A Game of Thrones: HBO Pilot to Begin Filming in October

George R. R. Martin’s legions of fans should be happy to know that the pilot episode to A Game of Thrones, a television series based on book one in his epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, is set to begin filming this October for HBO.  You can rest assured that this isn’t some nasty rumor:  George has announced it himself over on his blog.  Filming will take place in Northern Ireland.  He also provides links to the original article that broke the news and where filming will take place.  Of course this is just the pilot episode, so cross your fingers that it comes out well so the brass at HBO are happy enough to make this a full-fledged series, thus allowing us to geek out to thirteen episodes a year for seven years (the plan being one season devoted to each book in the series).  Like all of George’s fans I’m anxious for a release date to A Dance with Dragons, the next book in his series, but this is one hell of an appetizer.