Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss confirm their original plan to end the series with a film trilogy was nixed by HBO. Having long passed author George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire source material, the final seasons of Game of Thrones brought HBO’s ultra-popular adaptation to a controversial conclusion. In 2020, Martin mentioned that there was once a plan to conclude the fantasy series with a theatrical film trilogy instead of a normal ending on television.
Now, in a new profile by The Wall Street Journal, Benioff and Weiss confirmed that their original plan was to end Game of Thrones with three theatrical films instead of 13 episodes stretched across the final two seasons. However, when the pair pitched the idea to executives, they were reminded, as Benioff says, that they were making Game of Thrones for HBO, which stands for “Home Box Office,” not “Away Box Office,” Weiss adds.
Game Of Thrones’ Ending Would’ve Been Worse As A Movie Trilogy
Unlike the first six seasons, which consisted of 10 episodes each, season 7 was reduced to seven episodes, and Game of Thrones season 8 had only six episodes to end the series. This reduced episode count resulted in an overall shorter runtime, which led to less screen time devoted to certain character arcs, while others were wrapped up too quickly. This was one of the major issues with the final season that caused it to be heavily criticized by commentators and audiences – and ultimately deemed a disappointing conclusion to the series.
12 Amazing Game Of Thrones Moments From Seasons 7 & 8 That Prove It Was Still Great TV
The Game of Thrones ending was met with outrage from fans and critics, yet there are still great scenes in seasons 7 and 8 that deserve praise.
Weiss and Benioff’s alternative plan for ending the series with three feature films wouldn’t have improved the ending and, in fact, probably would’ve made it worse. The final two seasons consisted of 13 total episodes, which were about 14 hours in combined runtime. A film trilogy, on the other hand, would have likely been anywhere from 6 to 9 hours in total runtime, resulting in even less time to wrap up the story. In turn, audiences might want to appreciate the Game of Thrones ending they got because if Benioff and Weiss had their way, it could’ve been much worse.
Game Of Thrones
Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones is a TV series based on the book “A Song of Ice of Fire” by George R. R. Martin. It tells the story of the ongoing battle between the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros – as they fight for control of the coveted Iron Throne. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the far north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night’s Watch, led by House Stark’s Jon Snow, is the first to encounter icy horrors that threaten all realms of men. The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and quickly became one of the biggest event series in the “Golden Age” of TV. Winner of 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, international fan base.
- Cast
- Emilia Clarke , Lena Headey , Richard Madden , Michelle Fairley , Kit Harington , Maisie Williams , Alfie Allen , Peter Dinklage
- Release Date
- April 11, 2011
- Seasons
- 8
- Streaming Service(s)
- HBO Max
- Franchise(s)
- Game of Thrones
- Writers
- D.B. Weiss , George R.R. Martin , David Benioff
- Directors
- David Nutter , Alan Taylor , D.B. Weiss , David Benioff
- Showrunner
- David Benioff , D.B. Weiss
