Sean Bean, the actor who played Boromir in Peter Jackson’s movie versions of The Lord of the Rings, has been cast as Ned Stark in the pilot for A Game of Thrones, HBO’s television adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels, A Song of Fire and Ice.

Bean also stars in the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a big-screen adaptation of a popular children’s fantasy book series.

“I can’t imagine a better Ned,” Martin writes on his blog. “The deal took some doing, so my fingers have been crossed for a month now (and boy, that made it hard to type), but now it’s done, and I’m thrilled.”

Martin also reports that Mark Addy (A Knight’s Tale and The Full Monty) has been cast as King Robert I Baratheon; Hollywood Reporter says the deal is being finalized but is not yet signed.

In other casting news, Harry Lloyd (Will Scarlett on the BBC series Robin Hood) will play Viserys Targaryen, the beggar king.

The relatively unknown actors Jack Gleeson and Kit Harington will play Joffrey Baratheon and Jon Snow, respectively.

“I’ve seen readings by both Gleeson and Lloyd, and both should be terrific,” Martin writes.

It was previously announced that Peter Dinklage, who played Trumpkin in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, has been cast as Tyrion Lannister.

The first season of the TV series, should the pilot be picked up by HBO, will correspond to the first book  in the series, which is titled A Game of Thrones. Subsequent seasons will reportedly be named after subsequent books.