As Game of Thrones fans collectively begin to brace themselves for the oncoming series finale (summer 2019 is the current estimate), HBO is already thinking one step ahead.
In order to future-proof its fantasy flagship, the network has begun drafting up plans for multiple successor series – five, in fact, though we should stress that they’re unlikely to green light any more than two or three…for now. To date, the Powers That Be have accepted story pitches from Max Borenstein (Godzilla: King of the Monsters), Jane Goldman (Kingsman: The Golden Circle), Brian Helgeland (Robin Hood), Carly Wray (The Leftovers) and, more recently, Bryan Cogman, who will be working in collaboration with George R.R. Martin.
As Thrones‘ founding father, it shouldn’t be all that surprising to learn that Martin is actively involved in developing HBO’s successor series, and though the network isn’t quite ready to share a tangible update, chairman and CEO Richard Plepler recently told Variety (via Screen Rant) that he’s greatly excited for the future.
When pressed about each pitch, Plepler was understandably coy, and merely showered praise on the talented pool of writers at HBO’s disposal, most of whom are already familiar with Game of Thrones and its rich, violent history.
No. Other than to say it’s a fantastic group of writers and talent, most of whom have lived inside the Thrones eco-system so are very, very familiar with its intricacies. I think we will find with this embarrassment of [writing] riches an exciting property for us to moves forward with… We are looking some things, I have read a couple of early bibles and I’m excited about what I’ve seen.
The eighth and final season of HBO’s Game of Thrones is just now beginning to film in Belfast, Northern Ireland, after a number of eagle-eyed fans spotted many of the show’s key players moseying around the city. Subsequent reports, meanwhile, have claimed that HBO has tightened security in the aftermath of season 7, when two episodes were leaked online prior to broadcast.
