Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin revealed that he wanted HBO to make up to 13 seasons of the hit fantasy show.
In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Martin spoke of his excitement about House of the Dragon – and his feelings about the end of Game of Thrones.
"I was saying it needs to be 10 seasons at least and maybe 12, 13. I lost that one," he said. Co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss ended the show after eight seasons, despite its massive global success and winning of 59 Primetime Emmy Awards.
"I had no contribution to the later seasons except, you know, inventing the world, the story and all the characters," he said. "I believe I have more influence now [on ‘House of the Dragon’] than I did on the original show."
The ten-episode prequel series is based on George R.R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood, following the rise and fall of the House of Targaryen as they fight in an epic war known as the Dance of Dragons. Matt Smith stars as Prince Daemon Targaryen, a fearless warrior and dragon rider, as well as the heir to the throne, who's betrothed to Emma D'Arcy's Rhaenyra.
The process for developing the spinoff involved five separate teams developing their own concepts and then visiting Martin in person to pitch their concepts. "It was like we were in the NFL playoffs and I’m coaching all the teams," he said. "Emotionally, that was a little odd."
A $30 million pilot episode for a prequel starring Naomi Watts was filmed and then subsequently canceled. Another spin-off, titled 10,000 Ships is reportedly in the works. For more, check out our roundup of the 100 best TV shows of all time.
