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Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
George R.R. Martin Is Really Starting to Get Sick of Your ‘Winds of Winter' Complaining
The longer it's taken the 'Song of Ice and Fire' author to finish its latest chapter, the more it feels like addressing it is like warning a child not to touch a hot stove. George R.R. Martin has been writing The Winds of Winter for a very long time, and in that process, he's also happened to do a lot of things that are not 'write The Winds of Winter.' Most of Game of Thrones' production, the birth and death of multiple of its spinoffs, movies, TV shows, book anthologies, video games, updates on his blog about how he is indeed writing The Winds of Winter, begging us to not ask him about updates on Winds of Winter, giving us the updates on Winds of Winter anyway: the man's been doing stuff. But that is still not enough for some who have made the wait for Winds of Winter become as excruciating for the writer as it is for them. And Martin is letting it be known through his medium of choice, his Not a Blog blog, that it's really starting to annoy him. As part of an update announcing his involvement in producing an animated feature adaptation of Howard Waldrop's novella A Dozen Tough Jobs—a mythic riff on the story of Hercules and the Greek gods, reimagined in 1920s Mississippi—with Lion Forge, Martin took a moment to pop off at anyone priming to make a joke about him adding yet another side quest to his list of projects. 'I know, I know. Some of you will just be pissed off by this, as you are by everything I announce here that is not about Westeros or The Winds of Winter,' Martin wrote. :You have given up on me, or on the book. I will never finish Winds, If I do, I will never finish A Dream of Spring. If I do, it won't be any good. I ought to get some other writer to pinch hit for me… I am going to die soon anyway, because I am so old. I lost all interest in A Song of Ice and Fire decades ago.' 'I don't give a shit about writing any longer, I just sit around and spend my money. I edit the Wild Cards books too, but you hate Wild Cards. You may hate everything else I have ever written, the Hugo-winners and Hugo-losers, 'A Song for Lya' and Dying of the Light, 'Sandkings' and Beauty and the Beast, 'This Tower of Ashes' and 'The Stone City,' Old Mars and Old Venus and Rogues and Warriors and Dangerous Women and all the other anthologies I edited with my friend Gardner Dozois, You don't care about any of those, I know. You don't care about anything but Winds of Winter. You've told me so often enough,' Martin added. The point Martin, continues, is that he does care about Winds and the world it inhabits, it's just more than who he is as a writer—and in this case, a producer acting on the behalf of a late friend to bring their work to life. 'Thing is, I do care about them. And I care about Westeros and Winds as well,' Martin continued. 'The Starks and Lannisters and Targaryens, Tyrion and Asha, Dany and Daenerys, the dragons and the direwolves, I care about them all. More than you can ever imagine.' 'I loved A Dozen Tough Jobs the first time I read it, ages ago. I loved Howard too. It saddens me that he did not live long enough to see the film; I hope we do him justice. How can we not? Hercules, Howard, Joe, Lion Forge… I wish you all could share my excitement at the prospect of this movie.' It's the sort of frankness that Martin has, for better or worse, become known for on his personal blog–where has has, of course, done everything from rail on his Winds of Winter progress detractors to engage in a bit of backroom drama with HBO over changes to House of the Dragon. Martin has also used the blog to announce that he's no longer giving the world updates on Winds of Winter, before promptly giving them anyway. It's clear that, for as long as it is taking to finish the novel, Martin does have the passion for it that people sometimes, jokingly otherwise, accuse him of lacking. Otherwise he just wouldn't keep telling us about it anyway, even as he rails against people's response to those updates in turn. People are still going to complain over how long it's taken him, but woe betide anyone who accuses the author of not caring about it. Whenever Winds of Winter finally comes our way, there's probably going to be plenty more Martin-affiliated projects that get announced or come along before it regardless. No one's going to stop him from doing them±just as Martin himself insists that no one will stop him from finishing Winds on his own terms.
Forbes
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
With ‘Iyanu,' Lion Forge Continues Breaking Barriers In Animation
The animated fantasy-adventure series Iyanu, which debuted on Cartoon Network and MAX April 5, is part of a new wave of kid-friendly content coming from Africa. Along with Garbage Boy and Trash Can, which arrived in 2023, Disney's afrofuturist anthology Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (2023) and Super Team 4, which ran two seasons on Netflix in 2023, Iyanu taps the culture and aesthetic of African cultures and showcases the rising generation of talent emerging from the continent. Roye Okupe, creator of Iyanu Cameron White, Courtesy of Lion Forge Entertainment The series follows a teenage orphan girl Iyanu (Serah Johnson), from the mythical west African kingdom Yorubaland, who discovers she has magical powers and a destiny. She and her friends Biyi (Okey Jude) and Toye (Samuel Kukbiyi) embark on a journey of discovery that promises to bring them into conflict with an evil conspiracy inside their kingdom. The show is based on a series of graphic novels by Roye Okupe and Godwin Akpan published by Dark Horse Comics. Okupe is showrunner on the animated series, produced by Lion Forge Entertainment. Akpan is art director and designed the characters for the show based on his original concepts from the comics. 'I saw this project 10 years ago when Roye was doing the comics,' said David Steward II, founder and president of Polarity Studios, the parent company of Lion Forge Entertainment, in an exclusive interview in mid-April. 'We stayed in contact and, when they were looking to develop the project, they came to us and it definitely fit in with what we were trying to do.' Steward says he launched Lion Forge Entertainment to 'bring something different and authentic to the landscape from a diversity standpoint' as one of the leading Black-owned entertainment studios in the United States. The company's first production, Hair Love, directed by Matthew A. Cherry (Song Pictures Animation) won an Academy Award for best Animated Short in 2020, and Lion Forge has gone on to form relationships with Paramount/Nickelodeon, Disney, HBO Max and PBS. Though Lion Forge is exploring live action productions as well, Steward says animation 'always has my heart.' 