Game of Thrones Creators Working on Movie Based on Lovecraft Graphic Novel

The creators of HBO’s Game of Thrones have sailed off into the sunset from their time at Westeros. Though the premium cable network is developing spin-offs and prequels, Emmy winners David Benioff & D.B. Weiss will have no involvement in them. After their tenure at HBO ended, the pair have already signed a major deal with Netflix to develop new shows and feature films, something that resulted in the duo having to depart from their previously announced Star Wars movies. Now there’s been a new wrinkle in the matter, as they’re developing a movie at yet another studio.

Deadline reports that Benioff and Weiss have signed on to develop an untitled thriller based on the graphic novel Lovecraft from Vertigo for Warner Bros. Pictures. It’s unclear will direct the project or simply produce, but for now they’ve enlisted writers Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi to pen the script. The graphic novel from which the film will draw inspiration asks the question “What if the monsters and myths from H.P. Lovecraft‘s fiction was real?” The trade reports that the film will be set in the 1920s and deal with the ever popular Cthulhu mythos.

This development may surprise some after their Netflix exclusive deal, but Benioff and Weiss have reportedly been in talks for this project with WB since before their new first-look was established, giving them some leeway to make this deal outside of their Netflix agreement. It’s unclear why the pair were able to find time in their schedule to develop this project at Warner Bros. after citing a lack of time for departing their previously announced Star Wars trilogy.

It also remains to be seen what will take priority for Benioff and Weiss, but it’s expected that their Netflix deal will be their main focus with the price tag being the main reason. It’s unclear how much their new deal is worth but sources previously claimed that the deal is in “the 9-figure range,” similarly to the deals Netflix previously struck with Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy.

Following their departure from HBO, the pair’s controversial series Confederate, which would have explored an alternate version of the United States after the Confederacy successfully seceded winning the Civil War complete with slavery remaining legal, was put into turn around. The series was immediately met with criticism over the concept when it was announced.

Earlier this year Benioff and Weiss won their sixth Primetime Emmy award for their work on Game of Thrones, which took home the Outstanding Drama Series award for the fourth year in a row.