Syfy Films announced today that it has acquired the rights to a science-fiction superhero anthology called Wild Cards edited by George R.R. Martin. The ongoing anthology of 22 books was first published in 1987 and is based on stories by a consortium of science-fiction writers. Melinda Snodgrass will pen the script for Wild Cards which is the first acquisition for Syfy Films since its launch in December 2010. The announcement was made today by Syfy Film’s Senior Vice President of Production, Gregory Noveck.
“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.
Martin and Snodgrass will serve as executive producers. 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.
“Wild Cards is one of the most successful and longest running, science-fiction book series”
Great, now SyFy can come along and destroy the series with a cheesey Saturday night movie! Yay 8-/
The Wild Cards series is amazing. If they can give it treatment like Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, where they use the books as guide and tell compelling stories, I’m good with it. There are a lot ways that this can be done wrong and my hope is to give the property to someone who loves it and be custodian of it.
I’ll admit I know nothing about these books. Would a series be something akin to the Spielberg Amazing Stories that were done back in the 80’s only with a more SciFi flare?