Hey, Game of Thrones fans, try this bit of information on for hyperbolic, over-reactionary size: the executives and other powers-that-be over at HBO aren’t really all that concerned about outpacing George R.R. Martin in what is becoming a race to finish the Song of Ice and Fire story that’s at the heart of the television series (and based on GRRM’s novelized source material). In fact “next season every move is being choreographed very closely with him.”
This week, for those of you not in the entertainment writer know, is what is known around town as the TCAs or television critic association press tour. It’s when a bunch of TV writers get together and listen to a bunch of TV executives talk about their plans for the coming season. Lots of news breaks there and many questions are asked.
At the event, HBO Programming President Michael Lombardo was asked point-blank if Martin’s unfinished sixth book, The Winds of Winter, was cramping their style on the TV front as the series hovers ever-closer to outpacing the wordy author. “His book’s not finished at this point, but we’re not concerned about it,” he said. “We’re not losing sleep,” added HBO’s CEO Richard Plepler.
As for those pesky rumors that GRRM wants the series to go out with a cinematic bang? Plepler insisted that the author is “100% focused on the books and series,” with Lombardo adding that “there’s no conversations going on about a movie.”
Another good bit of news is that, essentially, for as many seasons as the story needs telling, HBO is committed to producing it. After all, the series got a 2-season renewal just a few months ago, with D.B. Weiss and David Benioff (our intrepid showrunners) planning to finish the whole affair in seven seasons. “What we know is this is a great series of books in the hands of two superior showrunners,” explained Plepler. “That it would turn into the biggest show in the history of our network was completely unpredictable.”
So there you have it, folks? Satisfied with their answers? Is your mind at ease regarding the future of the books and television series? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments.
That didn’t answer the question if whether he’ll finish the books at all. Is he just going to let hbo writers do it for him?
How old IS GRRM? What if he dies before he finishes the series. Hell, what if I die before he finishes the series. If that’s the case, I want my epitaph to read, “disappointed that GRRM didn’t finish the series in time.”
GRRM has already answered that question. Here it is in handy gif form:
i.imgur.com/34RtY8Z.gif
He is 65… not THAT old
Karen, GRRM has revealed his final game plans for the novels to Benioff and Weiss in case he passes, so that they can finish the story. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.
They are way past Book 3 for some stories. Plus there is a LOT of travel and chapters where like ONE thing that matters happens.
Wait… Finish the whole series in 7 seasons? So, 3 more seasons total and they’ve just finished book 3. With 2 more written and 2 more coming after that, all longer than the books prior.
How are they going to manage 4 books in 3 seasons when they’ve only managed 3 books in 4 seasons?
theyre using 7 seasons as a mile stone, which could be realistic if he wasn’t splitting up his last book into 8 .unless the movie path is set at some point then, you know they wont be able to finish it in 7 seasons, and like they said, they have no worries. it successful and will most likely go on for as long as it has to. and for the last two books, it actually does seem likely that they can fit it into one season if they absolutely have to, His dramatic dialogue seems to fill the pages by the hundreds, but from what ive seen of the last two books, theyre doesnt seem to be a lot of fulfilling events that they cant fit into one season, being that the books are split by region and were only meant to be one complete novel anyways. I also dont doubt that they wont start to use more future material to fill up space as well, therefore brushing more of the entire stories duration in the future.
I’m guessing you haven’t read the books yet. Season 3 & 4 of the show took parts from Book 3, 4 and 5.
As of the finale of Season 4, some characters stories have just concluded at the end of Book 3 while others have already advanced to further stories from 4 & 5. Also note that book 4 & 5 happen at approx the same timeline.
So they could justifiably make season 5 the remainder of books 4 & 5. Season 6 = book 6. Season 7 = book 7. Now whether it will happen that way is a completely different story.