Inside George R. R. Martin’s Pipeline: Every Project and When You’ll See It

George R. R. Martin is out here proving you can be both wildly successful and permanently overbooked. As of October 2025, the 77-year-old author is juggling at least eleven substantial things across books, TV, film, and animation. Some are locked and ready to air. Some are vibes and a title. And yes, we still have to talk about that one book. Let’s go from the concrete to the foggy.

Ready to actually watch: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'

Finally, something with a date. 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight' is done with post and queued up for January 18, 2026 on HBO and Max. It’s six episodes, created by showrunner Ira Parker (who wrote on 'House of the Dragon' season 1) alongside Martin.

Peter Claffey plays Ser Duncan the Tall, Dexter Sol Ansell is his squire, Prince Aegon Targaryen (aka 'Egg'), with Finn Bennett as Prince Aerion and Bertie Carvel as Prince Baelor 'Breakspear'. It’s set about 90 years before 'Game of Thrones' and more than a century after 'House of the Dragon'—smaller scale, muddier boots, fewer dragon-budget migraines.

Martin says he’s seen all six episodes and loved them, and the team is already at work on season 2 to adapt more Dunk & Egg stories. The first trailer debuted at New York Comic Con 2025; Parker described the tone as capturing 'the pain, the agony, the irritation' of being a knight. Sounds delightfully bruised.

Yes, still in the works: 'The Winds of Winter'

We’ve reached the elephant. The sixth 'A Song of Ice and Fire' book has been in progress for 14 years and will not be out in 2025. In April, Martin called the delay 'the curse of my life' and said his most productive stretch was during the 2020 lockdown, when he cranked out 'hundreds and hundreds of pages'—but still needs 'hundreds more.' The finished manuscript is expected to blow past 1,500 pages. He also confirmed in October he’s simultaneously writing a new Dunk & Egg novella, which is… a choice.

On expectations:

'When Winds of Winter is done, the word will not trickle out, there WILL be a big announcement… where and when I cannot say.'

Content-wise, it picks up threads for Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion, Arya, Sansa, and the rest where 'A Dance with Dragons' left them. Process-wise, Martin is a self-described gardener—he discovers the story as he writes—which makes for great surprises and brutal rewrites. Translation: it lands when it lands.

The movie play: 'Elden Ring'

This one is real and already has a shape. Announced in May 2025: A24 is producing an 'Elden Ring' feature with Alex Garland ('Ex Machina', 'Civil War', 'Warfare') writing and directing. Producers include Peter Rice, Andrew Macdonald, and Allon Reich at DNA, with Martin and Vince Gerardis also aboard. Martin helped build the game’s mythos with Hidetaka Miyazaki; the 2022 release has sold north of 30 million copies and scooped a pile of Game of the Year awards.

Kit Connor is in talks to star, pending schedules. The big creative hurdle is obvious: turning FromSoftware’s deliberately cryptic storytelling into a cohesive film. If anyone can translate vibe into narrative, it’s Garland. Martin’s enthusiasm helps: 'A24 is a kickass studio, and Alex Garland is a first rate director.' He also hinted how hands-on he is might depend on him finishing, you know, the other thing.

Animation lane: 'A Dozen Tough Jobs'

In May 2025, Martin said he’s producing an animated feature based on his late friend Howard Waldrop’s 'A Dozen Tough Jobs' with Lion Forge Entertainment’s David Steward II and Stephanie Sperber. Blue Spirit (known for polished, filmmaker-y animation) is animating. The story reimagines the twelve labors of Hercules in 1920s Mississippi, with the hero as a former sharecropper fighting for his freedom. It’s a cool swing, and yes, he knows announcing anything not called 'Winds' gets people riled. His own words: 'Some of you will just be pissed off by this… You have given up on me, or on the book.' Steward II defended the pick nicely: 'If anyone understands the power of epic stories and expansive franchises, it’s George RR Martin.'

The big voyage, now a cartoon: 'Nine Voyages' (aka 'Sea Snake')

On New Year’s Eve 2024, Martin said the Corlys Velaryon series shifted from live action to animation, which he 'fully supports.' It started life in 2021 with Bruno Heller attached to write and would chart the legendary sea expeditions of the Sea Snake (played by Steve Toussaint in 'House of the Dragon'). The reason for the switch is not mysterious: boats are expensive, oceans are expensive, new ports every episode are expensive. Animation opens up Driftmark, Lys, the Basilisk Isles, Volantis, Qarth, and other corners of the map without setting HBO’s money on fire. None of his animated projects are greenlit yet, but he says a couple are close to their next step.

