A Vanity Fair article in which contributing editor Jim Windolf talks to George R. R. Martin and others involved in the show will hit newsstands on Thursday. The article posted today, however, contains some troubling quotes which make me wonder what else might be in that article.
For example, George RR Martin admits that the show is catching up to, and may pass, the book series:
“..the ongoing book series on which the popular HBO show Game of Thrones is based, who tells Windolf that the show is indeed catching up to the books: “They are. Yes. It’s alarming.”
This is something that it has never occurred to me to worry about before. Granted, Martin seems to write very slowly however the pace didn’t seem to be an issue. The first series of the HBO show covered, roughly, the first book the second series covered the second book and the third series covered about half of the third book.
Just when they seemed to be slowing down though, they appear to be preparing to speed up. According to /Film season 4 will cover the second half of book 3 and parts of book 4 and 5.
(For anyone who doesn’t know, books 4 and 5 of the series A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons happen simultaneously, but in different locations.)
So the plan is, apparently, catch the show up to the end of books 4 & 5 by the end of next season. Given the length of the books, that will have the characters racing through the story. (Not to mention Martin racing to finish the books before the TV show is over).
Also in the Vanity Fair article
Benioff and co-creator D. B. Weiss tell Windolf that the show has a lifespan, and they would like to wrap it up after seven or eight seasons. “It doesn’t just keep on going because it can,” Weiss says. “I think the desire to milk more out of it is what would eventually kill it, if we gave in to that.”
I’m glad that they’re not going to keep it going “because they can” but at the same time I’m a bit concerned that the accelerated pace is going to leave out important parts of the story.
At least, I suppose, I can take some consolation in the idea that there is room for a Game of Thrones reboot at some point in the future.