Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are moving from HBO to Netflix, as the pair have signed an exclusive multi-year deal with the popular streaming service. Reportedly, the pair’s deal is in the 9-figure range, rivaling similar deals given to other Netflix show creators like Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy. Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos also confirmed the news in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome master storytellers David Benioff and Dan Weiss to Netflix,” Sarandos says. “They are a creative force and have delighted audiences worldwide with their epic storytelling. We can’t wait to see what their imaginations will bring to our members.”
Previously, it had been reported David Benioff and Dan Weiss were being courted by multiple companies, including HBO’s WarnerMedia, Disney, Comcast, Amazon, and Apple. Because of their involvement in an upcoming trilogy of Star Wars movies for Disney, there was speculation Disney had the upper hand in landing the deal. As for why they decided to go with Netflix, Benioff and Weiss say it’s because they had a lot in common creatively. “We remember the same shots from the same ’80s movies; we love the same books; we’re excited about the same storytelling possibilities. Netflix has built something astounding and unprecedented, and we’re honored they invited us to join them,” Benioff and Weiss stated.
Of course, David Benioff and Dan Weiss are best known for developing and showrunning Game of Thrones for the HBO network. Adapted from the book series by George R. R. Martin, the series became one of the most-watched programs on television and was consistently a hit with viewers and critics alike. However, the show controversially took a dive critically in its eighth and final season, with the final three episodes ranking among the very worst of the entire series. Still, even with the complaints about how it ended, the show brought about incredible success for the network.
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While Netflix will become the primary home for Benioff and Weiss, the pair intend to also fulfill their other creative obligations. This of course includes their planned trilogy of Star Wars movies for Disney, with the first movie planned to be released in 2022. Benioff and Weiss will be very hands-on with the production of these movies, creating, writing, and producing each installment themselves. The duo also wrote a Kurt Cobain project for Universal and are developing the prison break series Dirty White Boys for Fox and Disney. Needless to say, these guys are going to be extremely busy in the years ahead, but they’ll also be rolling in an exorbitant amount of money.
Despite the complaints surrounding the show’s final season, Game of Thrones was undoubtedly a tremendous hit for HBO. It’s clear Netflix is hoping Benioff and Weiss will be able to achieve similar success on their own streaming service, as they will be developing multiple shows and movies for the company in the multi-year deal. It seems likely they’ll first begin with a TV series, though there’s no word yet on which potential projects they’ll be working on first. This news was first reported by Deadline.
