting to see if they can get some closure out of that.

Alex said...

If they handle this like they did Rome, I'm all for it! But Martin needs to crank those books out faster.