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<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new <keyword id="12007221" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="book" source="Orion">book</keyword>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tinderbox-HBOs-Ruthless-Pursuit-Frontiers/dp/1250624010">"Tinderbox" by the journalist James Andrew Miller</a>, dives into <keyword id="11921392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hbo" source="Orion">HBO</keyword>'s history. </li><li>Miller interviewed the "<keyword id="12019469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="game-of-thrones" source="Orion">Game of Thrones</keyword>" author George R.R. Martin and Martin's agent, Paul Haas.</li></ul>HBO's hit series "<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/game-of-thrones">Game of Thrones</a>" came to an end in 2019 with two shortened seasons, which brought the total to eight seasons and 73 episodes. But the story's original creator, the author <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/george-r-r-martin">George R.R. Martin</a>, pushed for up to 10 seasons and 100 total episodes, according to a new book.New accounts of Martin's wishes can be found in a book titled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tinderbox-HBOs-Ruthless-Pursuit-Frontiers/dp/1250624010">"Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers" by the journalist James Andrew Miller</a>.Miller, who conducted 757 interviews for the book, spoke with Martin, Martin's agent, Paul Haas, and Richard Plepler, HBO's former CEO. "George would fly to New York to have lunch with Plepler, to beg him to do ten seasons of ten episodes because there was enough material for it and to tell him it would be a more satisfying and more entertaining experience," Haas told Miller.<h2>Both Martin and HBO executives would have been happy with more seasons, but the showrunners had a different plan in mind</h2><div type="image" title="game of thrones" height="970" width="1294" msid="87983793" hostid="261"></div>Martin said in the past <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-george-r-r-martin-doesnt-know-why-the-show-is-ending-2018-9">he believed "Game of Thrones" could have continued for several more years</a>. In 2018, Martin <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1041811172712796160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1041811172712796160%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2Fgame-of-thrones-george-r-r-martin-doesnt-know-why-the-show-is-ending-2018-9">told Variety</a> he didn't know why the show was ending with season eight because there was enough material to go up to 13 seasons. But Haas' quotes in "Tinderbox" are the first descriptions of Martin making requests to HBO for more seasons. "Dan and Dave were tired, rightfully so," Haas said in Miller's book. "They were done, and wanted to move on, so they cut it short and then negotiations became, how many seasons can we stretch this out? Because of course HBO wanted more."Haas added: "George loves Dan and Dave, but after season five, he did start to worry about the path they were going because George knows where the story goes. He started saying, 'You're not following my template.'"The book series upon which "Game of Thrones" is based, "A Song of Ice and Fire," is still incomplete. Martin has published only the first five out of seven planned novels. He's been working on the sixth book, "The Winds of Winter," for nearly a decade.The HBO series began diverging from Martin's storyline around the end of season four. The show's ending likely didn't "spoil" Martin's own planned ending — <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-show-book-endings-analysis-2020-5">you can read more about how we know that here</a>.<h2>Miller also spoke with Casey Bloys, the chief content officer at HBO, who says the teams knew there would 'inevitably be some pushback'</h2><div type="image" title="David Benioff, George R. R. Martin and D.B Weiss attend the Game Of Thrones Season eight premiere in New York City Getty Images" height="1649" width="2198" msid="87983795" hostid="261"></div>In Miller's book, Bloys said HBO "felt the final season delivered on its promise to fans, but more importantly it executed the vision for the finale that Dan and Dave had planned so carefully."Bloys added that he understood the criticism some of the fandom had about Daenerys Targaryen's "turn to war criminal" happening in the final episodes. "If there had been another episode or two, of course, that would have been helpful," Bloys said. "I would have taken two more seasons! But I do believe if you look at the totality of her arc over the series, as opposed to the final episodes, her turn was more than earned, and was planned."As for Martin himself, he told Miller that "Game of Thrones" changed his life mostly for good "but in some ways for bad.""I wish it had run for ten years," Martin said in "Tinderbox." "I think that would've given us a little more time in the later seasons to end it. But that might be just because I'm still trying to end it in these books here."I'm working on 'The Winds of Winter' even now as I have been for the best part of a decade. And hopefully I'm going to get to that end soon and then people can argue about which ending they like better."Martin has been <a href="https://www.insider.com/george-rr-martin-will-finish-winds-of-winter-2021-3">providing book fans with regular updates on "The Winds of Winter,"</a> but there is still no estimated publish date for it.

