Game of Thrones 2

[Josquius]

For some random reason you've just been given a prominent position at HBO.
Game of Thrones is going to be over in 2 or 3 years and they really need something to take its place.
You've been given the task of making this something.

Assuming you are a master negotiator and can get any license you set your mind to... Which series could make for as good and successful a TV show as Game of Thrones?
Budgets are an issue. But they're of the millions per episode variety.
Key point here is on the successful; it needs some mainstream appeal, something that will appeal only to geeks need not apply.

[LaCroix]

not dune or generic fantasy like wheel of time

[Hamilcar]

Iain M Banks Culture novels. Either adaptation of the books (Use of Weapons!), or just use the setting.

[Agelastus]

Kearney's "The Monarchies of God" -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchies_of_God.

Love and Hate, Exploration and Religion, Deaths and Battles galore, magic and walls - and a major smoking gun regarding the central conflict.

Plus the money for the show might get Kearney to revise that last volume which stands out like a sore thumb in the sequence.

[Sophie Scholl]

I still harbor dreams of a true to history series based on the American Revolution era or French and Indian War period.  I'd lose my mind with happiness if it were focused on the madness that was the Mohawk Valley during the Revolution.  Alas, there is no book series to base it on per se, just some really solid historical texts by Gavin Watt that cover the majority of the era. 

Barring that option, I'd go with a Silmarillion series.  I think it would lend itself to the longer format of a series as opposed to movies.  It's already been proven to be a money making franchise.  Throw in all the pretty people you could use for the plethora of elves, and it has profit and success written all over it.  I'm kind of surprised this isn't in development somewhere, especially with the success of GoT and the continued development of cgi and general acceptance and popularity of the genre.

[Jacob]

Barring that option, I'd go with a Silmarillion series.  I think it would lend itself to the longer format of a series as opposed to movies.  It's already been proven to be a money making franchise.  Throw in all the pretty people you could use for the plethora of elves, and it has profit and success written all over it.  I'm kind of surprised this isn't in development somewhere, especially with the success of GoT and the continued development of cgi and general acceptance and popularity of the genre.

I'd think you'd need more sex for it to be HBO?

In any case, I don't think the rights are available for any amount of money.

[viper37]

For some random reason you've just been given a prominent position at HBO.
Game of Thrones is going to be over in 2 or 3 years and they really need something to take its place.
You've been given the task of making this something.

Assuming you are a master negotiator and can get any license you set your mind to... Which series could make for as good and successful a TV show as Game of Thrones?
Budgets are an issue. But they're of the millions per episode variety.
Key point here is on the successful; it needs some mainstream appeal, something that will appeal only to geeks need not apply.

Could be a Game of Thrones prequel.  The First Men arriving on Westeros, fighting the Children, the White Walkers.
Might be a bit too much like the last 2 seasons, though.  Same for Aegon's conquest.

I'd love to see a remake of Babylon 5, but that would fail to get mainstream appeal.

I don't really know, I don't have that much imagination.

[mongers]

Barring that option, I'd go with a Silmarillion series.  I think it would lend itself to the longer format of a series as opposed to movies.  It's already been proven to be a money making franchise.  Throw in all the pretty people you could use for the plethora of elves, and it has profit and success written all over it.  I'm kind of surprised this isn't in development somewhere, especially with the success of GoT and the continued development of cgi and general acceptance and popularity of the genre.

I'd think you'd need more sex for it to be HBO?

In any case, I don't think the rights are available for any amount of money.

That was my first thought too.

[viper37]

I still harbor dreams of a true to history series based on the American Revolution era or French and Indian War period.  I'd lose my mind with happiness if it were focused on the madness that was the Mohawk Valley during the Revolution.  Alas, there is no book series to base it on per se, just some really solid historical texts by Gavin Watt that cover the majority of the era. 

I'd love that, but would that get mainstream appeal?  American Revolution, likely, something along the lines of North&South, portraying the difficulties of choosing a camp, albeit less sopy,  but The War of Conquest? I doubt it.

[grumbler]

The Gor novels! 

[Berkut]

These would make some good big budget series...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00R3AABWM/ref=st_afs_B0159URANK

[Grallon]

The Second Apocalypse by Scott Bakker of course.  The last book in the second trilogy forming that cycle will be out in a week.

And so long as Christopher Tolkien lives, he will never sell the rights to the Silmarillion to anyone. 

Props for Agelastus who appreciated the tears of a Merduk Queen.



G.

[11B4V]

Black Company
Mistborn
Witcher

[grumbler]

The Amber series.
The Uplift Wars

[Siege]

I don't think anything can top GoT.

I think S.M Stirling Dies the Fire (the emberverse) could work. It got the lite magic and the conflict.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_the_Fire

There are two series I think are absolutely awesome, but i don't know if the could work on TV.
Safehold  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safehold

Destroyermen. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destroyermen