A Song of Fire and Ice coming to HBO

[battousai]

I havent started to read GRRM's work yet, but its definitely on hold until I get some more free time. Im just wondering if HBO will gather enough viewers to make it a success. Most likely 100% of the fans will watch it, but that may be through downloading the eps rather than actually purchasing HBO. I have doubts whether if it will continue to run. No doubt probably the first or second book may be translated into the series, but will HBO really get enough viewers to continue on?

 

I also thought Id give the link for GRRM's site and his view on the series.

 

http://www.georgerrmartin.com/news.html

[Werthead]

The books have sold about 5 million copies, probably more by 2009-10, and the last novel got to number one in the New York Times Bestseller lists, so there is a sizable audience out there for it. It depends on international sales, DVD sales, critical acclaim etc. I must admit that I find it difficult to believe they can sustain the story, the effort and the expense for six to seven seasons/years in a row.

 

But, given this time last week I'd have considered it impossible that the series would get adapted at all, I'd be happy even for just one or two seasons.

 

It is also worth remembering that by the time the series airs, many people will be running Windows Vista, which I understand has much stricter controls on downloading suspicously large episode-sized files from the Internet. I daresay someone will get round it, but that may help reduce the 'problem' of downloading.

 

Initially I thought this would bode well for a WoT adaption, since if ASoIaF is successful than the studios may start looking at other long fantasy stories. However, it did occur to me that if ASoIaF (a low-magic story, is has to be said) is making it to the screen as a 6-7 season story with a huge per-season budget, then the chances of WoT making it may be correspondingly reduced. No studio is going to fund 12 seasons of a show (where the main characters only age two years, which would be impossible to portray) ahead of time and reducing the story to say six seasons (two books per season) would entail cuts, and the much higher use of magic would probably put the budget beyond sustainable levels.

[Guest Emperor]

Wert, I totally agree with you and your views of making WOT a series.