HBO’s adaptation of the fantasy series by George R. R. Martin just keeps looking more and more authentic.
Reading George R. R. Martin’s novel A Game of Thrones in 1996 made me excited for the fantasy genre again. Its gritty setting of Westeros was more focused on swords than sorcery, and reading the complicated plots unfold was a genuine joy. No character is sacred or above being killed off, and the constant chance of mortality keeps the tension hot for more than 3,000 pages over the next three volumes. The last novel, A Feast for Crows was a bit lackluster compared to the first three, but, while I wait anxiously for Martin to finish the fifth book, I have HBO’s adaptation to look forward to, which is scheduled to premiere sometime in Spring 2011. The third teaser trailer played on the premium channel last night before Boardwalk Empire, and it shows off dialogue and scenes that we’ve never seen before.
As I’ve said before, Sean Bean as Eddard Stark is a great casting choice, and we see him teaching his son Bran why he had to execute a deserter. It’s an iconic opening scene in the book, showing that this story isn’t about Hobbits and magic rings but the real problems humans have with governing themselves. If this teaser is any indication, the TV series will closely mirror those themes.
I also love the line from Cersei Lannister, “You were trained to follow,” and Ned’s reply, “I was trained to kill.” Knowing the tension between those two characters, and how it plays out in the first book, that scene convinced me that the TV series will definitely do the books justice.
In addition, HBO has also released a shorter teaser which has comments on the making of the TV show from the creators and the actors. Most of them only contribute a phrase or two, but it’s enough to drive the point home that everyone working on this show knows just how awesome the story is and they are all committed to making it rock.
Source: GRR Martin’s blog
