George R.R. Martin knows how his fans think. Just today, the author wrote a blog post where he said that "something" is going to be happening either tomorrow, April 8, or Wednesday, April 9. And he knows that fans will immediately assume he has something significant to say about The Winds of Winter, the long, LONG in coming sixth book in his Song of Ice and Fire series. But he disabuses that notion immediately:
"No, I am not announcing the completion of THE WINDS OF WINTER, the sixth volume of A SONG OF ICE & FIRE," Martin wrote. "Please don’t start any rumors to that effect. I am so tired of having to issue denials every time some offhand comment of mine, most having nothing to do with WINDS, somehow convinces half the internet that the book is imminent. It’s not. No. (Maybe I need to stop making offhand comments)."
"So calm down. Until April 8, anyway. Then you can get excited all over again, but for an entirely different reason."
As ever, Martin has a lot of irons in the fire. He's producing the excellent show Dark Winds, which is in the middle of its third season on AMC. He also has more great things to say about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a new Game of Thrones series coming to HBO later this year. This one is set decades after House of the Dragon but decades before Game of Thrones, and is based on Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. The first season will be based on the first of those novellas, The Hedge Knight, although HBO has already talked about prepping more.
"I just watched it again last week, the latest cuts," Martin said. "It’s looking good, I think. I love it lots, but I’m not one to judge. Meantime, in London Towne, [A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner] Ira Parker and his team are huddled together beating out The Sworn Sword, the second Dunk and Egg adventure. It is such a joy to see the characters come alive, so vividly. Watching them makes me want to start writing the next novella tomorrow… but of course, I can’t. Too many other things to do."
Martin even mentions The Iron Throne, a new play that will be set at the Tourney at Harrenhal, where Rhaegar Targaryen accidentally set off a chain of events that led to Robert's Rebellion when he showed too much attention to a woman not his wife. "I caught up on that when I was in London last month," Martin wrote. "We do not have a theatre yet, or a cast, or a date… but they are making progress, and everyone is very excited. I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t. Not quite yet. But we’re getting close and closer. I am hoping we’ll know a lot more by year’s end."
So what will happen this week? What is Martin alluding to? Well, he gives us permission to get "excited" over it, so I'm hoping it's an announcement with at least some level of public interest, something a little bigger than Martin announcing he's opening a medieval-themed cocktail bar called Milk of the Poppy in his home city of Santa Fe. I mean, that's funny, and I would totally go if I were in the area, but I don't think it'll excite most of Martin's fanbase.
I wonder if we'll get a release date or even a teaser trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? The show is coming to HBO and Max later this year and is probably in a good enough state to show off. We'll find out for sure tomorrow...or Wednesday. As for The Winds of Winter, all you can do is wait.
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