Taylor Sheridan, the screenwriter for the project, had a new movie idea about a crime film set on an Indian reservation.
Martin had his reservations about it, deciding to first whet Sheridan's appetite by having him write the screenplay.
If it was too niche and artsy, then forget about it.
The shooting for Damien Chazelle's "Whiplash" had wrapped up, and the movie had entered post-production. It would have to wait until the latter half of the year for its release.
"The Queen's Gambit" was adapted from a film script to a television series script. Scott Frank finalized the plot outline and determined it would need a total of seven episodes.
Martin gave the green light for the seven-episode pace.
Additionally, Martin also attended the third round of auditions for Robert Eggers's low-budget horror movie "The Witch," which ultimately cast Anya Taylor Joy as the lead actress.
