‘Game Of Thrones’ Creator George R.R. Martin Announces His HBO Deal Was Suspended, Claims He’s Working On ‘Winds Of Winter’
John F. Trent
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Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin reveals his big overall deal with HBO was recently suspended.
George R.R. Martin Photo Credit: HombreDHojalata, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Martin reportedly signed a five-year, eight figure deal with HBO back in 2021 to develop more content for the network and its streaming service, which recently rebranded from HBO Max to Max.
At the time of the deal, Martin was reportedly working with HBO to develop House of the Dragon, which is currently filming its second season despite the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike due to it filming outside the United States with non-SAG-AFTRA union members.
Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon
He was also working on developing a House of the Dragon spin-off following Lord Corlys Velaryon with Rome creator Bruno Heller at the helm. He also was working on a series that would follow the founder of Dorne, Nymeria that would take place 1,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
Other Games of Thrones projects included one focusing on the King’s Landing slum Flea Bottom that would explore “the lives of everyday citizens and the criminal underworld rather than focusing on powerful lords and ladies.”
Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon in House of the Dragon (2022), HBO
Martin was also developing a Dunk and Egg series that evolved into A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. The series is expected to adapt Martin’s short story titled The Hedge Knight as well as the novellas The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight.
The series received a straight order from Max back in April.
A century before @GameofThrones, there was Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg.
Executive produced by George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker, Ryan Condal, and Vince Gerardis, A Knight of the #SevenKingdoms: The Hedge Knight has received a straight to series order. #StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/MRPUke5Upt
— Max (@StreamOnMax) April 12, 2023
Finally, Martin was working on some kind of animated series set within the Game of Thrones world.
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones (2019), HBO
Martin detailed in a blog post that his deal was suspended on June 1st. He wrote, “As for me personally, my overall deal with HBO was suspended on June 1.” He did not provide details on why his deal was suspended, but it does come about a month after the Writers Guild of America went on strike. Martin is a member of the guild and says he has been picketing in New Mexico.
While his deal was suspended, he appears unconcerned, “I still have plenty to do, of course. In that, I am one of the lucky ones. (These strikes are not really about name writers or producers or showrunners, most of whom are fine; we’re striking for the entry level writers, the story editors, the students hoping to break in, the actor who has four lines, the guy working his first staff job who dreams of creating his own show one day, as I did back in the 80s).”
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones (2019), HBO
Of note he said he is working on a stage play set within the Game of Thrones world called The Iron Throne.
He also shared an update on the sixth novel in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, Winds of Winter, “And, yes, yes, of course, I’ve been working on WINDS OF WINTER. Almost every day. Writing, rewriting, editing, writing some more. Making steady progress. Not as fast as I would like.. .certainly not as fast as YOU would like… but progress nonetheless.”
Finally, he shared he’s editing a number of Wild Card books.
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen rides Drogon in Game of Thrones (2017), HBO
What do you make of the fact that Martin’s deal with HBO was suspended a month after the Writers Guild of America went on strike?
NEXT: George R.R. Martin And Neil Gaiman Claim They “Hate” Hollywood’s Tendency To Alter Source Material
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