Given the amount of time it takes George R.R. Martin to craft and publish the next installment of A Song of Ice and Fire, it’s looking more and more likely that Game of Thrones will end before the final volume is published. Add in that the producers are saying they believe seven seasons of the show would be a good run for the series, that means the TV show could SPOIL the novels.
According to EW, producers Dan Weiss and David Benioff are aware of where Martin plans to take the series and conclude it.
“Ideally, the books come out first,” Benioff says, adding that he and Weiss are aware of the broad strokes of where the novels go.
It’s still possible Martin could get the final two installments in the novel series out before the series gets to its seventh season.
But we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
They could always include an extra season to go into more depth (like what they did with the final two Harry Poter films), or they could just delay the time inbetween seasons, thus giving more time for the books to be finished. There’s also the possibilty of them just making up an extra season or two.
Seriously though, I suspect it will go slightly beyond seven seasons.
At this rate, Art “Rickon Stark” Parkinson will have graduated with a post-doctorate degree by the time the books are done. 😉
I have little doubt that HBO has already figured this out. Since Martin is their main advisor on the set of every shoot I’m sure between him & the powers that be something will be done to keep fans watching quite happy.