George R.R. Martin’s ‘Night of the Cooters’ Heads to Film

George R.R. Martin is stepping beyond Westeros once again. The A Song of Ice and Fire author has co-produced a film adaptation of Howard Waldrop’s sci-fi Western short story Night of the Cooters, with Vincent D’Onofrio directing and starring.

The project expands Martin’s screen footprint into stranger, pulpier territory — Martians, small-town Texas, and death rays included.

A Martian Invasion in Pachuco, Texas

First published in 1987, Waldrop’s 7,390-word story mashes up Gunsmoke with H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. In Pachuco County, Texas, Sheriff Burt Lindley investigates a mysterious metal cylinder that lands in a field. Readers familiar with Wells can guess what happens next: a Martian tripod rises and begins vaporizing townsfolk.

The original story is available to read in Clarkesworld Magazine, and it remains a sharp, playful genre mashup more than three decades after publication.

The film adaptation leans into that B-movie spirit. D’Onofrio directs and stars as Sheriff Lindley, leading a cast that includes Hopper Penn, Martin Sensmeier, Cristin McCleary, Harrison Page, Luce Rains, Elias Gallegos, Jazzy Kim O’Brien, and Darius Eteeyan. The screenplay comes from Joe R. Lansdale, and the score is composed by Ramin Djawadi, whose work on Game of Thrones helped define Martin’s fantasy world on screen.

A Hybrid Western With a Cult Following

Produced by Trioscope, the film uses a hybrid format. It was shot in live action, then heavily processed to resemble rotoscoped animation. The technique gives the alien machines a heightened, graphic-novel edge while keeping the dusty Western setting grounded.

The short, reportedly running between 20 and 30 minutes, debuted at the Los Angeles Shorts International Film Festival. It was shot in just five days, embracing the scrappy energy of old-school Westerns. A teaser trailer released in 2024 offers a glimpse of the stylized Martian mayhem.

Martin has long championed Waldrop’s work, and the two writers have been friends for more than 60 years. He has called the adaptation an honor and a thrill, praising Waldrop’s “wild and wonderful” imagination.

For fans used to tracking the ever-expanding Game of Thrones feature film or debating updates like The Winds of Winter, Night of the Cooters is a reminder of the author’s deep sci-fi roots. A release date has yet to be announced, and no distributor is attached. For now, it remains a festival favorite — and a tantalizing new chapter in Martin’s life beyond dragons.