“This was not supposed to go public,” George R. R. Martin wrote on his Not a Blog…on April 1. He’s writing about a “leak,” but unfortunately, it doesn’t involve Game of Thrones. Instead, he’s talking about Hulu’s upcoming adaptation of Wild Cards, the series of shared universe superhero stories he’s been editing since 1987. According to Martin, development is rapidly progressing:
"What was NOT supposed to be known is how far they’ve (the Wild Cards production team) come. Not only have some scripts been finished, but the first show has gone into production and has been shooting. That was supposed to be a deep dark secret, however. We wanted to surprise the world."
However, it looks like some footage from the Wild Cards show has gotten out, albeit without the special effects added in. Take a look:
Okay, we can drop the charade. Obviously this isn’t footage from the Wild Cards show. It’s an April Fool’s joke Martin and company drummed up to try to spur interest in Wild Cards even though the internet is currently deluged with Game of Thrones teasers, images, and posters. Did it work?
For the hardcore fans, maybe, but it can’t be helped that, at the moment, getting people who aren’t already into Wild Cards excited about it is a tricky proposition. Nevertheless, Martin confirms that Hulu is working on not one but two shows set in this universe, although he clarifies that we’re a while off from the moment when cameras start to roll. Likely, the show will hit around the same time as several other big-name genre properties currently in the works, including Amazon’s Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time series. Will it have what it takes to stand out? It would be pretty funny if the show to inherit Game of Thrones’ crown as the genre show to beat also came from the mind of George R.R. Martin.
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