George R.R. Martin Getting Another HBO Show … Sort Of

Game of Thrones godfather George R.R. Martin is getting another fantasy series on HBO, or at least something close to HBO.

In this case, it won’t be a series of books but a short story Martin penned back in the late 80s that is the basis for a show. It’s called Skin Trade, and The Express in the U.K. says it “follows the investigation of a serial killer who is mercilessly skinning their victims.” There are also werewolves in it, because why not?

Skin Trade has been adapted from its original form into a four-part comic book series, but it’s never made it to TV or movies (though it has been optioned for film). Martin is said to be bullish on its prospects, and given the success that Game of Thrones has achieved, I probably would be too.

Still, HBO is hedging its bets just a tad, ordering the pilot for Cinemax instead of HBO. That’s what I meant in the title, as while they might be sister channels, Cinemax doesn’t have any reputation to speak of as an outlet for high quality original TV. When you talk premium cable, I’d say most people think HBO, Showtime and even Starz for TV shows well before Cinemax.

You’d have to think that Martin commands enough of an audience now that anything he’s involved in would draw curious viewers, and werewolves have been laying low in the pop culture landscape since … the end of Twilight, maybe? The timing for this project may turn out to be perfect.