Syfy Films acquires Martin’s Wild Cards for first project
by Doc on Oct.28, 2011, under Books, Movies
Syfy Films, created last December as an offshoot of Syfy Ventures in partnership with Universal Pictures, made it’s first rights acquisition for George R.R. Martin’s anthology series Wild Cards, announced today by Syfy Films Senior Vice President of Production Gregory Noveck. Melinda Snodgrass (The Outer Limits, Star Trek: The Next Generation) will write the script, with herself and Martin exec producing.
“Wild Cards presents a terrific franchise opportunity given the volume of material from this compelling fantasy series,” said Noveck. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to develop a film based on the anthology’s supernatural heroes, and to be working with such talented and visionary writers as George R.R. Martin and Melissa Snodgrass.”
Wild Cards is one of the most successful and longest running, science-fiction book series. Its characters were developed with the goal of creating a realistic take on people with super powers and how they affect their daily lives. The series was conceived as a shared universe in which different authors contributed new characters and storylines to the overall mythos. Started in 1987, there are currently 22 books.
Along with Martin and Snodgrass, original contributors include popular contemporary science-fiction writers Roger Zelazny (“The Chronicles of Amber”) and Walter Jon Williams (“Hardwired”). More recently a new generation of noted science-fiction and fantasy authors have contributed characters and storylines to this ever-growing universe. They include Cherie Priest (“Boneshaker”), Paul Cornell (“Doctor Who”), David Anthony Durham (“Acacia”) and Carrie Vaughn (“The Kitty Norville” series). The books have been translated into several languages and have been adapted into comic books and role-playing games.