As per usual, instead of writing the incredibly delayed penultimate novel in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, George R.R. Martin is out and about talking all things “Game of Thrones.” Yes, we’re kidding about that, but seriously, if the hit HBO series has a bigger cheerleader than the author, we have yet to see it. And in a new interview, the author talks more about ‘Thrones,’ specifically his idea for an unusual spin-off, as one star vows to never step foot in Westeros again.
Speaking to the New York Times, Martin was asked about any updates he might be able to give for the upcoming HBO prequel to “Game of Thrones,” tentatively titled (according to the author) “The Long Night.” As you might expect, he doesn’t shed much light on the series, only to say that co-creator Jane Goldman carried the lion’s share of the burden with creating the mythology of the series, as his novels (and the TV series) don’t shed much light on the time thousands of years before Jon Snow.
But the author did decide to pitch a new idea for a spin-off. It’s an idea that he is honestly interested in doing, despite its sort of whacky premise. He likens the plot to another famous story, saying, “I haven’t been able to convince HBO that this is a good idea yet, but I would actually love to do something like that. Have you ever seen ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead?’ ‘Hamlet’ is going on in the background, but it’s all about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.”
“I wanted to do a show called ‘Spear Carriers,’ which would actually be set during the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ but it wouldn’t be following Dany, Tyrion, and Jaime,” Martin explains. “They would all be there in the background like Hamlet, and it would be more like, ‘Here’s a story about a guy in the City Watch; here’s a story about a prostitute at one of Littlefinger’s brothels; here’s a story about a mummer who’s in town to do juggling and tricks.’ And they all get caught up in the events. I think that kind of show would be a lot of fun to do. Maybe I’ll be able to convince them to do it!”
Now, as interesting, if not silly, the idea of “Spear Carriers” is, it doesn’t sound like something HBO would fast-track into production. But let’s say Martin got his wish and this new spin-off was coming to TV screens around the world. If so, “Spear Carriers” would have to tell the story of “Game of Thrones” without a key component — Jon Snow.
That’s right, speaking to BBC, actor Kit Harrington, aka the man who knows nothing and hero of the story, says that once the final episode airs in 2019, Jon Snow will officially be retired.
“Would I want to go back and do more [episodes of ‘Game of Thrones’]? Not on your life…If, like me, you go all the way back to the pilot of ‘Game of Thrones,’ that’s almost 10 years of your life. That’s really unusual in an actor’s career. It was a huge, emotional upheaval leaving that family,” says Harrington.
It might not be an option, all things considered, depending on how Jon Snow fares in the final season of the series which is scheduled to begin on HBO in April 2019.