George R.R. Martin flew to New York to 'beg' an HBO executive to make 'Game of Thrones' 10 seasons long, according to his agent

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A former "Sopranos" producer revealed the cast and crew once got kicked out of a filming location.</li><li>According to the producer, they were filming at a "little old conservative Italian funeral home."</li></ul>A former producer for "<a href="https://www.insider.com/sopranos-cast-photos-where-are-they-now-2021-9">The Sopranos</a>" revealed that the cast and crew were once kicked out of a "little old conservative Italian funeral home" while filming a scene for season one. In "Tinderbox: <keyword id="11921392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hbo" source="Orion">HBO</keyword>'s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers," a book centered on how HBO took over cable television, which was reviewed by Insider, producer Ilene Landress told journalist James Andrew Miller that this particular scene was being filmed in Manhattan, New York instead of New Jersey, where most of the production for season one took place.As Landress was walking to set that day, however, she noticed something was amiss, the book detailed."I walk across Sixth Avenue, and I see our trucks in front of this little old conservative Italian funeral home where we were shooting," Landress recalled. "Then people start walking out, and the location manager running toward me." According to Landress, she could tell there was "trouble ahead." "We were shooting a funeral scene and the scene was a little lady in the coffin and Uncle Junior turns to somebody in the receiving line, glances into the coffin and says, 'She gave me my first blowjob,'" Landress remembered in the book. "Well, we got kicked out of the place." The producer told Miller, "You could totally panic or you could see the humor in the whole thing." "I called HBO and told them, 'I guess we're done for the day,'" Landress said in the tell-all book. <div type="image" title="Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) in a season one scene at a funeral parlor in &quot;The Sopranos.&quot;" height="414" width="736" msid="88460575" hostid="261"></div>Lots of <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-sopranos-costar-nude-scene-woke-up-this-morning-2021-11">behind-the-scenes anecdotes</a> about "<keyword id="11899350" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-sopranos" source="Orion">The Sopranos</keyword>" have come to light in recent months. In September, Steve Schirripa, who played Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri on the show, <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-michael-imperioli-sopranos-filming-steve-schirripa-interview-2021-9">told Insider</a> stars <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-hbo-the-office-steve-carell-2021-7">James Gandolfini</a> and Michael Imperioli once got so drunk before filming a cliffside scene that they had to be chained to a tree. Schirripa said the two actors had shared whiskey before shooting the scene in season four, where — spoiler! — Tony Soprano (Gandolfini) and Christopher Moltisanti (Imperioli) throw the body of the murdered capo Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) off a cliff. "On the break, while they set up the lights, Michael and Jim drank a bottle of Wild Turkey," Schirripa said."They were so drunk that they had to chain their legs to a tree because they were afraid they were going to fall off the cliff," he added."The Sopranos," also starring Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, and Tony Sirico, first premiered on HBO in 1999, and ran for six seasons before ending in 2007.

