The end is in sight for Game of Thrones. There's only two seasons remaining and they'll clock in at roughly 73 hours. Then that's it. Until the inevitable spin-off series arrives at some point in the future. Let's face it, HBO is unlikely going to let its most critically acclaimed, universally-adored series just wither away like Ramsay's chewed remains. It did break Emmy records this past weekend, after all.
Shortly after the event, showrunner David Benioff spoke to reports about the possibility of he and DB Weiss staying onboard for that potential spin-off. “You might want to ask George about that,” Benioff told EW on the red carpet. “It’s a great world that George created. I think it’s a very rich world, and I’m sure there will be other series set in Westeros, but for us, this is it. That’s really a question for George.”
That'll be George R.R. Martin, who penned the books. His response? “Well, I do have thousands of pages of fake history - everything that led up to Game of Thrones - so there’s a wealth of material there, and I’m still writing more.” But, as we know, the crazily delayed Winds of Winter currently has his attention. "At the moment, we still have this show to finish, and I still have two books to finish, so that’s all speculation,” he concluded.
Martin has previously referenced the huge amounts of stories he's got tucked away, perfect for the small screen treatment. His Tales of Dunk & Egg series of novellas take place 90 years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire (which the TV show is based on). That's oodles of stories to choose from. Going that route would allow a new creative team the chance to put their stamp on Westeros through fresh characters. We'll no doubt hear more about this closer to the final season of the show.
Images: HBO
