In November of 2008, it was announced that HBO had ordered a pilot episode for Game of Thrones, a potential new series based on George R.R. Martin‘s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels. If a series was ordered, the plan was to make each season based on a book in the series — the first season being of course based on A Game of Thrones. Almost a year later we were informed that Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) had been cast along with a few other names, but the series was still not a sure thing, and it wouldn’t be until the pilot was seen that a decision would be made. Fast forward to present day and we still do not know if Game of Thrones will become a full series, but buzz has been steadily growing and a solid fanbase has already been developing.
Now comes word straight from HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo that he has seen footage from the pilot episode and that he believes its chances for getting a full greenlight are “very strong.”
Everything looks fantastic. The director got great performances. Unlike a lot of projects like this, everything was shot on location. It has such a rich texture that it looks more expensive than it actually was.
The fantasy is so incidental, it has a very adult tone. You forget it’s fantasy while you’re watching it, and that’s what I love about it.
Lombardo went on to state that he “would be surprised if it doesn’t [get greenlit]. It has everything going for it,” and that if all went well, we could very well see the Game of Thrones HBO series begin in March or April of 2011.
A couple more details about the pilot episode: it will be using some CGI effects, mainly for backgrounds, dragon’s eggs, and animals like the direwolf. Fans of the books will also be happy to know that they are keeping true to the distinguishing colors that different families wear.
[Source: THR]
