Game of Thrones creators reveal film trilogy ending blocked over vertical format

Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss confirmed longstanding speculation that their original plan for concluding the HBO series involved a film trilogy for theatrical release, rather than extending the narrative across additional television seasons. 

This concept was initially mentioned by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin back in 2020.

Benioff disclosed that the original trilogy idea was abandoned due to disinterest from network executives in transitioning 'Thrones' to the big screen. 

He recounted being reminded that HBO's focus is on home entertainment rather than theatrical distribution.

The flexibility of formats has long been a desire for Benioff and Weiss, influencing their decision to join Netflix after concluding their tenure with series on HBO. 

Their recent project, 3 Body Problem, set to debut on Netflix next month, reflects this flexibility. 

The duo cited Netflix's appeal, not only for the new project but also for securing a multi-year deal, highlighting their preference for stable parent companies.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), both long-time collaborators and creators of GOT, expressed dissatisfaction with HBO's then-owners, AT&T. 

The duo revealed that AT&T executives once proposed shooting vertically to optimize viewing on mobile devices. 

AT&T floated the idea of creating bite-sized mini-episodes of the series.