Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin urged showrunners to not finish show in eighth season 'I lost that one'

Game of Thrones had a disappointing final season and author George RR Martin, on whose books the show was based, has revealed he urged the creators to change it.

As House of the Dragon, the spinoff to HBO’s successful show Game of Thrones premieres, fans are reliving the popular show, and also wondering how it went downhill in its final few seasons. Many particularly criticised the show’s final season. Now, George RR Martin, on whose books the show was based, has revealed that he had urged the creators to change how they made the ending and extend it for a longer duration but was unable to convince them.

Game of Thrones is based on the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. It began as one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed shows in its first few seasons. But towards the end, particularly in its final season, the show was panned by critics and viewers alike, with many calling the end disappointing and something that tarnished the legacy of the otherwise great show.

In an interview with Variety, George RR Martin said he told the creators the show needed to be longer in order to show everything properly. “I was saying it needs to be 10 seasons at least and maybe 12, 13. I lost that one,” he said. One of the biggest criticisms of the final season was that it felt rushed.

George added that he had little creative control on GoT, which is not the case with its spinoff. “I had no contribution to the later seasons except, you know, inventing the world, the story and all the characters. I believe I have more influence now (on House of the Dragon) than I did on the original show.”

House of the Dragon is based on the author’s Fire and Blood, a companion novel to the larger A Song of Ice and Fire saga. The show is set two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones, and follows the events that led to a civil war in the Targaryen dynasty.