HBO gave ASoIaF pilot the greenlight

Pretty incredible. I like the art direction and dedication to realism on the sets. Something that ALWAYS bugs me is when it looks like a set.
 
Considering that's just raw footage of the fights, I'm positive that they'll fix them up with CGI and the like.
Looks ****ing great.
 
Krynn72 said:
Why do I have to keep double posting? Everyone should be shitting themselves over this show like they do with Dexter, The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. In fact, you should be shitting even more, because this is going to be better than all of those.
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Well its because of you and this thread that I just picked up A Game of Thrones. Probably will start reading it in a minute. As for the "this is going to be better than all of those", I would like to point out I was super stoked about the series "Legend of the Seeker" (based on Wizards first rule). That show sucked. I mean, it wasn't awful, but it wasn't anything I was hoping it would be. Didn't even finish the first season. I'm hoping that HBO will treat this property better (if the book is as good as you say it is)
 
Cool, let us know what you think of the book when you've gotten into it.

As far as the show goes, I dont think Legend of the Seeker really compares. The differences between an ABC production and an HBO one are enormous. The cast for A Game of Thrones is incredible, with talent oozing out of every orifice. Theres a lot of untried actors and actresses as well, but HBO's track record for finding untapped talent is second to none, and I have very little doubt that his will be any different. HBO shows have always been in a league of their own, with incredible writers, actors and directors. ABC Studio's previous work... not so much. The ratio of good:bad shows leans way, way to the "bad" category for ABC.

If the show is half as good as Rome (I think the closest comparison HBO has) then its going to be great and not let me down. A very achievable task I think, given the resources and ability the show has gotten from HBO.

EDIT: Damn, I sound like an HBO fanboy. To be honest, I'm not all that familiar with HBO, so I could very well be talking out my ass. All I know is that every series I've watched of theirs has been great, and three of them make it into my top 5 tv shows ever. Those being Rome, Band of Brothers, and Boardwalk Empire, and having also watched True Blood and The Wire. The only ABC shows I've watched and thought were really good are Lost and Scrubs, out of the dozen or so I've seen..
 
Also the Seeker of Truth books are absolute garbage. Worst fantasy I've ever read. It'd be pretty hard to make a good TV series from that source material.
 
Three more months, gentlemen, until we behold the brilliance. Also, Martin's blog heavily implies that he is only a couple weeks away from finishing A Dance With Dragons. Life is good.
 
A Dance With Dragons - fantasy's Duke Nukem Forever
 
Rather than analyze all the various news pieces that came out today, I'll just say, "Holy s#*+!" I think that summarizes my opinions on everything. The screencap of Syrio and Arya dueling provoked an unmanly squee.
 
OFFICIAL PREMIER DATE: APRIL 17th

Some pics, the one Thunderclap is talking about, and Joffrey, looking exactly as I imagined. I already want to strangle him.
arya-fencing.jpg

joffrey.jpg


A snippit of the recap of the 15 minute sneak peek.

MINOR SPOILERS
Cut to a scene, which I believe is not in the books, Ned talking to Jon as he sets out for the Wall with Benjen and company. Tells him to serve with honor or something to that effect. Then to the Wall, we see the Old Bear and Maester Aemon speaking with Tyrion, pleading for more men. Then we get our first glimpse of the Wall.

Winter Is Coming: When we first saw the Wall everyone kind of had a “woah” moment. It’s the freakin’ Wall! It is an impossibly huge sheet of ice, just as described in the books. We all agreed, it was one of the most impressive shots from the preview.
Fire And Blood: The Wall looks …. awesome. And real. It looks real. Maester Aemon looks… well, like he may sprout fangs and hiss at us any moment. Querulous little toothless mouth. The Old Bear was imposing, though was white-haired rather than the black we’re used to. White-haired men on the Wall is a theme, I think.

Back to Winterfell, Luwin delivers Lysa’s note as Ned and Catelyn lie in bed together. Cat reveals its contents, “She’s fled the capital. She says Jon Arryn was murdered by the Lannisters.” Then the scene we saw in the Inside Game of Thrones feature, Cat pleading with Ned to remain in Winterfell.

Catelyn: “Seventeen years ago, you rode off to war with Robert Baratheon. And now you’re leaving me again.”
Ned: “I have no choice.”
Catelyn (in tears): “That’s what men always say when honor calls, that’s what you tell your families, tell yourselves. You do have a choice, and you’ve made it.”

