With the news hitting that there are only 14 more episodes left in the television adaptation of George RR Martin’s A Song Of Ice And Fire, now comes some more alarming news out of the Game of Thrones South by Southwest panel.
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Producers of the hit show D.B. Weiss and David Benioff have revealed that even though HBO is still planning to make a spinoff show to the main series, the showrunners will not have a role in making it happen.
While speaking alongside actors Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner at a spotlight panel for the SXSW event, Weiss and Benioff confirmed that they would be bowing out of Westeros when the show completes its run.
“I think HBO might well do [a prequel or spinoff] and I look forward to watching it and I think it be great, but I think they should get new blood in,” one of the producers said.
Alongside the news that the final season will be even more truncated than Season 7, word of Benioff and Weiss not participating in the series is likely disappointing to fans of the show.
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The two are the creative forces driving Game of Thrones‘ adaptation of Martin’s written works. And while certain critiques have been levied about storytelling choices or deviations made from the source material, they are still praised for their contributions to the global phenomenon.
But hopefully someone(s) familiar with the production as it is will be brought in to run a potential spinoff, which is said to be set before the events of the series.
Some of the most interesting aspects in the entire saga have been the historical references and even the few flashbacks we’ve seen that further flesh out the world and history behind the events driving the narrative’s timeline.
Hopefully a new series retains the epic scope filtered through the lens of terribly flawed characters with production values of comparable craft.
Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres on HBO July 16.
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[h/t] EW