The end is near for “Game of Thrones.” Newly anointed programming chief Casey Bloys confirmed what’s long been rumored: That the eighth season of “Game of Thrones” will indeed be the final one. He made the announcement at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, California, when asked if the eighth season will be last.
“Yes, I think (showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) have a very specific plan about the number of seasons they want to do,” he said. “If I could get them to do more, I would take 10 seasons, but we want to take their lead with what they can do and what the best version of the show is.”
Bloys also admitted that he’s had talks about a potential spinoff or prequel series with Benioff and Weiss, but “there are no concrete plans” for any “Game of Thrones” follow-up yet. Bloys noted that he doesn’t think Benioff and Weiss could “wrap their heads around it” while they’re still in production on the original series, but that the showrunners “weren’t opposed to it” in theory.
The HBO chief also confirmed that the delay in production on Season 7 would take “Game of Thrones” out of the Emmy race next year, but Bloys wasn’t worried about interrupting the show’s awards momentum, noting that while “it’s always better to win more Emmys… that’s not our main goal,” since it’s more important to the network and Benioff and Weiss that they maintain the show’s quality and integrity. Besides, he said, “even if you took away ‘Game of Thrones” Emmy nominations this year, we’d still have more than anybody else,” and he has high hopes that other series, including the final seasons of “The Leftovers” and “Girls,” and new shows like “The Night Of,” will help HBO maintain its award season dominance while “Game of Thrones” takes a year off.
