Few television shows ever have received half of the acclaim that Game of Thrones has received since it debuted in the spring of 2011. The brainchild of author George R.R. Martin, the fantasy series ran for 8 seasons on HBO and captivated audiences worldwide with its mythical and medieval storylines comparable to something like Lord of the Rings. Fans were disappointed when the series came to an end after nearly a decade on the air, clamoring for more from the world of Westeros, the series’ fictional setting. While it has been announced that a variety of spinoff series have been discussed and greenlit for production, HBO decided to take things a step further. Over the weekend the network decided to double down on their commitment to R.R. Martin’s work, inking him to a new 5-year deal that will further bolster the working relationship both parties have established.
Even before this deal was reached, R.R. Martin’s work was already being actively adapted for the creation of new content. Two new series, House of Dragon and A Song of Ice and Fire, are already currently in development and plan to explore the same universe that Game of Thrones explored in much greater detail. The author also remains active outside of his work with HBO as well, with his next book The Winds of Winter being written as this article is typed along with another new series and a feature film in production. It appears as though HBO wanted to lock up the author for the foreseeable future and it looks like they did just that with a rumored eight figure payday for the creative mind. From the looks of it, while Game of Thrones may have come to an end, we have just cracked the surface of the fictional realm created by the author, and HBO is willing and ready to put forth the effort in bringing it to life.
Many would argue that Game of Thrones has already fully entrenched itself as the greatest television show of all time. While this is subject to debate, the overwhelming number of people who agree with this sentiment highlights how beloved George R.R. Martin’s work is. In the end it is only fair of HBO to reward their bread winner, and at the same time quench the demands of eager and excited fans. So for the foreseeable future, tune in to HBO if you intend to delve into the realm of Westeros once more.
