Game Of Thrones Is Finally Fulfilling The Original D&D Season 8 Plan That Could Have Saved The Finale 5 Years Ago

It has now been reported that Warner Bros. is developing a Game of Thrones film, which goes against the studio’s previous decision to reject producers David Benioff and DB Weiss’ original final plan. After becoming one of the most popular TV shows of all time throughout the 2010s Game of ThronesThe infamous and divisive ending caused many to have a bitter view of the series as a whole, particularly regarding the execution of seasons 7 and 8. After the 2019 finale, complaints were made about the rushed plots of the last two seasons. seasons, drop in quality, inconsistent characterization and lack of satisfactory story return.

Since then, HBO has worked to rebuild the franchise’s reputation through spinoffs like Dragon House and the next A Knight of the Seven Kingdomswith Game of Thrones‘ new film taking the saga in a very different direction. HBO previously had no intention of placing Game of Thrones on the big screendespite there being discussions about such a movement by author George RR Martin as early as 2014. In fact, the prospects for a Game of Thrones The film was crucial to Benioff and Weiss’ original plan to end the series, which could have avoided the Season 8 mistake.

Game Of Thrones Is Finally Making A Movie, 5 Years After D&D Seasons 7 & 8 Original Trilogy Plan Was Rejected

There is no confirmation on what the story of the Game Of Thrones film will be

Since Game of ThronesIn late 2019, reports abounded about several spinoff series in development. Most were earlier shows based on novels and books based on stories by George R.R. Martin, and many with varying success. While Dragon House season 2 recently ended and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms debuts in 2025, HBO famously canceled Game of Thrones‘ The long night prequel after filming a pilot episode, with the Jon Snow sequel series being canceled during early development. However, This is the first time a film has been confirmed to be in the HBO mix.

Although the idea of ​​putting Game of Thrones on the big screen seems like a logical move, given its fantastical elements, cinematic battles and massive scale, HBO was averse to the idea when Benioff and Weiss proposed such a move before seasons 7 and 8. Originally, the showrunners planned to conclude Game of Thrones with a trilogy of films in place of the 13 episodes that were split between the final two seasons. Benioff and Weiss intended to create these films for theatrical release, but HBO’s parent company rejected this format change.

Instead of, Benioff and Weiss had to adjust their plan to complete Game of Throneswhich resulted in two very divisive seasons. While previous outings boasted ten episodes each, Game of Thrones Season 7 was just seven episodes long, with Season 8 being even shorter, with just six episodes to wrap up the characters’ long developed stories. Given the widespread disappointment Game of Thrones‘ on the small screen, the question remains whether HBO could have produced a more successful ending by agreeing to a theatrical change eight years ago.

Why HBO Refused To Let Game Of Thrones End With Three Films

Theatrical films were not part of HBO’s business model

In the years since Game of ThronesIn the final controversy, new details emerged about the producers’ film trilogy plans and why they didn’t move forward. According to Benioff in a 2024 profile with the Wall Street JournalHBO executives responded by reminding them that “we were doing a show for ‘Home Box Office’, not ‘Away Box Office’.” According to James Hubberd’s 2020 nonfiction book Fire Can’t Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Official Untold Story of the Epic Series, HBO executives further reiterated that making theatrical films was not their business model.

It was undoubtedly a fair move by HBO at the time. This It wouldn’t make much business sense for HBO to tell its subscribers that they had to buy tickets at the movie theater to find out how the story they spent six years watching on their TVs finally comes to an end. The case might have been different if Benioff and Weiss had approached HBO about such a change after Game of Thrones‘The main plot has ended, with the films serving as optional sequels. For example, Sex and the city made two sequels after completing the series on HBO in 2004.

Still, even though it would have broken HBO’s business model and certainly angered some subscribers who didn’t want to venture into theaters, a film trilogy might have served it better. Game of Thrones Big Moments from Seasons 7 and 8. Not only did the ever-increasing scale of the series’ battles and settings feel better suited to cinematic viewing than on the small screen, but there were also several other complaints about pacing, character decisions, and specific events that could have been resolved with a theatrical format and release strategy.

How D&D Movie Trilogy Plan Could Have Resolved Game Of Thrones Seasons 7 & 8 Complaints

Some major issues could have been resolved with a different format and release strategy

By analyzing some of the biggest complaints about where Game of Thrones season 8 went awry, it looks like Benioff and Weiss’ film trilogy plan could have resolved some issues. It may not have resulted in the perfect result Game of Thrones ending that many imagined, especially since George RR Martin has not yet published The winds of winter book that covers much of the show’s later stories, but a trilogy still had the potential to be an improvement on the hand that was dealt with in seasons 7 and 8.

Although a trilogy would probably have runtimes of about two and a half to three hours each, coming out to about eight or nine hours total rather than the combined 14 hours of seasons 7 and 8, this may have been beneficial for the exposition of the trilogy. history. One major complaint was that the last two seasons had too many repetitive filler scenesparticularly with Jon’s arguments about choosing Daenerys as his queen and not wanting the Iron Throne. In a condensed film format, we would probably just have a strong, effective scene of moments like Jon expressing his support for Daenerys.

Despite how character-focused Game of Thrones‘, such developments may be more effective with longer gaps between films than with sudden changes from episode to episode in a short period of time. Season 7 could have effectively fit into a movie, concluding with Jon and Dany’s romance and Jaime leaving Cersei. Addressing Game of Thrones Season 8’s rushed plot problems, the first half of the final season could have fit into the second film, thus concluding with the Battle of Winterfell and giving this event a much greater payoff than his underwhelming mid-season placement.

Dany’s descent into becoming the “Mad Queen” would have been much more effective if it had been spread across two films, especially with a potentially years gap between audiences seeing her receive the cold shoulder at Winterfell due to the fallout from her death. by Missandei. Dany’s change felt too rushed with weekly episodes seeing the rapid fall of her heroic arc after eight yearsbut a longer gap between releases may have better sold this dark twist, drawing out its fears about Jon’s true parentage and rejection by the Westerosi people.

Not to mention that real battles Game of Thrones‘the last two seasons could have been better served by a theatrical run. Dany and Jaime’s battle in Game of ThronesThe Season 7 episode “The Spoils of War” was one of the highlights of that outing, and the frightening display of Dany’s dragons on the battlefield could be elevated by a big-budget showing on the big screen. Of course, Game of ThronesThe infamous “Battle of Winterfell” lighting controversy may have been resolved by higher quality resolution in theaters, fewer light-based distractions at home, and viewing more detail on a larger screen.

A trilogy of films in theaters may not have solved all the problems mentioned for Game of Thrones‘ divisive ending, as audiences may have still had endless debates about King Bran Stark or Jon killing Daenerys, but still had the opportunity to alleviate many of the complaints that contributed to the overall bitter reception of its conclusion. The reaction against Game of Thrones‘The ending was the sum of its parts and not a major issue; therefore, its reputation today might not be harmed to the same extent if there weren’t so many avoidable aspects that fueled the fire.

Source: Wall Street Journal