Back in November, it was announced that HBO had ordered a pilot episode for a show called Game of Thrones, which is based on the highly-popular fantasy book series by George R.R. Martin, A Song of Fire and Ice (Read: George R.R. Martin’s ‘A Song Of Ice And Fire’ Series Heads For HBO). The pilot will be directed by Tom McCarthy, who is a well-known character actor who has appeared in movies like Meet the Parents and a slew of George Clooney movies including Syriana, Good Night, and Good Luck, and Michael Clayton. Mr. McCarthy is a multi-talented man, though, and does have some writing and directing experience, having directed wonderful movies like The Station Agent and Oscar-nominated The Visitor, as well as a story writer on Pixar’s Up. The pilot is one of about ten that will attempt to obtain a full series treatment by HBO.

To assure that they give it all that they have, the show is putting together quite the cast. Most-notably, Sean Bean has just been cast in the role of Lord Eddard Stark, an honorable man who becomes an adviser to the king. Bean been around for a long time and has done many great things, but he is probably best known for his work as Boromir, the loyal warrior fighting temptation in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He’s also appeared in movies like National Treasure, Silent Hill, Troy, and even as Emperor-to-be Martin Septim in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion!

Also joining the cast are relatively unknowns Kit Harrington, who will play Lord Eddard’s bastard son Jon Snow; Harry Lloyd, who will play a powerless ruler named Viserys who is trying to have his sisters marry into royalty; and Jack Gleeson, who will play the young son of King Robert. Mark Addy, who is all-around fantastic in movies like The Fully Monty and A Knight’s Tale, is in-negotiations for the role of King Robert.

The series — if it comes to be — will use the perfect TV/Movie style that HBO shows allow, with each of the seven books of the A Song of Ice and Fire series accounting for one season. This format will ensure that all of the great content of the first book, A Game of Thrones, will be covered instead of all of the cropping and editing that comes with adapting a movie out of a 700+ page novel.

Of course, the pilot does still need to be made and succeed before we know if we’ll have ourselves a brand new HBO fantasy series, but fans of the books must be giddy with glee at how things are shaping up so far!

[Source: THR]