George RR Martin has revealed that he urged Game of Thrones producers to run the show for “10 seasons at least”.
When executive producers David Benioff and DB Weiss decided to close out the series afterits eighth series – claiming they wanted to end it before it passed its prime – Martin, along with HBO, urged the showrunners to keep the blockbuster series rolling.
In a new interview with Wall Street Journal, the 73-year-old novelist said he believed that GoT needed “to be 10 seasons at least” and maybe 12 or 13.
“I lost that one,” he said.
Speaking of his contribution towards the last couple of seasons of Game of Thrones, Martin said: “I had no contribution to the later seasons except, you know, inventing the world, the story, and all the characters.
“I believe I have more influence now [on House of the Dragon] than I did on the original show.”
House of the Dragon is set hundreds of years before the events of Thrones, and follows the story of the Targaryen civil war. It is a spin-off of the main series.
Ahead of House of the Dragon’s debut, Martin wrote in a blog post: “I’ve seen all 10 episodes now (albeit in rough cuts), and I love what I’ve seen.
“Ryan and Miguel [Sapochnik] and their amazing cast and crew have done some magnificent work. HotD is all I hoped it would be; dark, powerful, visceral, disturbing, stunning to look at, peopled with complex and very human characters brought to life by some truly amazing actors.”
Here’s how to watch the series premiere on Sky and NOW in the UK.
Here’s a breakdown of every reference and Easter egg to Game of Thrones featured in House of the Dragon episode one.
