Just in time for 2024, which is the “year of the dragon,” the acclaimed Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin has revealed that three animated projects based on this popular books are in the works. In a blog post published on Sunday, the author of Song of Ice and Fire began by recommending fans to watch one his favorite shows, the Netflix animated series, Blue Eye Samurai.
“As it happens, HBO and I have our own animated projects, set in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire,” Martin added. “None of them have been greenlit yet, but I think we are getting close to taking the next step with a couple of them. When this last round of development started a few years back, we had four ideas for animated shows, with some great talents attached. Writers rooms and summits, outline and scripts followed in due course… but, alas, two of the original projects were subsequently shelved.”
The author also noted that while two of the original animated projects are still being developed, the House of the Dragon prequel Nine Voyages has moved from live action to animation. The series will center on the adventures of Sea Snake Corlys Velaryon (played in House of the Dragon by Steve Toussaint) as he embarks on his legendary adventure across Essos.
Martin added, “Budgetary constraints would likely have made a live-action version prohibitively expensive, what with half the show taking place at sea, and the necessity of creating a different port every week, from Driftmark to Lys to the Basilisk Isles to Volantis to Qarth to… well, on and on and on. There’s a whole world out there. And we have a lot better chance of showing it all with animation. So we now have three animated projects underway.”
“Will any of them make it to air? No way to know,” he wrote. “Nothing is certain in Hollywood. But if it does happen, with one or two or all of thee hows, I hope we can make them as good as gorgeous and gripping as Blue Eye Samurai…we will for damn sure try!”
HBO has also confirmed that the next Game of Thrones spinoff will be A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg, a century before the events of the original saga.
Sources: Entertainment Weekly, georgerrmartin.com
