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Game of Thrones: Benioff, Weiss Wanted Viewers to Pay More for Finale

Forget HBO! Game of Thrones series creators David Benioff & D.B. Weiss wanted viewers to pay to see the finale in theaters - three times.

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Article Summary

  • Game of Thrones creators proposed a triple-feature finale in theaters.
  • Benioff & Weiss shared challenges working with AT&T and Warner Bros.
  • The studio rejected the theatrical finale idea, insisting HBO is for home-viewing.
  • The duo's Netflix move was influenced by desire for a stable creative environment.

If you're a regular reader of Bleeding Cool's television coverage, you would know that David Benioff & D.B. Weiss' adaptation of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem is one of the projects on our radar for quite some time. But as excited as we are for Netflix's 3 Body Problem, we can't help but keep one of our radars tuned to what Benioff & Weiss have to say about their old stomping grounds – HBO's Game of Thrones. This May will mark five years since the George R.R. Martin universe-set series wrapped up its run in not exactly the most well-received way possible by viewers. During a profile interview with WSJ. Magazine to support their upcoming series, Benioff & Weiss made it clear that they weren't fans of working for AT&T/Warner Bros. and the "dysfunction" it brought.

game of thrones
Image: HBO Screencap

"Dysfunction kills more projects than anything else, whether it's interpersonal dysfunction or institutional dysfunction," Weiss shared at one point. "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. Finding the smoothest ride in the ocean was key," Benioff added, explaining why the duo moved to Netflix.

To demonstrate their point, Benioff & Weiss shared how AT&T executives asked about the possibility of the show being shot vertically so it would fit on a phone (ouch) as well as the possibility of having mini-episodes of the series. On that last one – in an age when more bite-sized content is being consumed than ever (checked out TikTok lately?), that wouldn't have been a bad idea to at least explore. But where I will side with the studio over Benioff & Weiss in every way had to do with the series finale.

The duo said that at one point, they pitched ending Game of Thrones as three theatrical films instead of the 13 episodes/2 seasons that resulted. Apparently, Benioff & Weiss were told that the show was for "Home Box Office" and not "Away Box Office." Good! Think about it. There's nothing to say that the duo's finale would've been dramatically different in any way – so you know what that means? If Benioff & Weiss had their way, you would've had to pay three times for the finale they gave you. And that's not counting popcorn, Red Vines, parking, and all of those lovely extras. At least with HBO, you can yell at the screen in the luxury of your own home and drown your disappointment in a beverage that didn't cost $27.

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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