'Sopranos' cast and crew were kicked out of a 'conservative Italian funeral home' while filming because of a line about blow jobs, new book reveals

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12063299" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="james-gandolfini" source="Orion">James Gandolfini</keyword> once gave his "Sopranos" costars $33,000 following tense contract negotiations.</li><li>Gandolfini was apparently upset that the contract talks paused work on the <keyword id="11921392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hbo" source="Orion">HBO</keyword> drama. </li></ul>James Gandolfini once gave each of his "Sopranos" costars a check for $33,000, following tense contract negotiations with HBO. The late actor's costar <a href="https://www.insider.com/many-saints-of-newark-michael-gandolfini-steve-schirripa-interview-2021-9">Steve Schirripa</a> <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sopranos-actor-james-gandolfini-gave-573677/">previously spoke about the late actor's generous gift</a>, but a new book, "Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers," gave further context to the incident.According to "Tinderbox," Gandolfini had originally signed a contract for $5 million per season when he was initially cast as Tony Soprano.However, after HBO executives doubled Gandolfini's salary following the show's successful third season, the "Enough Said" star and his representatives continued to request higher compensation, the book detailed, even filing a breach of contract suit in Los Angeles. HBO then countersued, leading to a stalemate between the two parties. "Jim was a brilliant actor but a complicated guy to deal with," former HBO president of programming Mike Lombardo recalled in the book. Per "Tinderbox," Chris Albrecht, another former HBO executive, realized that an effective way to end the standoff would be to stop production on "<keyword id="11899350" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-sopranos" source="Orion">The Sopranos</keyword>," leaving the cast and crew effectively unemployed.Gandolfini, who was <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-sopranos-costar-nude-scene-woke-up-this-morning-2021-11">concerned about the cast and crew</a>, then agreed to accept HBO's rate of $13 million per season."We gave him more money. We gave him a million an episode," Albrecht added in the book. <div type="image" title="James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano on season one of &quot;The Sopranos.&quot;" height="720" width="960" msid="88420495" hostid="261"></div>Once his contract was finalized, the actor wrote each of his fellow "Sopranos" cast members a check for $33,000, the book describes. In an <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-michael-imperioli-sopranos-filming-steve-schirripa-interview-2021-9">interview with Insider earlier this year,</a> Schirripa said that when Gandolfini gifted his costars the money, he called each of them into his trailer one by one. "He would say, 'I just want to thank you for sticking by me.' And [then] he handed you the envelope," Schirripa recalled.Elsewhere in the book, executives remembered being <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-sopranos-hbo-execs-tinderbox-book-2021-11">worried about Gandolfini's wellbeing</a> amid the actor's mental health struggles. "We were concerned about Gandolfini staying alive. Occasionally he would go on a bender or a coke binge. We had to stop production," former HBO CEO Jeff Bewkes revealed in the book. "It cost a lot of money and was hard on the other actors' schedules," he continued, adding that he "didn't pressure" Albrecht about Gandolfini missing work because he "thought Jimmy was embarrassed."Albrecht even revealed that executives, along with some friends and family members of Gandolfini's, once <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-sopranos-intervention-hbo-executives-rehab-tinderbox-2021-10">held an intervention for the troubled actor</a> that ended up being a "disaster." Gandolfini later died of a heart attack in 2013.

James Gandolfini gave each of his 'Sopranos' costars $33,000 after tense contract negotiations with HBO almost ended the show