Winter Is Coming: Some good stuff from Fairley here. I’ve always liked her as Catelyn, so I’m glad my original good feelings seem to be warranted. Luwin’s maester’s collar, by the way, is HUGE. The links are like the size of donuts and it goes all the way down below his waist. Not sure why they changed that for the show, even GRRM commented it was much different than he imagined it to be.
Fire And Blood: Have to say—Catelyn looks GREAT. Michelle Fairley really struck a chord with those watching. Will she be modeling next year’s Dior bikinis? Probably not. But her gravitas, her emotional core… Mo Ryan said it best: she brings an “earthy” emotional core. Emotions everyone can readily understand and sympathize with, whereas Cersei, in a few shots, looks to be just about off her rocker.

Cut to King’s Landing. A far away CGI shot of the Red Keep, which looks great. A cluster of tall towers and one huge archway leading to a solitary tower (The Tower of the Hand?). Another new scene, Ned walks into the throne room, finds Jaime seated on the steps beneath the Iron Throne.

Winter Is Coming: The Iron Throne is very impressive. Swords jutting up the back like a huge, metal peacock. It looks similar to Komarck’s version only slightly less fantastical. And this scene played out almost as an homage to Ned’s arrival into King’s Landing 17 years ago, at first we even thought it was a flashback.

Ned: “That’s some handsome armor you’re wearing. Not a scratch on it.”
Jaime: “People have been swinging at me for years, but they always seem to miss.”
Ned: “You’ve chosen your opponents wisely then.”
Jaime: “I have a knack for it.”
Click to expand...

Check out these sites for more:

http://www.makinggameofthrones.com/
http://winter-is-coming.net/
 
Ned walks into the throne room, finds Jaime seated on the steps beneath the Iron Throne.
Click to expand...
Why would they change that?
 
It seems like a contemporary scene, not a flashback to when Ned first entered the throne room during the Sack of King's Landing. Some of the most iconic and evocative images--Robert and Rhaegar's duel, Jaime on the throne, the tower of joy--are in the flashbacks. If they choose to show those scenes, I fully expect to see Ser Jaime slouching on the throne in the best Jareth fashion.
 
Thunderclap said:
It seems like a contemporary scene, not a flashback to when Ned first entered the throne room during the Sack of King's Landing. Some of the most iconic and evocative images--Robert and Rhaegar's duel, Jaime on the throne, the tower of joy--are in the flashbacks. If they choose to show those scenes, I fully expect to see Ser Jaime slouching on the throne in the best Jareth fashion.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I hope they do show some flashback scenes. Not usually a fan of flashbacks, but some of the scenes would look awesome. Also, I hope they do the prologue for the first book. I was thinking, how cool would it be if they filmed those scenes (the first encounter with the Others, before chapter 1 of A Game of Thrones) and released it as a teaser trailer. It would be brilliant, and I think it would really drum up interest.
 
A scene of the Battle of the Trident could be pretty cool all right.
 
From what I've see of the 15 minute sneak peek.... it's gonna be an awesome show.
 
taviow said:
George R. R. Martin attempts to lower expectations.
Click to expand...

Eh, I was never really expecting a huge budget. I mean, if its anything like Rome (they say aGOT is the most expensive fantasy show produced, but I dont know if ROME falls under that category as well) then the budget is high enough to do the show justice. I was never expecting a Lord of the Rings level of production. Give me good performances from the actors, and don't skimp on the viciousness of the plot, and I'll be subscribing to HBO just for this show.


Also, A Dance With Dragons coming out sometime soon? OHGODOHGODOHGOD
 
There's a new preview at makinggamesofthrones.com. As if he heard our pleas, Pimpmaster Jaime is lounging on the Iron Throne, which looks sufficiently crazyawesome.
 
yep, though its not just jaime sitting on the throne...


ironthrone.jpg
 
It's a lot swordier than I imagined. I always imagined it as a large black mess with most of the swords melted down and hammered into smooth shapes with the stray blades sticking out at strange angles. Looks cool though.
 
Its a little browner than I imagined, but I always figured it would be sharp and jagged. It is supposed the most uncomfortable chair in the world, after all. Easily the coolest prop/set piece ive seen yet. The only thing that could dethrone it (hurrhurr) is the Wall.
 
Not as spiky as I'd imagined. But then again, GRRM wasn't too explicit on what it looked like.

