LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 06: (L-R) HBO CEO Richard Plepler and writer/producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff attend the 17th annual AFI Awards at Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for AFI)
Following AT&T’s purchase of Time Warner Media, HBO’s parent company, longtime HBO CEO Richard Plepler announced his departure from the company late in February. But even as he’s headed out the door, he can hold his head high knowing he greenlit Game of Thrones, the most successful show in the network’s history. Before he left, Plepler also greenlit the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series, telling Variety that it’s “something special.”
We weren’t just trying to re-engineer the genes of what ‘Game of Thrones’ was, but we had a fresh, exciting perspective that didn’t let the franchise go away.
Our idea for vote for a fresh and exciting series is a half-hour comedy exploring Hot Pie’s life at the Inn at the Crossroads, but a show headlined by Naomi Watts and Miranda Richardson will do for now.
Plepler also talked about some of the more surreal moments he experienced over the life of the original series, including the time then-President Barack Obama asked him about Jon Snow’s fate at a state dinner ahead of season 6. “Mr. President, even your security clearance isn’t high enough to give you the answer to that,” Plepler replied. Love it.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JULY 26: President HBO Programming Casey Bloys speaks onstage during the HBO portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 26, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
With Game of Thrones coming to an end this spring, is the network about it fading from fans’ memories? HBO programming president Casey Bloys, who is still with the company even if Plepler is out, doesn’t think so. “I’m sure that when George R.R. Martin has the final two books published, there will be a surge of interest from fans wanting to see it again. We hope ‘Game of Thrones’ will have a long life at HBO.”
We think it will. And just let us know about that Hot Pie show.
Game of Thrones season 8 debuts April 14.
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