Game of Thrones Spin-Off Future Is Animated & George Martin Loves It

Summary:

• George Martin recently announced three animated Game of Thrones spin-offs. Previously, his works were only adapted as live-actions.
• Some fans recognize the brilliance of this idea as it will allow for more book-accurate depictions of locations and characters on a smaller budget.
• The majority of comments, however, demand that GRRM get back to writing The Winds of Winter and stop messing around in Hollywood with his spin-offs.

George Martin’s books became an instant worldwide phenomenon as soon as the first adaptation, Game of Thrones, hit the small screens. As time passed, it became obvious that the audience loved GRRM’s fictional world — and not too long after the Game of Thrones’s finale, HBO created a new live-action TV show based on the author’s work: House of the Dragon, the prequel about the Targaryens.

But even then, there are no signs of HBO giving up on George Martin’s work any time soon. There are several additional spin-off shows in the waiting, but guess what: they won’t be anything like we’ve seen before. They will be animated!

George Martin Announced the New Era for His Adaptations

The one and only GRRM recently hopped on his Not a Blog to announce great news about the next spin-offs — or, rather, prequels — to Game of Thrones. Unlike HotD and SNOW, the upcoming shows will completely step away from the live-action model. Instead, they will be animated, marking a new milestone for GRRM’s world.

As two projects were already supposed to be animated, the author pointed out that the much-anticipated Nine Voyages, though initially supposed to be live-action, will also join the new Westerosi realm of animated brutality. This is largely due to budget constraints and, less so, Martin’s newly-found obsession with animated films.

Apart from the Voyages, GRRM didn’t reveal the other two series that are planned to be animated, but the author is clearly excited about the prospects of this approach.

“There’s a whole world out there, and we have a lot better chance of showing it all with animation. <...> I hope we can make them as good and gorgeous and gripping as Blue-Eyed Samurai,” George Martin shared in Not a Blog.

How Did Fans React to the Animation News?

Considering George Martin’s everlasting book progress stagnation and the audience’s frustration with the author, it’s not surprising that most fans didn’t take the news lightly. On Reddit, numerous fans expressed their discontent with the new plans, demanding that GRRM stop chilling in Hollywood and get back to writing.

“I think Game of Thrones as a franchise is going to run out of steam pretty fast with the amount of shows they have planned, particularly if George doesn't finish the books. <...> I know George doesn't necessarily owe it to me, but I'd like to see a story I don't know the ending to get finished instead,” user notalent12 wrote.

Their comment can genuinely be rated as the most civil, but the general sentiment is clear: GRRM’s fans care little for new shows, animated or not. They only want The Winds of Winter, which — let’s be honest here — doesn’t seem like a likely prospect.

However, some fans (much like ourselves) still appreciated the idea and saw the potential animated spin-offs carry. In their eyes, stepping away from live-actions is a great and much-needed move as it will allow for more creative freedom.

“This could be huge for character/set design. A lot of GRRM's descriptions had to be toned down for the series because of either logistical/financial reasons or because they are impossible to execute in live action without looking tacky from a design standpoint. But in the right cartoon style, anything goes,” Nemesinthe pointed out.

They are absolutely correct, of course; but the book would also be nice to have.

Source: George Martin via Not a Blog