The end of Game of Thrones is fast approaching. Showrunners recently said the show might only have 13 episodes left after season six, and though it's not official, it's quickly becoming clear to HBO that it will need to find a new blockbuster soon.
If the network is looking for a surefire hit, the most obvious choice is for HBO to launch a Game of Thrones spin-off series.There is no shortage of material to pull from, and A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin even has a few suggestions of his own.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Martin says the most obvious follow-up to Game of Thrones would be adaptations of his Dunk and Egg novellas.
"Each of the novellas could easily be done as a two-hour stand-alone movie for television; that would probably be the ideal way to do them, rather than as an ongoing weekly series," Martin says. "The Hedge Knight and its sequels are lighter [in tone] than A Song of Ice and Fire, more in the realm of action/adventure."
The three currently-published stories revolve around the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (a wandering knight) and his squire Egg (who is secretly a Targaryen prince). Together, the two roam Westeros looking to help those in need, more often than not finding themselves involved in some kind of conspiracy or dramatic feud between royal houses. Egg, whose real name is Aegon, eventually becomes king, and upon doing so, chooses his friend Duncan to become a member of the prestigious Kingsguard.
Martin says if HBO is looking for a potential series closer in tone to the dark and bloody Game of Thrones, the network might want to look at adapting a series based on the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of Dragons.
Whether or not HBO will create a Game of Thrones spin-off remains to be seen. Martin says there have been no meaningful talks about any follow-up projects of which he is aware. However, it seems likely the network will at least consider the option, and Martin seems more than willing to help point HBO in the right direction.
