The creators of Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, are going to write and produce a new Star Wars series, according to Disney and Lucasfilm which they announced on Tuesday.
“David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today,” president of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy said 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 new series will be separate from both the episodic Skywalker saga and the recent trilogy developed by Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘s Rian Johnson.
“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, referring to George Lucas’ original movie, Star Wars: A New Hope. “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.”
Game of Thrones will end its run on HBO in 2019. The Emmy award-winning series has been a huge hit for the viewers. Fans and critics praised the show for its ability to blend political issues and fantasy. The series is based on George R.R. Martin’s novel about a fantasy world where royal families battle for the Iron Throne.
On Disney’s earnings call, chairman and CEO Bob Iger said Benioff and Weiss had approached the studio with an idea a while ago but not interested in doing a tv series.
“Their interest was in creating Star Wars films,” Iger explained. “We’ve been talking with them for some time. They didn’t express interest in a series.” He added that the two were focused on “a particular point in time in the Star Wars franchise.”