'To have a project like Iyanu, based on African mythology, gets us into something we haven't really explored, which is a truly global context,' said Steward. 'There's some importance to showing the value of stories coming from Africa, for Roye showcasing elements of his Nigerian and European background. He created this story for his daughter, and he wanted to give her a chance to see herself onscreen.' Steward says the company reached out to work with Nigerian talent throughout the production, including the cast of voice actors. 'Authentici ty is imbued in what we do, not just from a creative standpoint, but also from a representation standpoint. It's definitely a core to our strategy.' While many voices in America's current politics and culture are trying to turn back the clock on diversity, Steward rejects the notion that these kinds of projects are divisive. 'Diversity is not being exclusionary,' he said. 'The key is to be all-encompassing. It's important to create diverse content, but not just for the people we are representing in the content. Iyanu is not just for Africans or African-Americans. Everyone can enjoy a fun action-adventure story and learn something about another culture. Looking at it from that lens, it's always going to be needed in society.' The show has not been out for very long and has not yet had much audience reaction, but the lively, high-energy episodes and colorful look of the series seems bound to appeal to young viewers. In a world where borders are going up and minds seem to be closing to new perspectives, sometimes the most important thing we can do is tell our stories to the world, and to see ourselves in stories told by others.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nigeria's Creele Animation Studios Unveils 3D-Short ‘Sopo' Inspired By Afrobeat Star Fela Kuti & Int'l Ambitions
EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian startup Creele Animation Studios has unveiled first images and details for its upcoming 3D short Sopo, inspired by the early life of revered late Afrobeat star Fela Kuti. The Lagos-based animation company says the work, directed by Nigerian singer songwriter and co-founder Nissi Ogulu, marks a step in its ambition to introduce African animation to the world. More from Deadline Nigerian Showrunner Uche Ikejimba Unveils 'Lagos Love Stories' & 'Alex From Oil & Gas' & Talks 'Big Brother Naija' Lion Forge Unveils Fresh Cast For Nigerian Animated Superhero Series 'Iyanu' & Sponsorship Of Lagos-Set The Voiceover Conference Nigerian Action Thriller 'Son Of The Soil' Begins Shooting, Raz Adoti Writing & Starring It is loosely inspired by Nigerian broadcaster and music critic Benson Idonije's 2016 memoir 'Dis Fela Sef! The Legend(s) Untold', paying tribute to Kuti, whose work has inspired a host of contemporary artists such as Wycliff Jean and Beyoncé. Idonije was well-placed to write the biography having been Kuti's first band manager and life-long friend. In Sopo, Kuti's story has been transposed into the tale of Oyejo, a young musician yearning for the approval of father Dotun, a man too consumed by expectation to recognize his son's true gift. Their rift grows until Dotun discovers Oyejo's talents, thanks to music speaking louder than words, which leads to a heartfelt reconciliation. Sopo which translates as 'connect' in Yoruba, one of Nigeria's major indigenous languages, has just rounded up production. Creele Animation Studios will unveil the film in a private screening in May In Lagos, followed by a festival tour and a limited theatrical run in Nigeria. The company is also in discussions with distributors and streaming platforms for an international release. Business manager Jean Etienne says plans are a foot to expand Sopo into a feature-length film, with the short serving as a prequel to the bigger story. 'We are already in discussions with prominent producers and financier to expand this into a feature film imminently, alongside other projects currently in development with announcements coming sometime in Q2/Q3 2025,' he said. Sopo is the second animated short from Nissi Ogulu – who is also Idonije's granddaughter – after 2020 work The Satchel. 'Sopo is not just an animated film, it's a visually stunning and historically rich chronicle of the birth of a movement,' she said. 'This project is a celebration of our roots and an exploration of the transformative power of music. Sopo is more than just a film—it's part of a larger movement to Make Africa Cool Again, showcasing the continent's creative brilliance to the world,' she continued. The cultural and historical significance of this story makes it imperative to be told with authenticity and depth, reinforcing Creele Animation Studios' commitment to pioneering African storytelling on a global stage.' Produced entirely in Lagos, Nigeria, the work features music and an original score by Made Kuti, Fela Kuti's grandson who has also forged a career as an Afrobeat singer, songwriter and instrumentalist. 'Music is at the heart of Sopo. It's an honor to bring the soulful sounds of Afrobeat to this narrative and to connect with our heritage,' he said. Businesswoman and talent manager Bose Ogulu, who is Nissi Ogulu's mother and also manages her musical career alongside that of her brother Burna Boy, is an executive producer. 'We believe in the future of African animation. Sopo is just the beginning of our journey to redefine storytelling and make it accessible to all,' she said. Etienne added the short film was part of the company's wider drive to position African animation on the global stage. 'There has never been a better time to take African animation mainstream. Nollywood is a major film market and the third-largest in the world by production volume, behind Hollywood and Bollywood,' he said. 'At Creele, our mission is simple—to produce African animation for a global audience. Incredible stories are waiting to be told, and it would be unfair to keep them hidden. We are entering a coming-of-age decade for Nollywood, and Creele is ready to lead the charge for Indigenous animation integration' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery How To Watch 'Wicked: Part One': Is The Film Streaming Yet? All The Songs In 'Severance' Season 2: From The Who To Ella Fitzgerald
