Exactly one month from today,Season 5ofGame of Throneswill debut on HBO, but beyond this upcoming 10-episode run, there are still several questions regarding the future of this series. While an official Season 7 order hasn’t been issued yet,HBO renewed contracts for cast members through Season 7 back in October. And fans are still waiting forGeorge R.R. Martinto finish the last two books in hisA Song of Fire and Iceseries. At this time, series creatorsDavid BenioffandD.B. Weissare planning their endgame for the series, which would come to an end with Season 7 in 2017, if all goes according to plan. But, given the massive popularity of the show, HBO programming presidentMichael LombardotoldEntertainment Weeklythat he would love to see the show go 10 seasons, if that is somethingDavid BenioffandD.B. Weisswould agree to. Here’s whatMichael Lombardohad to say below.
“This is the hard part of what we do. We started this journey withDavidandDan. It’s their vision. Would I love the show to go 10 years as both a fan and a network executive? Absolutely. We’ll have an honest conversation that explores all possible avenues. If they weren’t comfortable going beyond seven seasons, I trust them implicitly and trust that’s the right decision-as horrifying as that is to me. What I’m not going to do is have a show continue past where the creators believe where they feel they’ve finished with the story.”
There is also the possibility ofGame of Thronesspinoff series. While there have been no specific conversations about possible spinoffs,George R.R. Martindoes have a development deal in place with HBO, although he is currently focused on finishing the last two novels. We reported earlier this year that there is no publication date set for both novels, meaning the series will most likely catch up with the books. However, bothDavid BenioffandD.B. WeissknowGeorge R.R. Martin’s “master plan” for both books, and are planning to delve into brand new “unpublished narrative territory” inSeason 6.
It’s also possible that HBO could extendGame of Thrones' run by ordering a split final season, giving fans more episodes than the typical 10-episode season, although the first half would air one year, with the second and final half airing the next year. This tactic was employed by AMC for its final seasons ofBreaking BadandMad Men, and also by HBO with the final season ofThe Sopranos. While the end remains unclear,David Benioffbriefly spoke about their endgame.
“We know basically how many hours are left in this story. We don’t want to add 10 hours to that. It’s about finding that sweet spot so it works for us and for HBO and, most of all, it works for the audience.”
D.B. Weissadded that he wants the show to go out on top
“We want to go out on our absolute highest note. We don’t want people to finally see the end and say, ‘Thank god that’s over.”