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12063299" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="james-gandolfini" source="Orion">James Gandolfini</keyword> once threw a "tantrum" over a masturbation scene on "<keyword id="11899350" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-sopranos" source="Orion">The Sopranos</keyword>."</li><li>According to the new <keyword id="12007221" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="book" source="Orion">book</keyword> "Tinderbox," Gandolfini wanted the sexual scene to be cut. </li></ul>James Gandolfini once threw a "tantrum" over a masturbation scene in "The Sopranos," according to a <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/tinderbox-excerpt-james-gandolfini-the-sopranos-hbo.html">new book about HBO</a>. An <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/tinderbox-excerpt-james-gandolfini-the-sopranos-hbo.html">excerpt</a> from James Andrew Miller's "Tinderbox: <keyword id="11921392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hbo" source="Orion">HBO</keyword>'s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers" revealed that the script for one episode had Gandolfini's character Tony Soprano running into a gas station bathroom to masturbate.Despite the fact that Tony was involved in a multi-episode affair with realtor Julianna Skiff (Julianna Margulies) at the time of the masturbation scene, Gandolfini still had a "tantrum," according to Miller. However, the actor eventually relented, and went on to film the scene as written. Tony's masturbation scene ultimately didn't make the final cut of the episode, per Miller, since it was edited out of the finished version. <div type="image" title="James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano." height="1270" width="1693" msid="87166265" hostid="261"></div>Gandolfini starred on "<a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-michael-imperioli-sopranos-filming-steve-schirripa-interview-2021-9">The Sopranos</a>," which ran from 1999 to 2007. For his role as Tony on the critically-acclaimed <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-hbo-the-office-steve-carell-2021-7">HBO drama</a>, Gandolfini was nominated for (and won) numerous awards, including three Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe. Following <a href="https://www.insider.com/sopranos-cast-photos-where-are-they-now-2021-9">the end of "The Sopranos,"</a> Gandolfini co-founded a production company called Attaboy Films, along with film executive Alex Ryan.Gandolfini would go on to produce documentaries for HBO, like "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq," about injured veterans from the Iraq war, and "Wartorn," focusing on the effects of PTSD on soldiers. Sadly, Gandolfini died in 2013 during a trip to Rome with his family. His final two projects, rom-com "Enough Said" (with Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and crime drama "The Drop" (costarring Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace) were released posthumously. More recently, <a href="https://www.insider.com/many-saints-of-newark-cast-sopranos-characters-guide-2021-9">Gandolfini's son Michael</a> stepped into his father's famous role, starring as a young Tony Soprano in the "Sopranos" prequel film <a href="https://www.insider.com/many-saints-of-newark-review-sopranos-prequel-movie-hbo-2021-9">"The Many Saints of Newark."</a>

James Gandolfini threw a 'tantrum' over a 'Sopranos' masturbation scene and tried to have it cut, according to a new book

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12063299" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="james-gandolfini" source="Orion">James Gandolfini</keyword> quickly shut down an intervention that HBO arranged in 2003, a new book says.</li><li>HBO held two days of "rehearsals" before the intervention for Gandolfini with his friends and family.</li></ul>HBO executives held two days of "rehearsals" before an intervention for James Gandolfini that he quickly shut down, a new book says.An <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/tinderbox-excerpt-james-gandolfini-the-sopranos-hbo.html">excerpt published by Vulture this week</a> from James Andrew Miller's upcoming book "Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers" details the 2003 encounter in the Manhattan apartment of Chris Albrecht (then the CEO of HBO) as concerns about Gandolfini's alcohol use grew.The book says that when Gandolfini entered the apartment to find friends and family waiting, he realized what was happening and told them, "Oh, fuck this. Fuck all of you." The actor stormed out of the building - but not before daring Albrecht to fire him from "<keyword id="11899350" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-sopranos" source="Orion">The Sopranos</keyword>."Close friends, members of Gandolfini's family, and other key business associates - including the "Sopranos" creator David Chase - had gathered to confront Gandolfini about his drinking and had gone through "rehearsals" to prepare, Miller recounts in "Tinderbox."A private jet was even on standby to take Gandolfini to rehab, but the intervention was unsuccessful, the book says.<div type="image" title="James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano." height="1270" width="1693" msid="87183831" hostid="261"></div>Elsewhere in the new tell-all, Miller says <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-tony-the-sopranos-script-hbo-tinderbox-book-2021-10">Gandolfini once threw a "tantrum" over a masturbation scene</a> in "The Sopranos." The actor begrudgingly filmed the scene, but it was cut during editing, the book says.Gandolfini starred on "<a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-michael-imperioli-sopranos-filming-steve-schirripa-interview-2021-9">The Sopranos</a>," which ran from 1999 to 2007. For his role as Tony Soprano on the critically acclaimed <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-hbo-the-office-steve-carell-2021-7">HBO drama</a>, Gandolfini was nominated for and won numerous awards, including three Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe.

