Winter is here at last. After six seasons of waiting, Game of Thrones is finally moving into its penultimate stage. But, much like a white walker rising from the dead, the end of HBO's hit fantasy show won't be permanent.
Thankfully, it's now been confirmed George R. R. Martin and a team of writers are planning four stand-alone spin-off series for when GOT ends in 2018. Should we be expecting a spring, summer and autumn edition of the seven kingdoms to grace our screens in coming years?
Four writers have been selected to prepare their own conceptions of the Game of Thrones-verse - an unusual tactic, but one that could offer more scope in terms of expansion and plot diversity. The writers include Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island); Jane Goldman (Kingsman: The Secret Service, X-Men: First Class) collaborating with George R.R Martin; Brian Helgeland (A Knight’s Tale); and Carly Wray (Mad Men) with Martin. With the big-budget movie pedigree of screenwriters called to carry the torch for Martin's franchise, it looks set to pack a serious punch in terms of dramatic development and action.
HBO announced the spin-offs will “explore different time periods of George R.R. Martin’s vast and rich universe.” The promise of exploring the history of Westeros is an intriguing idea. One avenue which would seem particularly strong is charting the Mad King's ascent to power and fall into insanity. Of course, the future of the Thrones-verse will depend upon the next two seasons - the fate of Westeros' noble houses is unclear so long as the Iron Throne is still up for grabs.
Season 7 ofGame of Thrones is set to premiere in the UK at 2am on Monday, July 17. The number of episodes has been significantly cut down. Season one aired with ten episodes, a trend that has continued in every season since. Season seven, however, will have just seven episodes suggesting producers could be trying to focus the show's mammoth budget (the sixth season reportedly cost $10 million per episode) on, to name but a few things, dragons, armies of the living dead and (hopefully) epic fight scenes.
When we last left Westeros, it was with a parting shot of Daenerys Targaryen's newly-acquired naval fleet spread out across the ocean - a teasing illustration of the grand scale promised in season seven. The latest promo, entitled The Long Walk, featured James' song Sit Down and focused on the respective seats of power for Daenerys, Cersei Lannister and Jon Snow. When it comes to thrones, it's clear house divides are stronger than ever, begging the question: which ruler will win the great game?
The danger of spin-offs is that they can detract from the original appeal of the show they spring from. Much like movies, the rule can ring true; sequels don't pack the same punch. However, fresh writing and strong characterisation have the potential to avoid these traps. With Game of Thrones spin-offs announced, the sprawling web of political intrigue at the heart of the show is set to get even grander.
With four writers working on four unique scripts, it could serve to keep the work fresh - however, some will inevitably prove more successful than others. Much like the scrum in Battle of the Bastards, with Jon Snow struggling to breathe amidst too many bodies, could four Thrones spin-offs suffocate the original storyline? In a game where the stakes are this high, the expansion of Martin's creation could either make or break the Thrones franchise.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
