George R.R. Martin Said He Was ‘Pretty Much Out of the Loop’ After ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 4

Asked why, the author simply said: “I don’t know — you’ll have to ask Dan and David

HBO Game of Thrones 4K Ultra HD
HBO Max will release "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon" in new premium formats. (HBO)

As the premiere date of HBO’s long-awaited “Game of Thrones” spinoff looms ahead, author George R.R. Martin revealed details of his disgruntlement with the tentpole show’s conclusion – and his lack of input.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, the novelist said he was largely iced out of the series following Season 4. In early seasons, Martin told the Times that he wrote and read scripts, consulted on casting decisions and visited sets.

However, the novelist had to step back to finish the latest installment to “A Song of Fire and Ice,” the book series that started it all. (As of 2022, Martin has to finish penning the upcoming “The Winds of Winter” and “A Dream of Spring.”)

“By Season 5 and 6, and certainly 7 and 8, I was pretty much out of the loop,” Martin said of the show, which was created by D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. When asked why, he responded, “I don’t know — you have to ask Dan and David.” The experience, he said, was much different from working with “House of the Dragon” co-creator Ryan Condal.

Representatives for Weiss, Benioff and HBO did not immediately respond to requests for comment by TheWrap.

Of his delayed novels, Martin said, “My ending will be very different,” throwing slight shade at “GoT’s” widely disliked series finale.

Martin has previously opened up about his regrets about the series, which he admitted wasn’t “completely faithful” to his vision, adding that it can be “traumatic” when creative differences leads to conflict.

The author also said that course-correcting the show would require “another five seasons.”

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