My biggest problem with the visuals is Robert. He's supposed to be huge! Like 6-5 huge. I know Mark Addy is short, but they could have at least given him a bit of a Gandalf treatment. From what we've seen he's his normal height.

I hope Stannis will have a bit part in the first season (iirc he's only mentioned in book 1). I'm really curious what their take on him will be.
 
I don't recall any casting news regarding Stannis, so he probably won't be in the first season.
 
Also Robert's black hair is a bit of a plot point, but they haven't dyed the actors hair to match :\
 
Look, the writers are not imbeciles. I'm sure they've figured out a way around all the various plot holes that may arise in adapting this to television.

On another note, I doubt we'll ever get him, but Stannis always sounded EXACTLY like Mark Strong to me.
 
I find it quite wonderful that the things getting people "upset" are Dany's eyebrows, Robert's hair, and other such trivialities. Its a sign that the show is sticking very close to the books, if eyebrows are whats sticking out as deviations.
 
Well, considering how little info we have, all we really have to go by is the tiny details in random, out-of-context stills.
 
The eyebrows don't bother me because OMG IT'S NOT TEH SAME AS THE BOOKS but because it just looks weird and as I said, Robert's black hair isn't trivial, it's a plot point. They're going to have to now make reference explicitly about how Robert's hair used to be black. Just seems a little silly.
 
Miss Williams has clearly perfected the "Somebody's about to get stabbed and it's not gonna be me!" facial expression, which, as all fans know, is absolutely VITAL to Arya's character.

021011-ep03-arya-knife-in-table-1920.jpg
 
Some of the pronunciations are quite different than how I've been saying them in my head. Mostly Targaryen, Catelyn, Gendry and Sansa. I've always said Catelyn like Kaitlin for instance, and Gendry with a soft "G."

Catelyn Stark - CAT-lin STARK ("cat" like the animal)
Daenerys Targaryen - Duh-NAIR-iss Tar-GAIR-ee-in
Eddard Stark - ED-dard STARK
Gendry - GEN-dree (hard "g")
Illyrio - Il-LEAR-ee-oh
Sansa Stark - SAHN-suh STARK
Valyrian - Vuh-LEER-ee-un
Vaes Dothrak - VIE-iss Doth-RACK

Full list: http://www.makinggameofthrones.com/...-pronunciation-guide-for-game-of-thrones.html
 
Only surprises for me are Gendry, Catelyn, and Tyrell. How can it be Catlyn. Do you know a Catlin? All I know are Caitlins. Wtf.

Haha, I've had Baratheon right all along (apparently).
 
Yeah, I've been doing Baratheon right too. I'm ok with all the pronunciations, except for Eddard. I mean, its sorta sounds the right way, and in text it looks fine, but the way its said in the trailers bugs me. They put a lot of emphasis on the "ar" in it. Sorta like, Edd-ARD. Doesn't seem like a natural way to say it, compared to the way I've always said it, more like Edd-erd.

EDIT: Uhg, you're right. I didn't even notice Tyrell.

Loras Tyrell - LOR-us TI-rul
 
I've been getting Catelyn (Cat-il-in or Kate-lin depending on my mood), Daenerys, Sansa (SAHN? Really?), Baratheon, Tyrell & Clegane wrong.
 
We can only presume these are the canonical statements. I imagine they asked GRRM about it.

Still, SAHN is teh lulz. Sandor and Sansa should be pronounced the same way, otherwise the portmanteau shipping name of SanSan makes no sense.

'Asshai' was the one that always threw me for a loop in the books.

EDIT: At least we avoided the whole Puh-tyre debacle from the audio books.
 
Please tell me I'm not the only one who clicked through and saw "An Invitation To Westboros."
 
I certainly didn't, considering it took me three reads of your post to figure out that you didn't say Westeros.
 
So I've been reading the book on my lunch breaks for the past month or so. I will admit it was hard for me to get into the story, but by a hundred pages or so I was hooked. Just got to the part where
Sansa is told about her father being trader, and then presented with an offer to get back in the queens good graces

Now I know why everyone is excited about this show.
 
Man, you have no idea. Its only just getting started for you. If you're anything like me, you're going to blow through the next several books because you'll be so excited.
 
My question is this (and sorry if its been addressed): Is the show going to progress in story assuming the next season will be based on the second book? Or is season one self contained (like the Seeker series).
 
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