Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, Dustin Hoffman and David Simon? With a roster like that, HBO looks primed to reclaim its rep as the net that defined original cable programming. Oh, and I didn't even mention the greenlight Home Box Office gave to George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones series.
Fans of the epic sword and sorcery tombs have been clamoring for word on the series' development and today they got their wish. HBO has given the go-ahead for an additional nine episodes on top of the already ordered pilot, which will go into production in Ireland this June. Game of Thrones will take place during the first book in Martin's series, "A Song of Fire and Ice." Notable names attached to 'Thrones include Sean Bean cast as Lord Eddard Stark and Lena Headey as Cersei, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
Bean is no stranger to the fantasy realm, having just put in a performance as Zeus in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. In addition, turns in Lord of the Rings, Troy and Crusoe make him a natural fit for Martin's sprawling fantasy saga.
Headey, of course, was the titular character in the ill-fated FOX cult hit, The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
While we're salivating over what's shaping up to be a triumphant return of the fantasy genre to TV, lets not overlook HBO's other big news this week. The premium cabler has ordered the pilot for Luck, the product of a clusterfrak of talent consisting of David Milch (Deadwood creator), Michael Mann (maker of great motion pictures) and Dustin Hoffman (Dustin Hoffman).
The series focuses on a life-long gambler (Hoffman) fresh out of jail after a four-year bid and looking to take down the horse tracks with an unbeatable system. Mann has directing duties on the pilot and will serve as executive producer along with Milch.
Sounds pretty unbeatable to me.
