Time Warner (TWX) may already have its next big franchise if George R.R. Martin has his way. At the New York premiere for season 4, the best selling author and series creator suggested a Game of Thrones movie. Fool contributor Tim Beyers explains the implications in the following video.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Martin said that a $100 million Game of Thrones movie might be needed to wrap the show -- even if it runs 10 years. "Those dragons get real big, you know," Martin joked.
But he's right. The A Song of Ice and Fire books upon which the TV series is based are not only epic in scope but also size. Most of the finished books run at least 700 pages long, with two more still to come.
And let's not forget that Martin has also written a series of novellas set the before the events of Game of Thrones. He's given HBO more than enough material for at least one and possibly several Game of Thrones movies.
There's also a huge audience of fans. Last season saw the show's median viewership zoom an estimated 28.9%, contributing to a 4.9% jump in domestic HBO subscribers and a 4.4% bump in revenue. Time Warner is already cashing in on its relationship with Martin.
And yet with so much material available for adapting, Tim says a Game of Thrones movie makes sense. Mix in a history of adapting HBO dramas to the big screen (i.e., two Sex and the City films and an Entourage film on the way) and Warner Bros.' need for new franchises and the project comes off as all but inevitable. Do you agree? Sound off in the comments section below.
