Now that it is Sunday and the beginning of April, I can finally make this huge announcement on Suvudu!
As many of you know, I have been the webmaster for author Terry Brooks for almost 13 years. That’s a long time to slave away at someone else’s behest, let me tell you, especially if that person is not very nice. He hates himself, kicks kids if they get in his way, and punches the elderly if he doesn’t keep his blood sugar up. But he has renown, money and influence, so I try not to anger him.
After all, I don’t want to get kicked!
I jest. Mostly. But today, we have a huge announcement, one that everyone is absolutely giddy about!
Here is the press release:
HBO and Del Rey — 4/1/2012:
Following the success of its popular adaptation of A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, HBO and Del Rey Books are excited to announce that terms have been reached to adapt the Word/Void series by Terry Brooks into a dark contemporary HBO series. Brooks will serve as creative consultant with producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss taking their success on Game of Thrones to a new level.
Set in a sleepy Illinois steel-mill town, the series will begin with Running With the Demon, where conflict created by an ancient demon draws John Ross, a Knight of the Word, who is plagued by nightmares that tell him evil is coming to unleash horror upon the world. Caught between them is fourteen-year-old Nest Freemark, who senses that something is terribly wrong but has not yet learned to wield the budding power that sets her apart from her friends.
“Ultimately, the novels are about the loss of innocence and wonder we all experience as we enter our teen years,” Berinoff said. “It might be a tale of Good versus Evil, but Terry Brooks has done something more than that. It is a trilogy that started the current urban fantasy craze but it is timeless, with lessons for all ages. We are thrilled to have this opportunity.”
HBO has ordered an initial 10 episodes to adapt Running With the Demon. If proven successful, A Knight of the Word and Angel Fire East, the first novel’s sequels, will see subsequent seasons.
“I have more stories in mind set after Angel Fire East,” Brooks said. “If this takes off like Game of Thrones, I can see more Word/Void tales in Seasons 4, 5, and 6.”
HBO has hired Brooks colleagues Shawn Speakman and Eldon Thompson to write the first 10 scripts. “So this show doesn’t have an untimely death like Deadwood or Rome, HBO has decided the show must be run on a tight budget. They won’t be paying Shawn and Eldon very much,” Brooks said. “That is okay by me. I barely pay them anyway; their work just isn’t that good. To be honest though, I’m too old to be doing things like this and we need someone to write the show, right?”
Production is scheduled to begin in Sterling, Illinois, the real-life town Running With the Demon is set within. Josh Brolin has been attached to play Knight of the Word John Ross, with Elle Fanning playing the role of Nest Freemark.
Official website: http://www.hbo.com/WordAndVoid/
UPDATE: That’s not all. I can confirm as of an hour ago that Johnny Depp has agreed to play the role of the nameless demon!
There you have it! I’m excited to announce this. As I’ve said on Facebook, Twitter, and on Suvudu these last few months, I’ve been working on some top secret projects. Contributing to the script for Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Naomi Novik’s His Majesty’s Dragon. Collecting information for the forthcoming The Annotated Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. Even launching my own publishing press to help pay off my uninsured medical bills after cancer last year.
It’s been a helluva ride but 2012 is looking great and 2013 is looking even better!
Let’s hope HBO does this right!
If only I could believe that this were true. Nice try though.
If it were any day but April 1 this would be fantastic
Why would you do this to us loyal fans
not cool man, not cool 
not funny. Just extremely disappointing
A toast to another April Fool’s day set up — My favorite line of it has to be :
They won’t be paying Shawn and Eldon very much,” Brooks said. “That is okay by me. I barely pay them anyway; their work just isn’t that good. To be honest though, I’m too old to be doing things like this and we need someone to write the show, right?”
Awesome.
This is disappointing.
Shawn, you are one cruel webmaster!
No wonder Terry doesn’t pay you much! 
In all seriousness, though, wouldn’t this be crazy if it turned out to be true? This is actually the most realistic April Fool’s Day Prank post I have seen so far today.
A truly good April Fools prank is one that sounds like a prank but turns out to actually be true. Better luck next time.
Dang, I wish this wasn’t an April’s Fool thing
Congratulations. I hope the series turns out well.