George RR Martin: “Game of Thrones was introduced as The Sopranos in Middle-earth”

George RR Martin has spoken about how the hit HBO series game of Thrones was initially sold as“The sopranos in Middle-earth”.

Appearing at the Santa Fe Literary Festival in conversation with friend and colleague Douglas Preston, Martin opened up about his history in Hollywood, noting that networks often look for pitches that “compare things to previous things that have been successful.”

“game of Thrones was first sold by David Benioff and Dan Weiss when I was still writing books, which I seem to be doing for the rest of my life,” he said.

“I haven’t been on TV for a few years. David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the showrunners, were the guys who took it to HBO to see if they would buy it or take an option. Their pitch was: “The Sopranos in Middle-earth”. You have to be able to say it in one sentence.”

Later in his talk, Martin took time out to court house of dragon, the new HBO series based on his 2018 novel, Fire & Blood. It will tell the story of the Civil War in Targaryen, which takes place some 300 years before the events of game of Thrones.

He also offered a brief update on the forthcoming novel The Winds of Winter.

“On 21.08. house of the dragonthe continuation of game of Thrones, will air on HBO,” Martin said. “Meanwhile, I’m still working on the damn novels!”

Speak with The Independent Before his presentation, Martin commented on the alleged rivalry between them house of the dragon and the upcoming JRR Tolkien-inspired show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

“I know a lot of articles, the moment the dates were announced, it was like, ‘Oh, the battle for fantasy supremacy. It is Rings of Power versus house of dragon, Who will win?’ I don’t know why they always have to do that,” he said.

He added: “I hope both shows are successful. I’m competitive enough. I hope we can do more. If they win six Emmys, and I hope they win, I hope we win seven. But nonetheless, it’s good for the imagination. i love fantasy I love science fiction. I want more shows on TV.”

The Independent, as the event’s international media partner, covers every day of the festival with exclusive interviews with some of the headline writers. You can find more information about the festival on our Section of the Santa Fe Literary Festival or visit the Festival website.