George R.R. Martin's Hercules Film Delays Winds of Winter

George R.R. Martin, renowned author of Game of Thrones, has signed on as producer for an upcoming animated Hercules film—another creative diversion delaying his progress on the highly anticipated Winds of Winter.

The Hollywood Reporter confirms this adaptation, titled A Dozen Tough Jobs, will reinterpret Hercules' Greek myth through the eyes of a 1920s Mississippi farmer. While Martin oversees production, screenplay duties fall to Joe R. Lansdale—author of the cult novel Bubba Ho-Tep featuring Elvis battling an ancient mummy.

"No one grasps epic storytelling and franchise-building like George R.R. Martin," remarked David Steward II of Lion Forge Entertainment. "A Dozen Tough Jobs transcends traditional myth retellings by anchoring this legend in historical authenticity while exploring bold, unexplored narrative terrain."

Fans continue waiting for Winds of Winter—the next installment in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga—14 years after A Dance with Dragons' 2011 release. The 76-year-old author still intends to conclude the series with A Dream of Spring, unlike HBO's divisive television finale.

Between showrunning House of the Dragon's success, developing other Game of Thrones spinoffs, writing franchise lore books, and even contributing to Elden Ring's backstory, Martin's schedule leaves little room for novel completion.

A September 2024 blog update revealed television commitments consumed most of his writing time. His April 2025 post explicitly warned fans: "Contrary to online speculation, WINDS isn't nearing publication. At all."