Kevin's Watch

We've witnessed the glorious achievement that is Jackson's LOTR trilogy and we've discussed the difficulties in bringing TCTC to the silver screen. Now that Hollywood knows there is a market for the fantasy genre and has been given a template by Peter Jackson I would imagine that other big budget fantasy projects will follow.

Can ASOIAF be done? It is more of an action driven movie more akin to LOTR than TCTC. If I made the movie myself it would be "R" rated and would not shy away from the gritty realism of the novels. Imagine the audience's suprise as main characters drop off in the middle of the second and third installments and aren't resurrected in the next film!

I look back at certain movies that changed the way cinema evolved...The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now and Platoon ushered in the era of hyperrealistic war movies, The Excorcist broke all cinematic taboos and became a classic. Jackson may have started a cinematic revolution with LOTR and I think ASOIAF, if done properly, could cement the genre by mixing the realism of Boorman's "Excalibur" with the style and attention to detail evident in Jackson's LOTR.

Is the length of the novels prohibitive? Can it be done? Is Hollywood bold enough? What do you think?

I think and seriously hope it can and will be done-it's stunning film material-much ezier to make than TCTC. But it will prob take at least 8-10 instalments 2 finish the entire series. Once I can get past

Spoiler

Lady and Ned's death scenes

I think I'll b alright...

Each book in that series is about as long as LOTR itself, so I think a TV miniseries in the vein of Band of Brothers would only do ASOIAF justice. Those massive books would just not fit well in a movie format.

tru...ok make that 20 instalments...

You may be right Foul. I don't think ASOIAF would require as many costly effects as LOTR with only the locations and Dany's Dragons requiring significant FX investment. It might be able to be done as miniseries but it would have to be HBO or some other serious producer to do it justice.

I dunno...is aSoIaF too character-driven to become a film?

The charcters are wonderful -- something I have found in all Martin's books I have tried...but there is enough action in the ASOIAF books that I think they could possibly translate very well to the big screen...
It would have to be an awfully big budget, though, to cover the big river battle at King's Landing and some of the other scenes, though...
And to do the story justice, it would have to take a very gifted and dedicated director...
But most of all, Martin has to finish his masterpiece first!

I think it could be done well, but it is, as you have said, the adult nature of the series that could be problematic - It really depends how much the makers want to stick to the books... I think they'd need to significantly alter some of Dany's scenes from the first book.
I do believe they would make great films. THey wouldn't have to be so long, either, IMO, but there would have to be at least 6 films, which could be a problem, since they're not exactly Harry Potter (who will be getting 7)....

Edit - I'd forgotten about the Battle of the Blackwater. You're right, Duchess - to do that battle justice it would require a large budget and good special effects...



PS - Where's our GRRM Library forum?!

I found a kick-ass site on the ASOIAF message board that had the board's chosen cast for an ASOIAF movie. Some of the decisions were great. I'll get the link some time (I hope lol).

www.geocities.com/immateriald/Home.html?1063874511006 There's the "Chosen Cast"!

The site is right about Daniel Day Lewis making a good Stark, but I think I'd rather have relative unknowns playing the parts, rather than Julian Moore.

And the mere thought of Warwick Davis as Tyrion Lannister causes me to contemplate a killing spree.

I don't know what the name of the actor is but the guy who plays the poetry spouting dwarf in the miniseries of Children of Dune would make a fabulous Tyrion! Actually, in the books, the dwarf, I believe, is present only in Dune Messiah-the miniseries is a combination of those two books.

Quark could be Tyrion. Armin Shimmerman's favorite role is Shakespeare's Richard the Whichever-#-it-is.

Great LInk Mhoram...

We should do this for the Chronicles. It would be great fun!

VAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I was thinking that too, Brinn. Mayhaps Vain has too much on his plate, and another Web-savvy member could do it?

Seriously--we need to start up a movement to do this for the Chronicles--I forgot this thread even existed

Great post, LM! What an inspired cast!