George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novel series has been the basis for hit HBO fantasy drama Game of Thrones since its inception in 2011. Martin’s next book is titled The Winds of Winter and he plans on releasing a final novel, A Dream of Spring, afterwards to bring the series to an end. The GOT creator has often been quoted as saying he hoped the books would come to an end before the TV series but, as this hasn’t happened, fans have been wondering if the early stages of his next book is what season eight is based on.
Is Game of Thrones season 8 based on Winds of Winter?
Game of Thrones season eight isn’t based on Martin’s Wind of Winter, even though some excerpts from the novel have already been released.
Martin is still in the process of writing his penultimate novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series and Game of Thrones writers decided to go down a different path for their final season.
HBO will air the final episodes of Game of Thrones over the coming weeks before Martin’s novel hits shelves.
The author, however, recently stated in an interview with CBS he had planned on releasing all his novels before the TV series ended, presumably so HBO could base Game of Thrones on his work.
Martin told 60 Minutes on CBS: “I published the fifth book in 2011 when the series was just going on the air.”
WILL GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 BE ON NETFLIX?
Game of Thrones season 8: George RR Martin (Image: Getty)
The GOT creator continued: “So I was like five books ahead. I was completely confident I would have the entire series finished, and Winds of Winter and a Dream of Spring would be out before they got to them.
“It was a blow when the series caught up, I didn’t think it would happen.”
Martin did reveal he has spoken with show bosses about what he wanted to see in Game of Thrones’ final season, even though it isn’t based directly from Winds of Winter.
The author said: “Obviously we’re talking here about several days of story conferences taking place in my home.
“But there’s no way to get in all the details, all the minor characters, all the secondary characters.
“The series has been extremely faithful compared to 97 percent of all television and movie adaptations of literary properties, but it’s not completely faithful,
“And it can’t be, otherwise we’d have to run another five seasons.”
GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 EPISODE TITLES
Game of Thrones season 8: Bran Stark (Image: HBO)
While season eight may not necessarily be based entirely on Martin’s upcoming novel, Express.co.uk exclusively spoke with John Jasmin, co-founder and editor of the globally popular Game of Thrones fansite Tower of the Hand, to discuss what influences Winds of Winter may have had on the series as a whole.
Jasmin said: “We have seen some excerpts from The Winds of Winter, which have made their way into the show.
“The most notable one is the play that Arya (Maisie Williams) attends in Braavos, which re-enacts the events of earlier seasons.
“We’ve also been told that Hodor’s (Kristian Nairn) fate is one of the twists that Martin had planned in his books.
DID MAISIE WILLIAMS USE A BODY DOUBLE IN ARYA STARK SEX SCENE?
Game of Thrones season 8: Tormund and Jon (Image: HBO/Helen Sloan)
“Aside from that, season six resolved a few storylines that were left hanging at the end of Martin’s last book, A Dance with Dragons.
“Jon Snow (Kit Harington) had been stabbed to death, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) had just flown a dragon for the first time, and Stannis (Stephen Dillane) was marching on Winterfell.
“It’s easy to forget that those were the last things we read in the books as the story has moved on far beyond that on the show.
“I believe the basic premise of these resolutions will prove true in the books, but the details and perhaps even the sequence of events will be different.”
GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 EPISODE RUNTIMES
Game of Thrones season 8: George RR Martin at GOT premiere (Image: Getty)
Jasmin also discussed how season seven, which was the first to overtake the narrative set in the books, may have veered from Martin’s plans.
The Tower of the Hand editor said: “Season seven featured a lot of reunions from characters who hadn’t seen each other in years.
“I suppose it’s inevitable that the books do this, too, but so far Martin has defied expectations, preferring to pair up characters who don’t already have an established relationship rather than allow them to catch up with their long-lost friends and family.
“It’s one way I think the show suffers for giving the fans what they want to see.
“The season eight premiere continued to do a little of this, mostly with Arya reuniting with Jon, Gendry (Joe Dempsie), and the Hound (Rory McCann).
“But I think the characters are all where they need to be now, and as Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) chided, there’s really no time left for pleasantries.”
These reunions have already paid a major part so far in season eight, with an Arya Stark sex scene hitting headlines, in particular.
WILL THERE BE A SEASON 9 OF GAME OF THRONES?
Game of Thrones season 8: Jon Snow (Image: HBO)
The first episode of season eight, titled Winterfell, wasted no time in setting up the storylines set to unfold in final series.
Jon Snow finally discovered all about his real parents, courtesy of pal Samwell Tarly (John Bradley).
Samwell tracked Jon Snow down to the crypts under Winterfell to break the news.
He told Jon he was not the b****** son of Ned Stark (Sean Bean) but, in fact, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen (Wilf Scolding) and Lyanna Stark (Aisling Franciosi).
Harington’s character struggled to process the news that he was Aegon Targaryen, setting up a tantalising showdown with Daenerys later on.
WHERE IS GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 FILMED?
Game of Thrones season 8: George RR Martin and Sean Bean (Image: Getty)
Game of Thrones season 8: Sansa and Arya (Image: HBO/Helen Sloan)
Jaime Lannister’s (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) abandonment on Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) was also confirmed in the season eight premiere.
After Cersei plotted to betray Daenerys and Jon in the season seven finale, Jaime saw it as one step too far and headed to Winterfell.
In a direct homage to the Game of Thrones pilot, Jaime ended the episode being reunited with Bran.
Their reunion has been eagerly anticipated ever since Jaime pushed Bran from the edge of a Winterfell tower, crippling him in the process.
Whether this will be replicated in Martin’s novels is still to be seen, but it certainly set up a much sought after storyline in the TV series.
HBO show bosses also opted to introduce Harry Strickland (Marc Rissmann), a character novel readers will be familiar with, in season eight.
WHO IS LEFT ON ARYA’S KILL LIST?
Game of Thrones season 8: Arya and Gendry (Image: HBO)
Cersei employed the help of the Golden Company captain and his army of mercenaries to go behind Daenerys and Jon’s back.
Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek) arrived with Captain Strickland with the intentions of cementing his relationship with Queen Cersei.
The season eight premiere also saw the release of Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) from Euron’s clutches, and Bronn (Jerome Flynn) tasked with taking out Lannister brothers, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Jaime.
Fans will have to tune in to remaining episodes of season eight and read The Winds of Winter once it’s released to see just how accurate the HBO series has remained.
Game of Thrones season 8 continues on Sunday on HBO and on Monday on Sky Atlantic.