It seems like fantasy novelist George R.R. Martin is making the rounds through Hollywood these days. The hit HBO medieval drama Game of Thrones is adapted from Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire series; it was picked up for a second season just two days after its premiere back in April and garnered critical acclaim during its first (along with some major Emmy nods and a win).
Now, Martin‘s science fiction, shared-universe superhero anthology, Wild Cards, is being adapted by SyFy Films as the company’s first project. The company was launched last December when SyFy Ventures and Universal Pictures teamed-up for the new film group. [Deadline]
SyFy Films plan to make two movies per year by 2012, and will partially do so through hiring former DC Comics executive, Gregory Noveck, as Senior Vice President of Production. For a first-time project, SyFy Films is definitely taking on a big commitment, considering Wild Cards has accumulated upward of 20 books since its creation in 1987. The series is based on several stories written by various authors, including Roger Zelazny and Paul Cornell, which are then edited by Martin himself.
Inspired by superhero comic books, Wild Cards is based in an alternate history of Earth following World War II. After an alien virus that rewrites human DNA is accidentally released over NYC, 90% of the population dies, 9% become deformed creatures known in the books as “Jokers,” and 1% gain superheros — they become known as “Aces.” Each novel’s chapter is written by a different author, but all run along the same lines through a central theme or event.
Melinda Snodgrass, one of the writers on the series, has been tapped to write the screenplay for the first movie; Martin and she will also executive produce. It’s a good thing SyFy Films tapped the both of them for the project, since it will be pretty difficult to get each of the Wild Cards books just right, due to the varying authorship.
A release date for the first installment has yet to be determined.
Will you watch the Wild Cards movies?