Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin has been shedding some light on the upcoming prequel spin-offs, and in typical Martin fashion, the details are somewhat vague.
After confirming that Bryan Cogman is on board to develop the fifth spin-off pilot, George hinted at when we can expect "two or three" of the pilots to emerge.
Mind you, as George isn't exactly known for his time-keeping, we'd take this latest statement with at least a heaped teaspoon of salt. (Winds of Winter, anyone?)
Related: Yes, HBO is developing multiple Game of Thrones prequels — but only intends to make ONE
"We could possibly see two or even three make it to the pilot stage, with one series emerging on air in 2019 or 2020," he said on Facebook last week.
"[A]nd the others maybe later, if they come out as well as we all hope. Then again, maybe... but I should not speculate, you folks get WAY too excited," he added.
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As well as revealing that fans shouldn't expect to see "all five" shows in their finished form, as HBO isn't planning on becoming a GoT network, the author did add one important caveat.
"Truth is, no-one knows. Least of all me," he said.
One thing we do know about Game of Thrones is that its final season promises to be as bloody and epic as ever, now that winter is officially here.
Promising another stunning display of war, director Miguel Sapochnik – who directed season six's 'Battle of the Bastards' and season five's 'Hardhome' – has been confirmed for season eight.
Sapochnik will be returning for the final run of Thrones to direct multiple instalments, suggesting that shit, as they say, is definitely about to go down.
Game of Thrones airs on HBO in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK. Pre-order the season 7 DVD or Blu-ray, or buy a digital download here.
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