George R. R. Martin’s Novella ‘The Skin Trade’ May Be Turned Into A Cinemax Series

by Elisabet StenbergOctober 13, 2015, 3:15 amNews, News Feed >

George R. R. Martin‘s novella, The Skin Trade, has been optioned for TV by Cinemax.

GEORGE R. R. MARTIN’S ‘THE SKIN TRADE’ OPTIONED FOR TV

Cinemax, HBO’s sister company, ordered a pilot-script for Martin’s novella, The Skin Trade, so we may soon be seeing more of Martin’s extraordinary imagination adapted to the screen. The Skin Trade is about a young detective who investigates a series of murders that happened in her own, small town. Martin wrote the short story in the 80s. He describes it as an “offbeat werewolf-noir novella” on his blog.

“I have always thought there was a TV series (or maybe a feature film) in Willie Flambeaux and Randi Wade,” Martin said about the main characters in Skin Trade on his blog. “Those of you who know the story of Doorways, my ill-fated ABC pilot from the early ’90s, may even recall that it was Skin Trade that I was actually trying to sell back in 1991, when I flew out to L.A. for a round of pitch meetings. So we’re a few decades late…”

Of course, despite Cinemax ordering a pilot-script, there is no guarantee that it will get picked up. Martin, however, is excited about Kalinda Vasquez producing the show, should it move in that direction. Although the process of choosing a producer was difficult, Martin is pleased with his decision. “Cinemax and my agents set me up for meetings with close to a dozen different TV writers, many of them very impressive, but Kalinda’s take on the story and the characters blew me away. She loves the story and the world, and really seems to get Willie and Randi, and her pitch to Cinemax was one of the most polished and professional I’ve ever heard. I love her enthusiasm, and look forward to working with her.”

Vasquez has previously worked on shows such as Prison Break and Once Upon a Time.

Martin also mentioned that he wouldn’t be handling the adaptation himself due to his being busy with another little project called Game of Thrones. “I have this book to finish,” he said. “You know the one.”