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George R.R. Martin Announced Not Four but FIVE Game of Thrones Spin-offs

The author took to his personal blog to update fans about new scripts in the works.
Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane and Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

Yesterday, Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin announced on his personal blog that HBO is developing a total of five GOT spinoffs to succeed the Emmy award-winning show slated to end after its eighth season in 2018. Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that HBO hired four screenwriters to work on four separate scripts that would expand on the GOT universe. Martin clarified previous reports that suggested HBO was working on four new successor shows, stating that the team had four scripts in the works when he arrived in LA last week, and had added a fifth storyline by the time he had left. The team also added a fifth heretofore unnamed writer that Martin assures is a "really terrific addition."

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Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

The author revealed that he was working with all of the new writers on developing offshoots that will serve as prequels to the current plot line: "Every one of the concepts under discussion is a prequel, rather than a sequel. Some may not even be set on Westeros. Rather than 'spin off' or 'prequel,' however, I prefer the term 'successor show.' That's what I've been calling them." Martin says he's been working on these new projects since last August when he had his first meeting with HBO about a successor show. One of the two series he pitched in that meeting is now being developed.

Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed and Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

Martin warned fans not to get their hopes up, however, as nothing in the industry is ever set in stone: "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. At least not immediately. What we do have here is an order for four—now five—pilot scripts. How many pilots will be filmed, and how many series might come out of that, remains to be seen." Martin says he can't (or won't) tell us what the new shows will be about, but does rule out some potential angles. They will not be doing a series on Dunk and Egg, a series of prequel novellas that begin 90 years prior to the events in the A Song of Ice and Fire books; nor will they reenact Robert's Rebellion and the events immediately leading up to the first season.

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Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

Learn more on George R.R. Martin's personal blog, and keep your eyes peeled for Game of Thrones coverage on Creators.

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