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Game of Thrones: HBO confirms season 8 will be last

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NYR

NYR

Member
http://www.ew.com/article/2016/07/30/game-thrones

Season 8 (2018) to be final season with a spin-off possible. No confirmation on season length, but since it is going "according to plan" of the executive porducers, don't be surprised if it is only 6 episodes, which was their original plan.

HBO has just answered a huge lingering question about Game of Thrones.

EW asked the network’s new programming president Casey Bloys if he plans to go along with showrunners’ David Benioff and Dan Weiss’ oft-stated desire to end their fantasy hit with season 8.

Bloys said yes, that is the current plan – the first time somebody at HBO has confirmed this.

“Yes, they have a very specific plan about the number of seasons they want to do,” Bloys said at the Television Critics Association’s press tour in Beverly Hills on Saturday. “Believe me, as the new [programming executive] coming in, if I could get them to do more. I would take 10 more seasons. But we take their lead on what they think they can do the best version of the show.”

The showrunners have also planned for the eighth season to consist of merely six episodes. On that front, however, Bloys said the exact number of season eight episodes is not yet final.

We then asked if the team is considering a Thrones spin-off to continue the valuable franchise. Thrones is one of TV’s most watched shows with 25 million total viewers this year across all platforms.

“We’ve talked about it,” he said. “It’s something I’m not opposed to, but of course it has to make sense creatively. I’m not sure that [Benioff and Weiss] could really wrap their heads around it when they’re just about to start production [on season 7]. It’s a pretty intense production, they’re about to start production soon. I’m open to it. The guys weren’t opposed to it, but there’s no concrete plans for it at this point.”

Also, with the production delay of season seven – which will debut its seven episodes next summer – the executive confirmed the plan will take Thrones out of the running for the Emmys next year. Thrones received 23 prime-time 2016 Emmy nominations, more than any other show, but requires a heavy amount of winter location shooting for the next season (locations include a production unit filming in Iceland).

Still, Bloys pointed out, “Even if we took Thrones Emmys away this year, we’d still have more than anyone else.”
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B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Makes me wonder what the true arc of the books were before the show. Feels like the undead/winter aspect is gonna be over in a season and a half. Just a portion of the whole arc. That and the resolution.
 
A

A-V-B

Member
Magic Mushroom said:
Miguel Sapochnik to direct season 8 all by himself please.
Click to expand...

LetsPray.gif
 
NYR

NYR

Member
entremet said:
Good luck finding a replacement, HBO.

Gonna be hard!
Click to expand...
They said the same thing about Sopranos and they found an even bigger show. The show had some hype going into season 1 but has only gained steam since, it wasn't an instant hit.

2000px-Game_of_Thrones_ratings_histogram.svg.png
 
E

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
TangoAlphaLima said:
You know, that really popular show with McConaughey and Harrelson that they never made a sequel to...
Click to expand...

Oh, they did make a second season, it's called The Night Of and it's great so far. Not sure why they're changing the name of the show each season but whatever.
 
RPGCrazied

RPGCrazied

Member
Oh well, it had to end at some point Just like my HBO subscription will. The only real reason I pay for one is Game of Thrones.
 
K

kswiston

Member
entremet said:
Good luck finding a replacement, HBO.

Gonna be hard!
Click to expand...

Isn't GOT by far the most successful show in the history of HBO?

NYR said:
They said the same thing about Sopranos and they found an even bigger show. The show had some hype going into season 1 but has only gained steam since, it wasn't an instant hit.

2000px-Game_of_Thrones_ratings_histogram.svg.png
Click to expand...

From what I remember, Game of Thrones is way bigger than the Sopranos was outside of the US, and in terms of merchandising/licensing. Even then, there was like 5-6 years between The Sopranos ending and Game of Thrones really taking off (say season 3)
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
NYR said:
They said the same thing about Sopranos and they found an even bigger show. The show had some hype going into season 1 but has only gained steam since, it wasn't an instant hit.

2000px-Game_of_Thrones_ratings_histogram.svg.png
Click to expand...

Show was a cultural phenomenon at one point. Not sure they'll be able to replicate it soon after GoT ends, or even within five years.
 
E

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
BlueTsunami said:
Show was a cultural phenomenon at one point. Not sure they'll be able to replicate it soon after GoT ends, or even within five years.
Click to expand...

I'd say it's still a cultural phenomenon, it was impossible to not see Game of Thrones stuff all over the internet when season 6 was airing. It always trended on twitter with, like, 350k tweets or so.
NYR said:
lol, they literally confirm in the article they are thinking of making a spin-off. They make too much money just to end it cold turkey, they already have plans for a spin-off. They could do a 5 season prequel quite easily while they prep the next idea.
Click to expand...

Prequel season about Robert's Rebellion and a movie trilogy about Aegon conquered Westeros.

It is known.
 
NYR

NYR

Member
BlueTsunami said:
Show was a cultural phenomenon at one point. Not sure they'll be able to replicate it soon after GoT ends, or even within five years.
Click to expand...
GoT fandom is at an all time high and the ratings and buzz prove that. So was Sopranos. They aired another cultural phenom series just 3 years later after Sopranos ended, and GoT didn't just show up - they were planning GoT for a couple of years, started filming it in 2009. They always have a bullet in the chamber, it's not just dumb luck.
 
F

fantomena

Member
Im gonna be so sad when it ends.

