If you’re hoping to see more of Peter Dinklage in the near future, you may not need to look far. Empire is reporting that Justin Monjo is developing a new show for HBO, The Beasts of Valhalla, based on a series of George C. Chesbro novels. Dinklage would play the lead: private eye and criminologist Dr. Robert Frederickson, also known as Mongo the Magnificent.
The timing for the proposed series isn’t yet clear, but reportedly, it would not conflict with Dinklage’s obligations to Game of Thrones. [POSSIBLE SPOILERS] The actor is still under contract with Thrones, so Monjo’s show might not get its start till after Dinklage has completed his role on the George R.R. Martin adaptation, or it’s conceivable that the two could run concurrently. Dinklage does receive more screen time than any other character on Thrones, but the show has a huge ensemble cast and there are at least a couple episodes each season in which Dinklage’s Tyrion Lannister only appears onscreen for a few minutes. [END POSSIBLE SPOILERS]
Oddly, this isn’t the first time that Dinklage has been linked to a Mongo adaptation. A film with Dinklage attached was in the works several years, but the project never came to fruition. Now, with Ben Stiller’s Red Hour production company backing the series and Dinklage a much more prominent name, this Mongo project seems like a better bet. “HBO and Red Hour think [Dinklage] is perfect for the part and are very excited about the project,” Monjo told Empire.
Dinklage is far from the first Game of Thrones cast member (or alumnus) attached to new projects in the wake of the show’s success. Jason Momoa, better known to Thrones fans as Khal Drago, landed one of the leads in SundanceTV’s The Red Road, which is set to debut on Thursday. Kit Harrington, who plays Jon Snow, scored the lead in Pompeii, which raked in just over $10 million dollars in its opening weekend earlier this month, and Lena Headley (Cersei Lannister) will appear as Queen Gorgo in Zach Snyder’s 300 sequel next month.
[Empire]