James Gandolfini said 'fuck all of you' when he walked into an intervention HBO staged for his alcohol use, book says

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11921392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hbo" source="Orion">HBO</keyword> execs were "concerned" about <keyword id="12063299" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="james-gandolfini" source="Orion">James Gandolfini</keyword> "staying alive," according to a new book.</li><li>Former CEO Jeff Bewkes said the "Sopranos" star would occasionally "go on a bender" and stop production.</li></ul>Some HBO executives were worried about "<a href="https://www.insider.com/sopranos-cast-photos-where-are-they-now-2021-9">Sopranos</a>" star <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-took-fired-sopranos-writer-to-dinner-2021-11">James Gandolfini's</a> health during the show's six-season run, according to a <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-tony-the-sopranos-script-hbo-tinderbox-book-2021-10">new tell-all book</a> about the network. "We were concerned about Gandolfini staying alive. Occasionally he would go on a bender or a coke binge. We had to stop production," former HBO CEO Jeff Bewkes told the journalist James Andrew Miller in "Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers." "It cost a lot of money and was hard on the other actors' schedules," he continued, adding that he "didn't pressure" another former HBO executive, Chris Albrecht, about Gandolfini missing work because he "thought Jimmy was embarrassed."Bewkes recalled to Miller how Gandolfini treated him "like the dad or the boss" when he attended awards shows with Gandolfini and fellow "Sopranos" stars Lorraine Bracco and Edie Falco."Like he would be embarrassed if I knew he was drinking at the table. One time he brought two or three bottles of good Italian wine, so we didn't have to drink the shit Merlot they serve at the Globes. I drank with him thinking it would calm him down, I guess I was stupid," the former CEO said in "Tinderbox," also recalling how when Albrecht and his fellow executive Carolyn Strauss came to Bewkes for "budget overruns because of Jimmy's problem," he gave them the extra money for filming.Albrecht called the network's relationship to Gandolfini a "love-hate thing." "We had an intervention with him in my apartment in New York. The intervention wasn't my idea. I think his family's idea because his sister was there. It was definitely a crisis situation," Albrecht said. <div type="image" title="James Gandolfini in 2013." height="1860" width="2480" msid="88035769" hostid="261"></div>Unlike Bewkes, though, Albrecht didn't recall being worried about Gandolfini's survival."I don't remember us being worried he was going to die, but it became a real problem with shooting the show. ... It became a lack of respect for the other actors as well, so there were sort of problems that bubbled up," Albrecht said. The former exec even called the intervention with Gandolfini "a disaster." Earlier passages in "Tinderbox" describe the <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gandolfini-sopranos-intervention-hbo-executives-rehab-tinderbox-2021-10">intervention with Gandolfini</a> in more detail.When Gandolfini entered the apartment to find friends and family waiting, according to the book, he realized what was happening and told them, "Oh, fuck this. Fuck all of you." The actor eventually stormed out of the building — but not before daring Albrecht to fire him from "<keyword id="11899350" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-sopranos" source="Orion">The Sopranos</keyword>."<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tinderbox-HBOs-Ruthless-Pursuit-Frontiers/dp/1250624010/ref=asc_df_1250624010/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=475795130774&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=588925541556410710&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9004331&amp;hvtargid=pla-1185057416336&amp;psc=1">"Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers"</a> by James Andrew Miller is on sale now.

HBO execs were concerned about 'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini 'staying alive,' according to a new book

