While George R.R. Martin is primarily known for his fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire (along with prequels and spin-off books), which have been adapted to HBO’s Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, he’s also written a plethora of standalone sci-fi and horror stories. None of them have been adapted to the screen - until now.
According to Variety, Exile Content purchased the film rights for the sci-fi novel Hunter’s Run, written in 2007 by George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham. The story is about a laborer, Ramón Espejo, who leaves a hard life on Earth for a better opportunity on a far-off planet, but realizes that the living conditions there are no better. After a violent outburst, he finds himself on the run from authorities while stumbling across secrets that threaten his life.
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Mark Raso, who previously directed Kodachrome and Awake, will helm the film, with a script written by his brother, Joseph Raso. Mark recalls how he met Martin, where the roots of the adaptation began to take place:
“I first met George when he showed my film ‘Copenhagen’ at his Jean-Cocteau cinema in Santa Fe and among other things we discussed a novel he had written that had great potential as a film. I’m thrilled that from that small conversation we are at a point where we are realizing a both visually and narratively innovative sci-fi adventure… ‘Hunter’s Run’ is a groundbreaking sci-fi story about survival, exploitation, and the fight for universal freedoms. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Exile to bring George, Daniel and Gardner’s brilliant novel to life.”
George R.R. Martin Still has Many Unadapted Stories
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While George R.R. Martin initially gained fame after A Game of Thrones was published in 1996, he had been writing since the early 1970s. His work during this era was primarily in the science fiction and horror genres, mainly with short stories and novellas, although he did publish a few standalone novels. He’s gained even more international attention since the HBO series Game of Thrones began in 2011 and ended in 2019, although he would have liked the series to have run longer, and the last few seasons have drawn criticism for being rushed. The spin-off series, House of the Dragon, however, has different showrunners and has earned his respect. With the success of House of the Dragon, filmmakers will likely eye his earlier work for a screen adaptation.
Martin confirmed the news and said that he’s happy to see Hunter’s Run adapted:
The film adaptation of Hunter’s Run is still in early development, and no release date has been set. Mark Raso will direct the film, and Joseph Raso will write the screenplay.
“I’m so pleased that after almost 16 years, ‘Hunter’s Run’ will be made into a film. I’m bursting with excitement for the rich sci-fi universe I helped create with my dear friends Daniel and Gardner to exist beyond the pages of our book.”
