George R.R. Martin Thinks HBO Should Make ‘Game Of Thrones’ Spinoff, Says He Has Thousands Of Stories ‘If HBO Is Interested’
In the wake of news that the final two seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones may be shorter than the previous five, Thrones creator George R.R. Martin says he has plenty of ideas for a spin-off. Martin was quoted by EW.com as saying there are “a thousand stories” in Westeros and the lands beyond, though he thinks his Dunk And Egg novellas would be the best source material for a Thrones prequel and/or sequel.
These stories take place about 90 years before the events of A Song of Ice And Fire (off which Thrones is based), and follow the adventures of a knight named Ser Duncan The Tall and his squire, “Egg,” who later becomes King Aegon Targaryen V.
It’s very clear even from viewing the original storyline of Thrones that there is so much more going on than one show could possibly portray, and the Targaryens are definitely one of the most fleshed-out families in Westeros, so the “Dunk and Egg” novellas seem the logical starting (continuing?) point.
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Additionally, there have been rumors that Seasons 6 and 7 of Thrones may only consist of 13 episodes between the two (whereas previous Seasons had 10 episodes per season), so there may even be a lot of main storyline from the books that cannot or will not be included in the final two seasons.
This could mean certain scenes and/or events were purposely left out of Season 6 so as not to have many a-ragequitting Thrones fan boycott the show. If scenes from The Winds of Winters were cut out from Thrones in Season 6, Martin could have even more material for a possible spin-off show or shows. Variety.com got some info from HBO’s President, Michael Lombardo, that may hint the network is interested in expanding Thrones to hit eight seasons, or possibly open to the idea of a spin-off.
“‘Seven seasons and out’ has never been the conversation,” Lombardo told reporters during HBO’s presentation at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour on Thursday. “The question is, how much beyond the seventh season are we going to do?”
Martin himself has admitted in interviews on YouTube that it is going to be “very hard” for him to say goodbye to Westeros and the characters of Thrones, but cautioned that an author also needs to know when enough is enough. Referencing his biggest inspiration, Lord of The Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien, Martin stated he hopes he never sees a movie called Sauron Strikes Back.
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On the other hand, Martin’s book, The World of Ice And Fire, makes it clear that the world does not end at Westeros, and even in Westeros there is a rich history that has been left mostly untold by the Thrones TV series. For instance, the show makes references to events like the Dance of Dragons and Robert’s Rebellion, but does not actually show these events. Could a prequel showing the lengthy history of Westeros also be an option for Martin and HBO?
Martin does seem enthusiastic about the possibility of a spin-off, and it’s obvious his characters have captivated people, so he likely also has plans about what happens to them after the main storyline is over (assuming they survive, of course). Season 6 of Thrones is “coming” (and so is winter) tonight at 9 p.m. eastern, so be sure to tune in and let us know how it stacks up to your expectations.
[Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]
