TheWildCardsAreComing…toTelevision!WeareproudtoannouncethatUniversalCableProductionshasacquiredtherightstoadaptthebelovedmosaicnovelsWildCardsandwillbegindevelopmentoftheseriesintoawhatweallhopewillbethefirstofseveralinterlockingseries.
TheTVseriescouldbecomingtoyourhomescreensinthenextyearortwoandalthoughGRRMismassivelyexcitedaboutthewholeventurehehimselfwon’tbeworkingontheshow.ThisiswhathewroteonhisNotaBloginexplanation“(M)yowndevelopmentdealisexclusivetoHBO,andIamwritingTheWindsofWinter,asIbelievemostofyouwillrecall…butIhaveeveryconfidenceinMelindaSnodgrassandGregoryNoveck.TheyknowandlovetheWildCardsuniversealmostaswellasIdo,andIthinktheywilldoaterrificjob.”
WildCardsisa22-volume(todate)bookseries–thefirstvolumepublishedin1986–setinanalternateworld.Martin’sblogdescribesWildCardsthusly:“ThesharedworldoftheWildCardsdivergedfromourownonSeptember15,1946whenanalienviruswasreleasedintheskiesoverManhattan,andspreadacrossanunsuspectingEarth.Ofthoseinfected,90%diedhorribly,drawingtheblackqueen,9%weretwistedanddeformedintojokers,whilealucky1%becameblessedwithextraordinaryandunpredictablepowersandbecameaces.Theworldwasneverthesame.”
TranslationsandreprintsofWildCardsbooksandstorieshavebeenpublishedaroundtheglobe,withcomicbooks,graphicnovels,androle-playinggamesalsochroniclingtheadventuresoftheacesandjokersoftheWildCarduniverse.
UniversalCableProductions,apartofNBCUniversalCableEntertainment,willadaptthe“anthologiesandmosaicnovels”fortelevision,Martinsaid.
“MelindaM.Snodgrass,myassistanteditorandright-handmanonWildCardssinceitsinception,thecreatorofDr.Tachyon,DoubleHelix,andFrannyBlack,andaseasonedtelevisionwriter/producerwhosecreditsincludeStarTrek:TheNextGeneration(“MeasureofaMan”),ReasonableDoubts,TheProfiler,andStarCommand,isattachedasanexecutiveproducerontheproject,togetherwithGregoryNoveckofRED,SlowLearner,andSyFyFilms.”
UCPprogrammingincludesMr.Robot,Colony,RoyalPainsandSuits,amongmanyothers.
AccordingtoMartin’ssite,writers,includinghimself,thathavecontributedtotheWildCarduniverseoverthreedecadeshaveincludedHowardWaldrop,WalterJonWilliams,StephenLeigh,VictorMilan,JohnJos.Miller,GailGerstnerMiller,EdwardBryantandLeanneC.Harper,tonameaveryfew.
