When HBO announced in May that it has asked writers to develop not one, but four, spinoffs for "Game of Thrones," fans were naturally excited for all the possibilities. The people behind the shows have been keeping the details a tight secret. But with so many rumors and speculations coming out, HBO programming president Casey Bloys needed to address the real score on these spinoff projects.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Casey Bloys said that while they have asked for four "Game of Thrones" spinoff from different groups of writers, fans shouldn't expect all of these will become TV Shows.
"My hope is to get one show that lives up to it," Bloys said, referring to the bar that the original series has set. The main idea for the HBO boss is to pick one really good show to follow in the success of "Game of Thrones."
George R.R. Martin speaks up
Back in May, the man behind "Game of Thrones," George R.R. Martin confirmed that HBO did ask four types of spinoff stories from his team of writers. But while Martin consulted with the group, he revealed a fifth spinoff idea might be added to choices.
Writing an entry on his official blog, George R.R. Martin said he doesn't actually treat these new projects as spinoffs per se because they are all completely new stories featuring characters that "Game of Thrones" viewers have yet to meet.
They also don't belong in the same Westeros world as the first series.
But as the HBO boss clarified, George R.R. Martin also said he doesn't expect all four shows to move forward despite the writers working on them. "Decades of experience in television and film have taught me that nothing is ever really certain... but I do think it's very unlikely that we'll be getting four (or five) series," the author explained.
'Game of Thrones' final run in 2019?
Meanwhile, as "Game of Thrones" season 7 is set to premiere this July for seven episodes, news has it that the final season, the eighth, won't be on the air until 2019. Bloys also told Entertainment Weekly that showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss want to ensure that the last six episodes will be "as great as it can be." Hence, they will have to plan everything out carefully and meticulously, even if this means taking time during production.
In its run on television, "Game of Thrones" was honored for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys, the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice for at least twice or three times. The series also received a Peabody Award.
