‘A Dozen Tough Jobs’: George R. R. Martin to Produce New Hercules Movie!!

Lion Forge Entertainment and famed Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin will be joining forces to take a trip through Greek mythology. Leaning on the written work of writer Howard Waldrop, the animated movie will be an adaptation of Waldrop’s 1989 novel, A Dozen Tough Jobs, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The adult animated feature film will bear the same name, and will be a reimagining of the Greek classic story of the 12 labors of Hercules. In the origin Greek tale, the hero Hercules is assigned 12 impossible tasks by the mythical King Eurystheus as penance for killing his family. These labors included fighting some formidable foes like the Nemean Lion and the Lernaean Hydra, while the hero was also charged with cleaning the dirtiest stables in the world.

A Dozen Tough Jobs transports the mythic tale to 1920s Mississippi, where Hercules is re-imagined as a former sharecropper fighting against bigotry and to regain his freedom. Martin is also attached to produce the animated feature film. The author is best known for his bestselling fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into the critically acclaimed and globally celebrated HBO series Game of Thrones with its ever-expanding franchise. “If anyone understands the power of epic stories and expansive franchises, it’s George R.R. Martin,” said David Steward II, Lion Forge Entertainment CEO and founder. “With A Dozen Tough Jobs, we’re reimagining a timeless legend through fresh, culturally rich lenses. This isn’t just a retelling — it’s a groundbreaking take, unlike anything audiences have seen before, grounded in history but pushing myth into uncharted territory.”

The script for A Dozen Tough Jobs will be penned by Joe R. Lansdale of Bubba Ho-Tep fame, with Steward II and Lion Forge president and chief creative officer Stephanie Sperber, both joining Martin as producers. Blue Spirit, the Emmy-winning studio behind Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai, will provide the animation visuals. “We are looking forward to working with Blue Spirit, one of the best animation houses working in the field today,” said Sperber. “Their elevated style and craft will bring the world of 1920’s deep South to life in a way that will make audiences sit up and take notice, just as they did with Blue Eye Samurai.”

There Is One Project That Still Weighs Heavy on George R.R. Martin

Martin working as producer on A Dozen Tough Jobs will likely mean a lot to the famed author, as Waldrop was a lifelong friend of Martin’s. Martin had long hoped to adapt some of his friend’s work over the years, but the famed author also has other things to worry about. His seven-book fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, is not yet complete. 13 years since the fifth book was published, the sixth installment, The Winds of Winter, has not been completed. It is a wait Martin admits has dragged on for too long. “That’s the curse of my life here,” Martin said previously. “There’s no doubt Winds of Winter is 13 years late. I’m still working on it. I have periods where I make progress and then other things divert my attention.”