‘Game of Thrones’ creators will build new worlds in Disney’s Star Wars galaxy

By Keith Nelson Jr. February 6, 2018

best tv series game of thrones — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Worlds and universes are about to collide. It was revealed today that Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will write and produce a new series of Star Wars films.

The announcement, which was made on the official Star Wars website, said the new films will be separate from the ongoing Skywalker saga, as well as the upcoming Star Wars trilogy from Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson. Benioff and Weiss are hard at work on the final season of Game of Thrones, which is expected to air on HBO in 2019. The pair assured fans waiting for the latest tales from Westeros that the Star Wars series will not start development until after Game of Thrones is completed.

“In the summer of 1977, we traveled to a galaxy far, far away, and we’ve been dreaming of it ever since,” Benioff and Weiss said in a joint statement. “We are honored by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of Game of Thrones is complete.”

The pair were chosen to helm a new Star Wars series in part due to their masterful work at world building and crafting characters so popular that their not being dead is headline news. “David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, in a statement. “Their command of complex characters, depth of story, and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting.”

The Game of Thrones creators’ new Star Wars films will not be the first instance of overlap between HBO’s hit drama and Disney’s Star Wars films. Emilia Clarke, who plays the ruthless Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones will play Qi’Ra in the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story. Ian McElhinney, who plays Barristan Selmy on Game of Thrones, played General Dodonna in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

As of now, there are no release dates or casting details for Benioff and Weiss’ upcoming Star Wars series. If the films are anything like Game of Thrones, we should be in for a bloody good time.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Keith Nelson Jr.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Keith Nelson Jr is a music/tech journalist making big pictures by connecting dots. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY he…

Entertainment

The best Game of Thrones seasons, ranked

Daenerys Targaryen with Drogon behind her in Game of Thrones.

HBO has multiple incredible shows. After all, as the cable network's slogan goes, it's not television, it's HBO. However, few of the network's originals can compare to the juggernaut that was Game of Thrones. Developed by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and based on George R. R. Martin's literary saga A Song of Ice and Fire, the show followed multiple feuding noble families struggling to sit on the Iron Throne and rule over the war-torn continent of Westeros.

At its peak, Game of Thrones was the biggest show on Earth, dominating award shows and scoring HBO the biggest ratings in its history. Across eight seasons and 73 episodes, the show shocked, scandalized, and thrilled audiences worldwide, cementing its place among television's greatest achievements. However, even its most devoted fans can't say it remained consistent throughout. Indeed, while some seasons were positively masterful, others were outright embarrassing, proving that when you play the game of thrones, there truly is no middle ground.
8. Season 8 (2019)

Entertainment

The Acolyte’s first trailer embraces the Dark Side of Star Wars

the acolytes first trailer embraces dark side of star wars acolyte tv 1

Since the launch of Disney+ in 2019, there have been four live-action Star Wars series, including The Mandalorian and Andor. But the one thing that each of those shows had in common was that they followed the hero of the story. This summer, The Acolyte is flipping the switch on that by putting the spotlight on Mae (Amandla Stenberg), a former Padawan in the Jedi Order who seems to have quite a grudge against her onetime masters. That may be why Mae is attacking and apparently killing Jedi with knives in the first trailer for The Acolyte.

The Acolyte | Official Trailer | Disney+

Entertainment

Star Wars could’ve had Christopher Walken as Han Solo and Jodie Foster as Princess Leia

An old man talks in Dune: Part Two.

The great thing about a hit movie is that you tend to find out things during interviews, premieres, and press conferences that would have never surfaced otherwise. Dune: Part Two is one such movie. In the lead-up to the movie's blockbuster opening weekend, we've discovered Josh Brolin's hidden talents as a poet and photographer, Javier Bardem's dedication to his children, Zendaya's love for the sci-fi classic Metropolis, and Austin Butler's appreciation for The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The most recent revelation, however, tops all of those. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Christopher Walken, who plays Shaddam IV, the film's fearsome Emperor, explains why he came out of a four-year break from acting in films and joined Dune: Part Two. One reason was due to his admiration for the first film, which cemented Denis Villeneuve's status as one of the best sci-fi directors ever, and his appreciation of the sequel's impressive cast, which also includes Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, and Dave Bautista.