HBO Says Winter is Coming: A Game of Thrones Heads to TV

It’s been a while since I was this excited about a new television show with swords. I mean, granted I enjoy Legend of the Seeker but I can’t say it’s exactly, um, the highest quality out there. Sure, the fight scenes are amazing, but I’m admittedly not the biggest Terry Goodkind fan in the world.

George R. R. Martin, however, is another story altogether. I won’t go into a long, glowing, gushing diatribe about how much I love Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series (you can thank me later) but I will say that it changed everything about how I view, read, and write fantasy. It had a greater impact on me than the Lord of the Rings in that respect.

Since I heard whisperings about the new television series, based on Martin’s A Game of Thrones and put together by HBO, I’ve been cautiously optimistic. It’s gritty, brutal, brilliant storytelling that seems catered for good television (not surprising considering Martin’s background in television). However, I’ve learned to be disappointed, especially when it comes to things I love on television (see: Firefly, Deadwood).

The best news so far, aside from Sean Bean and Peter Dinklage starring in two integral roles in the series, is that the first season has been officially picked up by HBO (as if there was any question… but still). Did you hear me squee from over there? Yeah, thought so. Let’s just hope that in this difficult economy HBO can balance budget with ballast, and we can leverage the series’ popularity with some decent numbers in the ratings for some staying power.

Not to mention, they’ve also released one kickass picture. More, I say. More! I want to see the Stark kids in full costume; I want some swords and armor! I demand it. And some ships. And maybe a Kraken.

Ahem.

That said, if for some reason you’ve never read the series, you really ought to. Granted, the series isn’t finished yet (a rather sore spot among some of the fans out there, I should point out), but even so it’s worth having your own vision before the television imagines it for you!

[Via The Hollywood Reporter]