Back from the shelf: 'Ten Thousand Ships'

After HBO passed on Brian Helgeland’s earlier take, the Nymeria saga has a pulse again. Pulitzer winner Eboni Booth ('Primary Trust') is writing a new pilot. Martin broke the news in June 2024 and immediately joked about the price tag: imagine paying for ten thousand ships, three hundred dragons, and giant turtles. The show would track the Rhoynar exodus from Valyria across the seas to Dorne, then the wars that cemented Nymeria’s legend. It’s an epic canvas—if HBO bites.

Another Dunk & Egg story (yes, another)

In October 2025, Martin told The Hollywood Reporter he’s actively writing a new Dunk & Egg novella despite previously saying he’d focus on 'Winds.' The short version of why: he loves these two, the stories are more intimate, and they’re much shorter than the mainline books. With HBO’s Dunk & Egg show about to debut, the timing isn’t exactly surprising. Fans waiting on 'Winds' are understandably tense about workload triage.

History lesson, part 2: 'Fire & Blood' Volume 2 (possibly 'Blood & Fire')

Back in March 2022, Martin said he was considering 'Blood & Fire' as the title and had already written a couple hundred manuscript pages. Volume 2 picks up after 136 AC and would cover big swings like the Blackfyre Rebellions, the Summerhall tragedy, and maybe even brush up against Robert’s Rebellion—prime connective tissue to 'Game of Thrones.' There’s a catch: he won’t finish it until 'Winds' is finished. Volume 1 landed in November 2018 and became the spine for Ryan Condal’s 'House of the Dragon' with Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith. With that show racing through the Dance, fresh canon would be very handy… eventually. Martin has admitted that other things 'divert my attention,' so manage expectations.

The maybe pile at HBO: Flea Bottom, Aegon’s Conquest, Jon Snow

HBO kicked the tires on several ideas in 2021, and a few are still in limbo. 'Flea Bottom'—set in the grimy slums of King’s Landing—was name-checked but never got writers or meaningful updates. The Aegon’s Conquest concept has writer Mattson Tomlin (a contributor on 'The Batman') lined up to chronicle the Targaryen takeover of Westeros. The Jon Snow sequel was shelved, then HBO boss Casey Bloys recently tossed out a hopeful 'Maybe we’ll try again,' which is not nothing. Martin signed a five-year overall at HBO in 2021 to develop more Westeros projects, but not every whiteboard idea makes it to pilot. With so much already in motion, these remain good pitches waiting for someone to say go.

The far horizon: 'A Dream of Spring'

The seventh and final 'A Song of Ice and Fire' book has not been started. Martin has been clear: he won’t touch it until 'Winds' is done. Whenever it does exist, it’s the theoretical endgame for Jon, Daenerys, Tyrion, and whoever else lives long enough to make it there. Given the timeline so far, you might see 'House of the Dragon' season 10 before this book leaves a printer. His gardener approach means even he doesn’t have a locked, granular ending in a drawer. For now, it’s exactly what the title says.

Quick status check (so we can all breathe)

• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight — TV series — Post-production complete — Premieres January 18, 2026 on HBO/Max — Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, showrunner Ira Parker
• The Winds of Winter — Novel — In progress (14 years and counting) — Release unknown, definitely not 2025 — George R. R. Martin
• Elden Ring — Film — Pre-production — TBA — Alex Garland writing/directing, A24; producers Peter Rice, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Vince Gerardis; Martin involved; Kit Connor in talks
• A Dozen Tough Jobs — Animated film — In development (studio attached) — TBA — Blue Spirit animation; Lion Forge’s David Steward II and Stephanie Sperber producing with Martin
• Ten Thousand Ships — TV series — New pilot being written — TBA — Eboni Booth (writer); Nymeria-led Rhoynar saga
• Nine Voyages (Sea Snake) — Animated series — In development, shifted from live action — TBA — Bruno Heller originated concept; global seafaring scope
• New Dunk & Egg Novella — Novella — Actively being written — TBA — Martin returning to Ser Duncan and Egg
• Fire & Blood Volume 2 (aka Blood & Fire) — Book — In progress (hundreds of pages) — TBA, after 'Winds' — Covers Blackfyre Rebellions, Summerhall, possibly Robert’s Rebellion
• Other HBO Projects (Flea Bottom, Aegon’s Conquest, Jon Snow) — TV — Exploration phase — Unknown — Mattson Tomlin on Aegon’s Conquest; Jon Snow shelved but could be revisited
• A Dream of Spring — Novel — Not started — Unknown, years away — Final ASOIAF book begins after 'Winds' is finished

So that’s the board. One series you can actually mark on your calendar, a movie that could turn cryptic lore into a spectacle, a handful of promising animated swings, and two doorstopper novels that continue to be the industry’s longest slow-cook. Which one are you most curious about right now: Dunk & Egg on TV, Garland’s 'Elden Ring', or are you firmly on Team Finish The Books?