We may continue to hear new details about HBO’s end Game of Thrones was forever disappointing – or at least while the show’s creators, David Benioff and DB Weiss are still working. In a interview with WSJ. Magazine while promoting their new series, Netflix’s 3 Body problemthe two said they wanted to finish Game of Thrones finished with a series of films, but HBO and AT&T had other ideas. Much, much worse ideas.
The showrunning duo said they wanted to end the final two seasons of Game of Thrones as three movies, instead of the total of thirteen episodes we ended up with. While this may not have resolved many fans’ complaints about a rushed ending, it appears that HBO had another reason for nixing the idea: the name. According to Benioff and Weiss, the management team reminded them that they were making shows for the “At home Box Office” not the “Away Theater box office.”
But while this juicy bit of information is yet another fascinating insight into the very strange ending to HBO’s biggest series, it’s not even the most baffling and disheartening revelation in the interview.
That honor goes to the person who apparently suggested Benioff and Weiss’ film Game of Thrones vertically, so it’s easier to look at phones. The comment came from an executive at AT&T, then the parent company of Warner Bros., owner of HBO. The company also reportedly discussed creating mini-episodes of the show that would be more “snackable” – thus shorter and easier to watch for mobile viewers.
The latest discussions between Warner Bros. and HBO revolved around the decisions of David Zaslav, who took over as CEO after the company merged with Discovery in 2022. Since then, Zaslav has radically reduced the company’s emphasis on the Max streaming platform. (which he oversaw the renaming of) and increased its focus on theatrical distribution and reality show content. More controversially, the company has also decided to shelve several films, such as Batgirl, Salem’s Lot, And Coyote vs. Acmewhile selling streaming rights for other films to competitors such as Netflix.
But all this popping up of ridiculous meetings and requests from Benioff and Weiss is a good reminder that Warner Bros. management. has been making questionable decisions for a long time. Considering moving HBO’s flagship show to a mobile-friendly format or creating bite-sized episodes may sound ridiculous, but it makes sense when you have a phone company trying to get the most out of its struggling entertainment business. Why exactly AT&T would assume its customers couldn’t rotate their phones is another, more difficult question.
Even though the studio now known as Warner Bros. Discovery still on shaky ground, with films shelved and a… Stock market fell on Friday after earnings reportIf anything, the current emphasis is on major franchises and theatrical releases, rather than vertical video.