‘Game Of Thrones’ Team Kept George R.R. Martin Out Of The Loop In Later Seasons, He Claims
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In yet another bit of distancing from the Game of Thrones final seasons that disappointed many fans, author George R.R. Martin told the New York Times he wasn’t in the loop on its creative decisions.
During an interview with the Times, the 73-year-old Martin, the author of the fantasy novel collection upon which the television series was based, claimed he wasn’t that involved in the series’ final seasons.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Game of Thrones mostly covered the first two books in his “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. The third and fourth seasons align with the third book, A Storm of Swords. The TV series also has material from the next two books, A Feast For Crows and A Dance With Dragons.
Seasons 7 and 8 of the TV series eclipsed Martin’s written output. Martin has said that when he finishes the novels, the endings will likely differ from aspects of how the TV series ended.
“By Season 5 and 6, and certainly 7 and 8, I was pretty much out of the loop,” Martin said. Why? “I don’t know — you have to ask (show producers) Dan and David,” referring to Daniel Weiss and David Benioff.
Martin is involved in the Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon, debuting on HBO and HBO Max on Aug. 21.
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The Times report says David Benioff and D.B. Weiss declined to comment.
Last month, Martin wrote on his website about his forthcoming The Winds of Winter novel.
“Yes, some of the things you saw on HBO in GAME OF THRONES you will also see in THE WINDS OF WINTER (though maybe not in quite the same ways)… but much of the rest will be quite different.”
Martin’s last installment in his series was published in 2011, with the HBO TV series vaulting the saga to greater attention. That’s led to some grumbling about the pace of the 73-year-old’s novels output.
Martin addressed that in his latest post.
“Another question that I get a lot, especially since the end of GAME OF THRONES on HBO, is whether A SONG OF ICE & FIRE, will end the same way. An architect would be able to give a short, concise, simple answer to that, but I am much more of a gardener. My stories grow and evolve and change as I write them. I generally know where I am going, sure… the final destinations, the big set pieces, they have been my head for years… for decades, in the case of A SONG OF ICE & FIRE. There are lots of devils in the details, though, and sometimes the ground changes under my feet as the words pour forth.”
That means The Winds of Winter is still a work in progress, and Martin declined to give a detailed update.
However, he added, “What I have noticed more and more of late, however, is my gardening is taking me further and further away from the television series. Yes, some of the things you saw on HBO in GAME OF THRONES you will also see in THE WINDS OF WINTER (though maybe not in quite the same ways)… but much of the rest will be quite different.
“And really, when you think about it, this was inevitable.”
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