It’s now been reported that Warner Bros. is developing aGame of Thronesmovie, whichgoes against the studio’s previous decision to reject showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ original finale plan. After becoming one of the most popular TV shows of all time throughout the 2010s,Game of Thrones’ infamously divisive endingled to many having a sour view of the overall series, primarily regarding seasons 7 and 8’s execution. In the wake of the 2019 finale, complaints were lodged about the latter two seasons’ rushed plots, quality drop-off, inconsistent characterization, and lack of satisfying story payoff.
HBO has since worked to rebuild the franchise’s reputation through spinoffs likeHouse of the Dragonand the upcomingA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, withGame of Thrones' new movietaking the saga in a very different direction.HBO previously had no intentions of puttingGame of Throneson the big screen, despite there being discussions of such a move by author George R.R. Martin as early as 2014. In fact, the prospects of aGame of Thronesmovie were crucial to Benioff and Weiss’ original plan to end the series, which might have avoided season 8’s blunder.
Game Of Thrones Is Finally Making A Movie, 5 Years After D&D’s Original Seasons 7 & 8 Trilogy Plan Was Rejected
There’s No Confirmation About What The Story Will Be For Game Of Thrones' Movie
SinceGame of Thrones’ 2019 finale, reports have abounded about various spinoff series in development. Most have been prequel shows based on novels and lore-based books by George R.R. Martin, and many with varying success. WhileHouse of the Dragonseason 2 recently ended andA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsdebuts in 2025,HBO notoriously canceledGame of Thrones’The Long Nightprequelafter shooting a pilot episode, with Jon Snow’s sequel series being canceled while in early development. However,this is the first time a movie has been confirmed to be in the mix at HBO.
Every Upcoming Game Of Thrones Spinoff Explained
Game of Thrones ended, but audiences returned to Westeros for House of the Dragon - and HBO has even more Game of Thrones spinoffs in development.
Though the idea of puttingGame of Throneson 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 prior to seasons 7 and 8.Originally, the showrunners planned to concludeGame of Throneswith a movie trilogyin place of the 13 episodes that were divided between the final two seasons. Benioff and Weiss had intended to craft these movies for a theatrical release, but HBO’s parent company rejected this change in format.
There is still no writer, director, or cast attached toGame of Thrones' movie currently in development.
Instead,Benioff and Weiss had to adjust their plan for concludingGame of Thrones, which resulted in two very divisive seasons. Though previous outings boasted ten episodes each,Game of Thronesseason 7 only had seven episodes, with season 8 being even shorter at just six episodes to wrap up the characters’ long-developed stories. Given thewidespread disappointment overGame of Thrones’ conclusionon the small screen, the question remains of whether HBO could have yielded a more successful ending by agreeing to a theatrical shift eight years ago.
Why HBO Refused To Let Game Of Thrones Conclude With 3 Movies
Theatrical Movies Weren’t In HBO’s Business Model
In the years sinceGame of Thrones’ finale controversy, new details have emerged about the showrunners’ movie trilogy plans and why they didn’t move forward. According to Benioff in a 2024 profile with theWall Street Journal, HBO executives responded by reminding them they “were making a show for ‘Home Box Office,’ not ‘Away Box Office.’” According to James Hubberd’s 2020 nonfiction bookFire Cannot Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Official Untold Story of the Epic Series,HBO executives further reiterated that making theatrical movies was not their business model.
New Game Of Thrones Movie Could Be The Shake-Up The Fantasy Franchise Needs
A Game of Thrones movie is in development, and given the current state of HBO’s spinoffs, it could be exactly what the franchise needs.
How D&D’s Movie Trilogy Plan Could Have Fixed Game Of Thrones Seasons 7 & 8 Complaints
Some Major Problems Could Have Been Solved With A Different Format & Release Strategy
When looking at some of the biggest complaints aboutwhereGame of Thronesseason 8 went wrong, it seems that Benioff and Weiss’ movie trilogy plan could have resolved quite a few issues. It may not have resulted in the perfectGame of Thronesending that many envisioned, especially given George R.R. Martin still hasn’t publishedThe Winds of Winterbook that covers much of the show’s later storylines, buta trilogy still had the potential to be an improvement on the hand that was dealt with seasons 7 and 8.
House of the Dragon
Confirmed; Premieres in 2025
UntitledGame of ThronesMovie
In Development, Unconfirmed
Though a trilogy likely would have had runtimes around two and a half to three hours each, thus coming in at around eight or nine hours total instead of seasons 7 and 8’s combined 14 hours, this may have been beneficial for the story’s exposition.One major complaint was that the last two seasons had too many repetitive filler scenes, particularly with Jon’s discussions about choosing Daenerys as his queen and not wanting the Iron Throne. In a condensed film format, we’d likely only get one strong, effective scene of moments like Jon expressing his support for Daenerys.
Despite how character-focusedGame of Thrones’ last two seasons are, such developments may prove more effective with larger gaps between movies than having stark changes episode-to-episode over a short period of time. Season 7 could have effectively fit into one movie, concluding with Jon and Dany’s romance and Jaime leaving Cersei. AddressingGame of Thronesseason 8’s rushed plot issues,the first half of the final season could have fit into the second movie, therefore concluding with the Battle of Winterfell and giving this event a much bigger payoffthan its underwhelming placement in the middle of the season.
Dany’s descent into becoming the “Mad Queen” would have been far more effective had it been spread between two movies, especially with a potentially years-long gap between audiences seeing her receive the cold shoulder in Winterfell to the fallout of Missandei’s death.Dany’s switch felt too rushed with week-to-week episodes seeing the quick downfall of her heroic arc after eight years, but a larger gap between releases may have better sold this dark turn by drawing out her fears about Jon’s true parentage and rejection from the Westerosi people.
Game of Thrones’ infamous “Battle of Winterfell” lighting controversy may have been solved by higher quality resolution in theaters, fewer light-based distractions in the home, and seeing more details on a bigger screen.
Not to mention, theactual battles fromGame of Thrones’ last two seasons might have been better served by a theatrical exhibition. Dany and Jaime’s battle inGame of Thrones’ season 7 episode “The Spoils of War” was among the highlights of that outing, and the fear-inducing showcase of Dany’s dragons on the battlefield could be elevated by a big-budget showing on the big screen. Of course,Game of Thrones’ infamous “Battle of Winterfell” lighting controversymay have been solved by higher quality resolution in theaters, fewer light-based distractions in the home, and seeing more details on a bigger screen.
A movie trilogy in theaters might not have solved all the problems cited forGame of Thrones’ divisive ending, as audiences may have still had endless debates over King Bran Stark orJon killing Daenerys, but itstill had the opportunity to lower many of the complaints that contributed to the overall sour reception of its conclusion. The backlash againstGame of Thrones’ ending was the sum of its parts rather than one major issue, so its reputation today might not be spoiled to the same degree had there not been so many avoidable aspects that fueled the fire.
Game Of Thrones
Cast
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
