If you watched Game of Thrones series finale as it aired, you can’t forget how angry and disappointed everyone was at the creators and showrunners, and executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. They went from the height of being worshipped by Game of Thrones fans to wanting them never to come close to anything related to the show or its sequels ever again.
While they brought a great series to life, we wish they had done a better service to ending one of the best shows of the decade. Here is what the duo has been up to since Daenerys burnt King’s Landing.
The lore lives on: When is The Winds of Winter coming out?
How they landed Game of Thrones
David Friedman Benioff and Daniel Brett Weiss met at the Trinity College of Dublin in 1995. While they worked on several books and screenplays individually, they also collaborated after they met again in Santa Monica, in 1998. Their co-written script, Headmaster, was never made.
Fast forward to 2006, they approached the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the book series that Game of Thrones is based on. Benioff admitted, “We had never done TV, and we didn’t have any [experience]. We don’t know why he trusted us with his life’s work.”
The duo recalled that during said meeting, the author George R.R. Martin asked them the one question every fan has wondered. “He asked us, “Who is Jon Snow’s mother?” We had discussed it before, and we gave a shocking answer. At that point, George didn’t actually say whether or not we were right or wrong, but his smile was his tell. We knew we had passed the Wonka test, at that point.”
And so, they began a journey that would last more than a decade.
Parting ways with HBO
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss announced in 2017 that after Game of Thrones ended, they would be producing another series for HBO titled Confederate. They said, “We have discussed Confederate for years, originally as a concept for a feature film, but our experience on Thrones has convinced us that no one provides a bigger, better storytelling canvas than HBO.”
The series was met with vitriol, as many people did not want to see the main characters praised and romanticized while they all engaged in slavery. As of 2020, the series was canceled. They also will not be a part of House of the Dragon or any other spin-offs.
Weiss recently told Entertainment Weekly that they will never partake in any of the Game of Thrones’ sequels. “All in, we were 11 years, probably, doing that show, When I say 11 years, it was full on, all in, all day, every day for 11 years. It was the best decade of our lives. “He says, “It still kind of feels a bit like a dream, but we got to a place where it was pretty clear to us that we had reached the end of what made sense for us to be involved with in that world that we lived. It just felt like, for us, it was time to move on and get excited and terrified about building something else — building lots of something elses.”
Fallout with Disney and Star Wars
In 2018, Disney announced that Benioff and Weiss would soon write and produce a new Star Wars trilogy. They would only begin working on this after Game of Thrones ended. Many fans think the pair intentionally shortened the number of seasons and episodes for the show because they wanted to move on to the Star Wars project.
they really did rush the last season of Game of Thrones even when they were offered more episodes and money to finish it so they could hurry up and work on Star Wars, only to get fired from working on Star Wars for being just really bad at their jobs… so delicious, so good
— wizard stories (@northgalis) October 29, 2019
HBO and the author had initially wanted the show to run for a minimum of 10 seasons. But Benioff and Weiss convinced them against it. Seasons 7 and 8 of the show were also supposed to be at least ten episodes long, but we know how that turned out. But after they signed a deal with Netflix, Disney was said to be displeased that the duo entered into an exclusive contract with their rival.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said: “David Benioff and Dan Weiss are incredible storytellers. We hope to include them in the journey forward when they are able to step away from their busy schedule to focus on Star Wars.”
Read More: Star Wars creator George Lucas visits Game of Thrones set
A few of their early works that we recommend
David Benioff has written multiple books and screenplays for movies. We recommend his first novel, The 25th Hour, and its movie. He drafted a screenplay for the mythological epic starring Brad Pitt, Troy (2004), which made almost 500 million dollars at the box office. He also co-wrote X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).
Unfortunately, most of Daniel Brett Weiss’ scripts and screenplays were never realized. But before Game of Thrones, he did release his first book called Lucky Wander Boy. One reader writes, “This novel is Catcher in the Rye for the Mario generation.” The official website of the book describes it as
“A novel of video game addiction, Hollywood serfdom, ill-fated romance and extremely misguided notions about Japan, Lucky Wander Boy marks the debut of an original new voice that will captivate wanderers of every description.”
Read Next: Netflix’s 3 Body Problem trailer gets roasted by dissatisfied Game of Thrones fans
The Three Body Problem
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are now poised to make a comeback with their upcoming Netflix series, 3 Body Problem, scheduled to premiere in January 2024.
Adapted from Chinese author Liu Cixin’s renowned trilogy, the series explores the intricate “three-body problem,” a perplexing mathematical puzzle related to the gravitational interactions between celestial objects. The teaser released by Netflix on June 17 promises a complex science fiction narrative with stunning CGI setpieces. Watch the trailer here:
Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, the story centers on astrophysicist Ye Wenji, portrayed by Rosalind Chao, who establishes contact with extraterrestrial life. Notably, the cast includes familiar faces from Game of Thrones, such as John Bradley, Liam Cunningham, and Jonathan Pryce.
3 Body Problem is based on the first book of Cixin’s trilogy. While it remains unclear how much source material the first season will cover, the fact that all three books have been published provides a roadmap—an assurance Benioff and Weiss lacked during the latter seasons of Game of Thrones.
Since their Netflix deal, the duo has kept a low profile. Weiss contributed to the screenplay of the 2022 teen music film Metal Lords, while Benioff co-wrote the sci-fi movie Gemini Man. The show marks Benioff and Weiss’s return to the limelight after signing a development deal with Netflix in 2019.
Read More: John Bradley (Sam) treads on uncharted territory in the 3 Body Problem Sneak Peek clip
