George R.R. Martin Named Fourth Most Powerful Writer in Hollywood

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

George R.R. Martin has been blogging up a storm the last few days, between himself and his minions, and most of it about Game of Thrones, including books signing and brand new merch, and of course, those new enhanced iBooks of A Song of Ice and Fire. But yesterday he was gleeful on his NotABlog for another reason. He’s moving up in the world! Or at least moving up the list from Seventh to Fourth Most Powerful Writer in Hollywood.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Martin ranks fourth in their list of Hollywood’s Most Powerful authors. Who ranks ahead of him? James Patterson of the Zoo series at Number 3, Stephen King at Number 2 and, (no surprise here), J.K. Rowling at Number 1 for her return to the Potterverse.

Not that not being named Number 1 bothers Martin at all. He’s just pleased to have moved up the list, gleefully titling his post “I’m Number Four!” and noting “I seem to recall dimly that I was number seven a few years ago, so I guess I am getting more powerful by the day. Soon I will rule the world.”

(Insert image of Martin doing overly dramatic gleeful hand rubbing and perhaps a Mr. Burns impersonation.)

Actually, though… I am delighted to see so many of my friends and colleagues on the list this year. They’ve got Diana Gabaldon at #14, Ernie Cline at #12, Gillian Flynn at #11, Dennis Lehane at #10, Neil Gaiman at #9, and Stephen King at #2. All writers I’ve published, worked with, hosted at the Jean Cocteau, and just been friends with, for varying lengths of time. All amazing talents, too. As are the other authors on the list, the ones I don’t know.

We too are pleased to see that Martin ranks so high. As Game of Thrones winds down on HBO, the question of what Martin will use his formidable power in Hollywood to create next is an open question. Currently there is a Wildcards series in the works at NBC Universal (though he in not directly involved with that for legal reasons, he’s still lending his name and championing it.) But the real question is if he can and will get more stories from Westeros brought to the big screen. Can he do it? As he himself notes, the true worth of this “power” of being so high on the list is not clear: “As to how much “power” any writer actually has, however… well, that’s another question.”

Only the power of imagination, sir. And that time I checked, that was a very powerful thing indeed.

Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/10/02/george-r-r-martin-named-fourth-powerful-writer-hollywood/