Two seasons are left for "Game of Thrones' fans to enjoy as HBO confirmed that the chance of extending the hit fantasy-drama series is next to zero. GoT showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss have set everything to end by Season 8 and HBO will leave it at that.
But according to HBO programing chief Casey Bloys, the possibility of the show giving birth to a spinoff or a prequel is not being ruled out. Bloys said that Game of Thrones could even extend up to Season 10 but Benioff and Weiss have the final say on the matter.
"Weiss and Benioff have a very specific plan about the number of seasons they want to do ... we want to take their lead on what they think they can do and what the best version of the show is," the HBO executive was reported by BGR as saying.
Bloys confirmed as well that per the plan by Benioff and Weiss, GoT will only run for 15 more episodes spread between Seasons 7 and 8. But the exec hinted too plans could change and one or two more segments could be added. It is definite though that the number of episodes for the last two seasons will not be chopped off.
And the Game of Thrones Season 7 premiere is certainly pushed back, from the usual late April schedule to likely May or even early June. The actual timing is yet to be determined by HBO.
But Bloys is welcome to the mounting suggestion of a Game of Thrones spinoff. "It's something I'm not opposed to, but of course it has to make sense creatively," the executive said.
BGR said that the discussions on the matter have been started but nothing is concrete at the moment as HBO, and the same case for Benioff and Weiss, is currently focused on GoT Season 7 production, which will commence soon.
On the subject of possible Game of Thrones spinoffs, The Telegraph nominated two routes that will require the collaboration from George RR Martin. One would be "Dragonstone" that essentially is a GoT prequel that will revisit the rise of the Targaryens or a few centuries back from the current Game of Thrones setting.
Another possibility is a TV series version of Martin's lesser known book titled "Three Tales of Dunk & Egg". The Telegraph report, however, would want to see Dragonstone as the likely GoT spinoff, saying that all the elements that made Game of Thrones a megahit are present on the possible prequel.
In contrast, viewers may find Tales of Dunk & Egg as rather tamed, the report added.
As for the Game of Thrones ending, The Guardian put forward what it termed as "a counter-intuitively non-violent ending." Perhaps excluding the current Westeros ruler, Cersei, the publication dreamed of this wrap up scenario - "capable women installed in practically all of the pivotal power positions across Westeros."
Now that would mean Daenerys Targaryen or Sansa Stark (Arya even) getting the better of Tyrion, Littlefinger and the rising Jon Snow.