In April of 2011, HBO will launch A Game of Thrones upon a mainstream television audience. Expectations from the fan base are incredibly high at this point and based upon what I've seen through various video clips and behind the scenes interviews, it seems the producers of this show have a very good grasp on the themes behind the story. I always tend to approach these things with typical fanboy skepticism, yet at the same time, I try to be realistic as well. No, some of the characters and events won't be just like we imagined in the novels. There will be, for better or worse, some creative liberties taken with the show in regards to how it correlates with the book. I understand this as I would hope any fan would. I won't be pausing every scene on my DVR and analyzing whether they got each particular house insignia correct or not.
In my opinion, the success of this show will lie in how well the characters are portrayed. These characters aren't driven by black and white, or good and evil. Instead they have their own motives and ambitions for their own reasons. What has always intrigued me about the story is how you might perceive a person as a villain, only to have that perception flipped on its head later on. If they can capture this, along with the visual representation of the Seven Kingdoms, I think the show will stand as a ground breaking piece of entertainment.
What do you think? Will the show live up to the hype or will it be a failed experiment in the genre of fantasy?
Here's an inside look on the show with some comments by Mr. Martin himself.
I think that it would be nice to have an ending to the series before they start making a movie of it. I loved the books but I'd really like to know how it all ends.
ReplyDeletemshatch, I think we've all been dying to know how it all comes together for sure. From my understanding this series will cover the events of the first book. That leaves plenty of room to play with. Of course, it's been 5 years since the last volume and god only knows how long before we'll see the next. I understand it's near completion, then again I've been hearing that for 3 years now.
ReplyDeleteI'm optimistic about the show with the assumption going in that it won't be just like the book. It almost can't be unless you had 20 or more episodes and the hugest production budget ever. So, in addition to how well the characters are written and portrayed I think the trick to success with this will be in choosing the right amount of focus the tv series. There are so many plots and subplots and such a vast cast of characters just involved with the main story line that I think things fans love will have to be cut.
ReplyDeleteThe downside to its possible success will be Martin spending even more time on helping with the series vs. finishing that damn book.
James, I think you're right. There's just so much going on that they can't possibly pull in every detail. And yes, I guess Martin's involvement can seen as both a blessing and a curse. From my understanding he's written the teleplay for the 8th episode himself, but I'm sure with his television background he's been heavily involved with the show's production, of course, furthering the delay of the next volume.
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