David Benioff and D. B. Weiss created the Game of Thrones series for HBO which became one of the most celebrated titles for the network. The anticipation and hype for the series was unprecedented with people tuning in weekly for episodes to drop, making it an epic event. However, the fanfare declined with the abysmal final season.
The feature of the final season has long been a subject of discourse among fans and the creators have talked about how they originally wanted to finish the series with a film trilogy. Recently, they opened up further about their time on Game of Thrones, and why they refused a lucrative offer from HBO for their contribution to the series.
Game of Thrones Creators Refused Guaranteed Money Flow from Other Spinoffs
The Game of Thrones franchise suffered an all-time low after the final season disappointed fans big time. Creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss had a different plan for the franchise but HBO wanted to further promote its television programming and thus stretched the narrative, which led to its downfall. The creators opened up about their experience with the franchise in a recent interview.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the creators revealed that they were contractually guaranteed free producer credits on all of the future Game of Thrones spinoffs. This would mean that they would get a constant free flow of money without being involved in any of these projects. However, they turned down the lucrative offer from HBO.
Benioff stated that HBO was confused by their refusal as they were turning down big money without having to work. But Weiss claimed that getting paid for just putting their name on projects without directly being involved with them felt unfair and not worth it. They said,
“HBO was kind of confused. I remember their lawyer saying, ‘But it’s just money, we’re just going to pay you.’ “I don’t think there is such a thing as free money. For us, if our name is on it, especially that, while being completely detached and uninvolved, it felt like the strain that would come with that hands-off approach — with its success or failure or anything in between — was not worth it.”
The two were distraught with the dismal reception to the finale. Their version of how they wanted to end the franchise was turned down and were forced to commit to HBO’s approach (via The Wall Street Journal). Thus, it is understandable that they both wanted to move on and not be associated with all things Game of Thrones-related after that.
David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Already Have Plans for Season 2 of 3 Body Problem
After Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss are back with their latest ambitious project 3 Body Problem, an adaptation of the sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. The Netflix series chronicles a chain of events stemming from China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s that threatens the modern world with a terrifying cosmic threat.
The eight-episode Netflix series has impressed audiences, who are already looking forward to what’s next. Weiss told Collider that they already have ideas for season 2 and more. However, they want to focus on one season at a time and give more time to developing season 2. He said,
“For season 2, we’ve got better than a rough idea. We’re much farther along with that plan than rough idea stages…I think it’s hard to see eight episodes of something you like and then have it disappear for a long period of time. But it’s really kind of, the only way we can imagine doing it is one season at a time.”
The series was released on Netflix on March 21, 2024, and stars Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Rosalind Chao, Eiza González, Benedict Wong, Jonathan Price, and many more. Interested fans can check out 3 Body Problem on the streamer.
