Creators Reveal Why Original 'Game of Thrones' Ending Got Blocked

It ould have been a Disaster !

In 2020, George R.R. Martin, the creator of "Game of Thrones," first revealed that an original idea existed to conclude the HBO series with a film trilogy intended for theaters rather than simply one more regular season of television. 

Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss revealed in a recent WSJ Magazine profile that this was, in fact, their original plan for concluding the HBO mega-hit. Rather of distributing the last thirteen episodes over two seasons, they intended to make three films.

Why was the original proposal abandoned? 

According to Benioff, network officials had little interest in releasing "Thrones" in theaters. He recalled being informed that HBO does not stand for "Away Box Office," but rather for "Home Box Office."

Because Benioff and D.B. Weiss have always desired that kind of format flexibility, they switched to Netflix as soon as "Thrones" concluded on HBO. "3 Body Problem," which the two have been working on for the past few years, will eventually launch on the massive streaming platform next month. 

The duo told WSJ Magazine that they didn't want to work with parent firms that were unstable, thus Netflix was an attractive option while looking for a place for a new multi-year contract.

As the WSJ Magazine reports: 

“Benioff and Weiss, who have been friends since grad school, weren’t crazy about HBO’s then-owners, AT&T, whose executives once asked whether ‘Game of Thrones’ could be shot vertically so it would fit on your phone. The company also openly discussed the idea of snackable mini-episodes of the series.”

“Dysfunction kills more projects than anything else, whether it’s interpersonal dysfunction or institutional dysfunction,” Weiss told the publication.

They further explained that :

“When you sign a five-year deal with a company, you want that company to be stable so you can be left alone to do your work and not have to worry about it being bought by the phone company,” Benioff added. “Finding the smoothest ride in the ocean was key.”

With Netflix’s “3 Body Problem,” the showrunner duo is once again risking it all with a big budget to bring a beloved novel to life.

“There’s definitely pressure, but then again, when ‘Thrones’ was coming out, I remember having insomnia and being terrified,” Benioff said. “It’s nerve-racking when it’s your first big thing, and it’s nerve-racking when you’ve been at it for awhile and people are like, ‘Well, do they still have it?’”

“3 Body Problem” streams March 21 on Netflix. Head over to the WSJ Magazine’s website to read Benioff and Weiss’ latest profile.