Game of Thrones Showrunners Were Asked to Film Episodes Vertically So People Could Watch on Phones

David Benioff and Dan Weiss are currently busy promoting their new Netflix series, 3 Body Problem, which is debuting next month. The show is based on the award-winning sci-fi novel by Liu Cixin, but it’s not the first time Benioff and Weiss have brought beloved books to the small screen. The duo is best known for adapting George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels into HBO’s smash hit, Game of Thrones. The show’s final season was divisive, and there have been a lot of rumors about how it could have ended. 

Benioff and Weiss were recently profiled by The Wall Street Journal, and it was confirmed that their original plan for Game of Thrones was to end with three theatrical films rather than a final season. However, HBO wasn’t interested. It was also revealed that they were asked to film the show to accommodate people who watch on their phones.

“Benioff and Weiss, who have been friends since grad school, weren’t crazy about HBO’s then-owners, AT&T, whose executives once asked whether Game of Thrones could be shot vertically so it would fit on your phone. The company also openly discussed the idea of snackable mini-episodes of the series,” WSJ wrote. 

“Dysfunction kills more projects than anything else, whether it’s interpersonal dysfunction or institutional dysfunction,” Weiss explained.

“When you sign a five-year deal with a company, you want that company to be stable so you can be left alone to do your work and not have to worry about it being bought by the phone company,” Benioff added. “Finding the smoothest ride in the ocean was key.” 

What Is 3 Body Problem About?

Benioff and Weiss teamed up with The Terror: Infamy‘s Alexander Woo to adapt 3 Body Problem. Here’s how Netflix describes the upcoming series: “A young woman’s fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time into the present day. When the laws of nature inexplicably unravel before their eyes, a close-knit group of brilliant scientists join forces with an unflinching detective to confront the greatest threat in humanity’s history.”

“I have the greatest respect for and faith in the creative team adapting The Three-Body Problem for television audiences,” original author Liu Cixin said at the time Netflix announced the series back in 2020. “I set out to tell a story that transcends time and the confines of nations, cultures and races; one that compels us to consider the fate of humankind as a whole. It is a great honor as an author to see this unique sci-fi concept travel and gain fandom across the globe and I am excited for new and existing fans all over the world to discover the story on Netflix.”  

3 Body Problem debuts on Netflix on March 21st.