If HBO kicks on with a Game of Thrones spinoff series, and chances are it will, co-showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff won’t be actively involved, as they’d prefer the network to recruit “fresh blood” should it decide to explore a new corner of Westeros.
Speaking at the ongoing SXSW 2017, where the series stalwarts also confirmed the inclusion of singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran in July’s seventh season, Weiss and Benioff acknowledged that HBO is currently mulling over a potential prequel or spinoff series. But should those plans fall into place, neither Weiss nor Benioff will return at the helm, which shouldn’t be all that surprising to ardent fans given both creatives have stressed in the past that Game of Thrones season 8 really does signal the end of their decorated tenure.
Per ComicBook.com: “I think HBO might well do [a prequel or spinoff] and I look forward to watching it and I think it will be great, but I think they should get new blood in.”
On the topic of the show’s eighth and final season, Weiss went on to confirm that Game of Thrones‘ swan song will be comprised of only six episodes in total when it bows in 2018. According to Kit Harington, a shorter episode count has allowed the VFX team to “break boundaries” when crafting both season 7 and season 8, and we already know the former will run for seven episodes when it premieres in a few months’ time. Only 13 episodes of Game of Thrones remain, then, which ought to send online excitement through the roof – if it wasn’t already.
Game of Thrones season 7 swoops onto HBO on July 16th and will jump-start a suitably epic two-part conclusion to the network’s beloved fantasy series. Harington is confident GOT can “go out with a bang,” but what are your hopes, thoughts and concerns about the show’s impending curtain call? Drop your thoughts below.