Also, I don't understand why so many people think that there will be this one last big war between living and the dead.

I fully expect some sort of peace between the living and the dead. The entire story has a anti-war theme to it. It won't make sense to end it all with a big war. Plus, GRRM has said that he don't want any more dark/evil lords and regular good vs. evil stuff.
 
E

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
fantomena said:
Im gonna be so sad when it ends.

Also, I don't understand why so many people think that there will be this one last big war between living and the dead.

I fully expect some sort of peace between the living and the dead. The entire story has a anti-war theme to it. It won't make sense to end it all with a big war. Plus, GRRM has said that he don't want any more dark/evil lords and regular good vs. evil stuff.
Click to expand...

The White Walkers bring the Long Night, you can't reason with a literal force of nature.
 
L

Lothar

Banned
I don't know why HBO doesn't just give the show to someone else if Benioff and Weiss are tired of it. It's obvious there's more story to tell than 13 episodes. GRRM said there may even be an 8th book.

fantomena said:
Im gonna be so sad when it ends.

Also, I don't understand why so many people think that there will be this one last big war between living and the dead.

I fully expect some sort of peace between the living and the dead. The entire story has a anti-war theme to it. It won't make sense to end it all with a big war. Plus, GRRM has said that he don't want any more dark/evil lords and regular good vs. evil stuff.
Click to expand...

He did say that and that's why it would be a big disappointment if it ended in a total good vs evil zombie army battle. I hope he has something better planned than that. I'd much rather a Blackwater type battle with both good and bad on each side. Make the audience conflicted on who they want to win.
 
LifEndz

LifEndz

Member
Looking forward to buying the entire series.

Recently re-read all the books and GRRM could make a fortune selling the rights to some of the wars prior to the book stuff. Aegon's conquest as an anime would be amazing. If I ran Netflix I'd be doing my damnedest to make that happen.
 
O

Obliterator

Member
HBO better give at least a couple season spin off series or my subscription is probably done after Season 8. That goes for a ton of people I know as well. There is so much lore and back story set in Westeros though so they could easily deliver a quality show.

Even if they can keep only half of Thrones viewers for the spin off your still looking around 13 million viewers.
 
B

Baldwin_the_First

Member
NYR said:
lol, they literally confirm in the article they are thinking of making a spin-off. They make too much money just to end it cold turkey, they already have plans for a spin-off. They could do a 5 season prequel quite easily while they prep the next idea.
Click to expand...

That would be fantastic, and I hope they keep Ned's younger actor we see in the Tower of Joy's scenes if they ever do a spinoff during that time.
 
K

Killer Queen

Banned
fantomena said:
Im gonna be so sad when it ends.

Also, I don't understand why so many people think that there will be this one last big war between living and the dead.

I fully expect some sort of peace between the living and the dead. The entire story has a anti-war theme to it. It won't make sense to end it all with a big war. Plus, GRRM has said that he don't want any more dark/evil lords and regular good vs. evil stuff.
Click to expand...
My theory(which I probably read elsewhere):
There will be a huge war with a shitton of casualties, Westerns will be covered in snow and Khalesi will get the iron throne but there won't be much left, if anything at all, and the starks will be pretty okay from here on out and one of the few remaining kingdoms
 
F

fantomena

Member
Lothar said:
I don't know why HBO doesn't just give the show to someone else if Benioff and Weiss are tired of it. It's obvious there's more story to tell than 13 episodes. GRRM said there may even be an 8th book.



He did say that and that's why it would be a big disappointment if it ended in a total good vs evil zombie army battle. I hope he has something better planned than that. I'd much rather a Blackwater type battle with both good and bad on each side. Make the audience conflicted on who they want to win.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the showrunners has also said that this won't be a normal good vs. evil story.

I also fully expect the wall to be later revealed build by the white walkers themself. I don't believe in the azor ahai conquering the ww during the long night story. I think the last hero was a diplomat and the wall was created by the ww to mark their territory.

I heavily believe this fan theory has a lot of correct stuff in it: https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/23p48r/the_true_nature_and_purpose_of_the_others_and_the/
 
O

Obliterator

Member
Cake Boss said:
They are going to bank on Westworld hard to be their new GOT/Sopranos.
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I just can't see that show having the same sort of pull of GoT. The concept just doesn't seem like something that will hit critical mass and awareness like GoT. Who knows maybe it will blow up I just can't see it becoming a mainstream "must watch show" like GoT is.
 
H

Henkka

Banned
I think the show will heavily deviate from the books. They have a rough outline of the story, sure, but I'm not sure they're even following that anymore. (S6 spoilers) I doubt
Jon will be King in the North in the books. I doubt the Sept of Baelor gets blown up and Cersei crowned queen in the books. Tommen won't commit suicide, obviously. I doubt Bran will ever go back south in the books.
But those are just my hunches.
 
B

BuggyDClown

Member
Riberts rebllion season. Also a multi season ageon the conqueror would be super dope. Or even old valeria before the doom, the first of the dragons.

Give it to meeeeee HBO
 
E

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
Obliterator said:
If anything it feels too short. The show will finish with only 3-4 seasons worth of episodes compared to the number of a typical TV show
Click to expand...

Indeed, the show still has a lot of story to tell, ending it in only 13 episodes feels like Khaleesi's evasion and the White Walker attack will happen too quickly.
 
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