When you think of George R.R. Martin, it's likely that the first things that come to mind are the Game of Thrones books, a.k.a. the Song of Ice and Fire series. Since 1996, Martin has been hard at work penning the grand epic set in the lands of Westeros and Essos. However, due to his contributions on the Game of Thrones television series, as well as the other media projects he has his hands in, it's taken Martin a lot longer to write the remaining books in the series, and with the latest news that he's starting his own film studio, it seems like there will be further delays on the way.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, George R.R. Martin recently launched the Stagecoach Foundation project, a studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Martin lives. A 30,000 square foot building was donated to the author for the nonprofit office and production facility, which will be open to working with both major Hollywood productions and newcomer filmmakers. Santa Fe mayor Javier Gonzales noted that this studio will increase the chances of drawing more productions to the city. In fact, Joel and Ethan Coen, the directors behind classics like The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men, are reportedly already planning to use the Stagecoach Foundation facility for one of their upcoming projects. This is the third film studio to be located in Santa Fe, the other two being Santa Fe Studios and Greer Garson Studios.
It's unclear exactly how involved George R.R. Martin will be in the Stagecoach Foundation, but at minimum it's another entry on his list of responsibilities, and responsibilities in the past have kept Martin from completing his popular Song of Ice and Fire series.The last book in the series released was A Dance with Dragons in 2011, and the next book, The Winds of Winter, has been continually pushed back, though excerpts have been posted online. It's gotten to the point that now the events of the TV series have surpassed what's happened in the books. So when the show ends in 2018, the books will still have a ways to go before they conclude their version of the epic fantasy story.
While George R.R. Martin has been vocal in the past about not letting fan expectations and criticism dictate how quickly he churns out the Song of Ice and Fire books, he's also acknowledged that "distraction" is to blame for the delays, namely with his work on the Game of Thrones TV series and traveling to events. Martin starting a movie studio is certainly impressive in terms of helping create cinematic artwork and bringing business to Santa Fe, but we can't help but wonder if yet another thing on his "To-Do" list will mean an even longer wait until he finally finishes this long saga.
While we continue to wait for The Winds of Winter to hit bookshelves, Game of Thrones Season 7 will premiere on HBO July 16.
