When I first learned that HBO was in the process of producing a big budget adaptation of George R. R. Martin's sprawling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire (of which Game of Thrones is the title of the first novel), I was somewhat interested from the standpoint that this would be HBO's first serious go at a fantasy series (the mysticism of Carnivale aside I suppose). However, I didn't know anything about the books and obviously there weren't many details about the show at the time.
Now that I'm well into the second novel, A Clash of Kings, I can easily say that the source material for this TV show is fantastic. It has a depth and complexity to it that rivals (and perhaps surpasses in some ways) Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, yet is engaging and moving and at times electrifyingly good (Lord Eddard Stark's attempt to escape from King's Landing and final confrontation with Joffrey, Littlefinger, and the Lannisters immediately comes to mind).
And now that we're just starting to get some visuals on the TV show, the outlook is truly stunning.
This newly released trailer, Raven, is more of a mood setter than anything else, but does a remarkable job of capturing the feeling of the novels.
This behind the scenes look at A Game of Thrones though is the best window yet that we've had to see what the series will be like. Martin's and Sean Bean's (yes, good old Boramir from Peter Jackson's epic LoTR films will be playing Lord Stark) excitement is palpable, and the glimpses that we see of the action are intriguing to say the least.
Check out more at the Making Game of Thrones site. It seems fitting for instance that the series is being filmed in Belfast, which feels like a great setting for windswept Winterfell (at least until winter comes, and as we hear over and over, it's coming), Riverrun, and all the seven kingdoms of Westeros.
