George R.R. Martin

About a decade ago, one of the hot new trends in the film industry was states writing tax credits into their statutes and regulations for the film industry. The idea was that rather than making California and Vancouver double for every city in North America, Hollywood would be able to shoot on location at roughly the same cost and local business would benefit from access to studio productions. Of course, there is an obvious flaw with this plan: while studios might gain access to locations through tax credits, the local infrastructure they need  —  stages, technicians, union members  —  is often nowhere to be found. As recently as August 2016, Variety had declared this a dead experiment.

Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin wouldn’t dare confirm The Winds of Winter to be published in 2017, but fans of the Song of Ice and Fire franchise will nonetheless get a new corner of Westeros to explore in print. Martin confirms that previously-unread short “The Sons of the Dragon” will see the light of day in a new 2017 fantasy anthology.

We’re long past the point of worrying if HBO’s Game of Thrones will spoil any of author George R.R. Martin’s remaining books; now just wondering when we’ll get to read the darn things. There may be good news on that front, as Martin is pretty sure sixth book The Winds of Winter will be out in 2017.

By now, you’ve likely seen some dozen of permutations on the sentiment that Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin must have written 2016, given all the high-profile deaths. Most recently, fans lost both Star Wars’ Carrie Fisher and Watership Down author Richard Adams, for which Martin offer his own thoughts on this “wretched year.”

The Golden Globes are notoriously harder to predict than the Emmys (at least for TV), and one wonders if the HFPA will continue to reward new series, despite Game of Thrones finishing one of its best years. It’s all in the family for HBO, at least, as George R.R. Martin thinks Westworld might win out over Season 6.

How young we once were, to wonder whether George R.R. Martin’s The Winds of Winter might arrive in stores early enough to avoid Game of Thrones Season 6 spoiling Jon Snow’s fate. The two Song of Ice and Fire tales have long-since diverged, but does Martin have a 2017 plan to get Winds of Winter out before Season 7?

Had Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin not inflicted enough misery on our lives, thoughts on a Donald Trump presidency certainly seal the deal. The Song of Ice and Fire creator laments the election from a new blog post, reminding us all “Winter is coming. I told you so.”

Regardless of where or when Westworld takes place, the titular park presumably represents one of several options to cater toward people’s fantasies. One might even imagine a Game of Thrones World proving a big hit, something creator George R.R. Martin even floated by Westworld bosses.

We’ve too many questions for the remaining two Game of Thrones Seasons to get lost in spinoff possibilities, but the prospect can’t be far from HBO’s mind. Case in point, showrunners presume HBO will make other series set in the world of Westeros, but don’t expect them to run any potential spinoffs.

Game of Thrones dominated the Iron Throne of the Emmys for the second year in a row. And honestly, who was surprised?