Oh good lordy – I try to restrain myself from making excessive claims in haste, but after seeing the full trailer for the upcoming HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (retitled for television as Game of Thrones, after the first novel in the series), I am thinking that this could very well be the most epic fantasy television event in the history of epic fantasy television events. Granted, not that it is difficult to top, as the epic fantasy realm in television has mostly been comprised of poorly produced and acted shows such as Xena and Hercules – but take a look at this trailer and tell me that you are not a believer.
It comes from some seriously strong source material, of course. I’m an unabashed snob when it comes to literature and while it took quite a bit of convincing by a good friend of mine before I read Martin’s books, I was hooked from the very first page. Here’s HBO’s official description via Martin’s blog:
Based on the popular book series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” by George R.R. Martin, the fantasy series GAME OF THRONES chronicles an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom. The ensemble cast includes Mark Addy, Sean Bean, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Kit Harington and Aidan Gillen. The show was shot at the Paint Hall Studio in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as well as at various locations in Northern Ireland and Malta.
Just check out the trailer and see what you think. If nothing else convinces you, the fact that Peter Dinklage (my tribute) is in a supporting role should!
You can check out the first episode Sunday, April 17 on HBO.
GAME OF THRONES, THE BORGIAS… Summer is shapping into a great time for TV. Sweet!
And I’ve pretty much given up on reading the book before the series starts. It just ‘aint going to happen. Too much other stuff on the reading list.
fall tv pilots this year are insane… most looking forward to J.J. Abram’s Alcatraz
Jonathan, is the series just based on the first book, or on all the ones published so far? I’m about a quarter the way through the first book, and will likely manage to finish it before the series starts, but there’s no way I’ll make it through all the books in time.
Each season is going to cover ONE book in the series. So, this season will cover the first book, A Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, Martin still has a few books to go before his story is complete, so here is to hoping he can finish before the seasons catch up!
Ok, as a huge fan of fantasy and epics and Sean Bean, I might have to get HBO just to watch this series. Looks amazing.