Variety - Fantasy sits on 'Thrones'Tue., Nov. 11, 2008
Cable network greenlights 'Game'
HBO has greenlit production on the pilot for a fantasy drama series, "Game of Thrones," based on a book series by George R.R. Martin.
Pilot for the long-gestating project was penned by feature scribes David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Former HBO entertainment prexy Carolyn Strauss will serve as a co-exec producer, along with Guymon Casady, Vincent Gerardis and author Martin.
HBO acquired the TV adaptation rights to Martin's "Songs of Ice and Fire" book series nearly two years ago.
Pilot for the HBO skein is described as an exploration of "an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom."
Benioff's recent credits include penning the screenplay for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." Weiss recently sold bounty hunter thriller "Kashmir" to Relativity Media and is writing a prequel to Will Smith's "I Am Legend" for Warner Bros.
"Game of Thrones" is among nearly a dozen pilots in contention for series greenlights as HBO aims to significantly boost the volume of original series on its sked over the next two years.