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12801951" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="peter-dinklage" source="Orion">Peter Dinklage</keyword> thinks the "<keyword id="12019469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="game-of-thrones" source="Orion">Game of Thrones</keyword>" prequel series will be "really fucking good."</li><li>Speaking on Marc Maron's podcast, he also said "<keyword id="12251453" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="house-of-the-dragon" source="Orion">House of the Dragon</keyword>" is more of a safe bet for <keyword id="11921392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hbo" source="Orion">HBO</keyword>.</li></ul>Peter Dinklage believes HBO's "<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/house-of-the-dragon">House of the Dragon</a>" is going to be "really fucking good," but he also has thoughts on the series being a safer bet for the network.The Emmy-winning star of "Game of Thrones" appeared on the "<a href="http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1299-peter-dinklage">WTF with Marc Maron</a>" podcast this week. The conversation turned to his views on the prequel series set to premiere this year (though no specific date has been announced yet)."I think it is going to be a really good show," he said. "The director and producer of it worked on our show, and I think it's going to be really fucking good."Director Miguel Sapochnik was at the helm of some of the show's most acclaimed episodes, including "Hardhome," "Battle of the Bastards," "The Winds of Winter," and "The Bells." Sapochnik is now the coshowrunner of "House of the Dragon," alongside Ryan Condal. "But, they took a risk on our show, HBO did," Dinklage continued. "They took a huge risk on our show. It was a slow start, but why don't they do that again? This isn't a risk. It's a proven thing that works."<div type="image" title="Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon House of the Dragon HBO Game of Thrones TV show 3" height="1211" width="1615" msid="89102148" hostid="261"></div>In the 2021 book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tinderbox-HBOs-Ruthless-Pursuit-Frontiers/dp/1250624010">"Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers,"</a> written by journalist James Andrew Miller, a former HBO executive explained why the fantasy series was a risk at the time."As much as the idea of doing a best-selling fantasy show seems obvious now, at the time, big world-building genres were not popular in the marketplace," Gina Balian told Miller.As previously <a href="https://www.insider.com/house-of-the-dragon-game-of-thrones-prequel-everything-to-know">reported by Insider's Kim Renfro</a>, "House of the Dragon" is the first of the planned "Game of Thrones" prequel and spinoff shows slated to premiere this year. You can read <a href="https://www.insider.com/house-of-the-dragon-game-of-thrones-prequel-everything-to-know">everything you need to know about the new series here.</a>Author George R. R. Martin <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-george-rr-martin-loved-house-of-dragon-pilot-2021-12">shared last month that he had watched</a> an early cut of the "House of the Dragon" pilot and was impressed. Dinklage's fellow "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington <a href="https://www.insider.com/kit-harington-will-watch-game-of-thrones-spinoff-house-of-the-dragon-2021-10">told Insider's Kirsten Acuna</a> that although he'll be supporting the new show, there's still "rawness" there."I wish them all the best, but it's so close to my heart, that story, that, of course, there might be a bit of pain there," Harington said.Now Dinklage is starring in the movie "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8apSFDXsQ" target="_blank" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cyrano,"</a> which will premiere in theaters February 25.

Peter Dinklage says he thinks 'House of the Dragon' will be 'really' good, but notes a key difference from 'Game of Thrones'

<ul><li style="list-style-type: none;"><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/reviews/out?asin=1250624010&amp;platform=browser&amp;postSource=in%7C619d690ae7f7170ebb66b06d&amp;postTag=biauto-51959-20&amp;sc=false&amp;type=AMAZON-AFFILIATE-LINK&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F1250624010%3Ftag%3Dbiauto-51959-20&amp;sessionid=16383005510813b9j08lk&amp;tag=insider-safetynet-20" rel="nofollow sponsored noindex">"Tinderbox,"</a> a new book by James Andrew Miller, dives into the aftermath of "<keyword id="12019469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="game-of-thrones" source="Orion">Game of Thrones</keyword>."</li><li><keyword id="11921392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hbo" source="Orion">HBO</keyword> first greenlighted a pilot episode for <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-prequel-show-hbo-age-of-heroes-2018-6">a prequel series</a> about <keyword id="12649037" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-long-night" source="Orion">the Long Night</keyword> and Age of Heroes.</li></ul></li></ul>A new book titled "<a href="https://www.insider.com/reviews/out?asin=1250624010&amp;platform=browser&amp;postSource=in%7C619d690ae7f7170ebb66b06d&amp;postTag=biauto-51959-20&amp;sc=false&amp;type=AMAZON-AFFILIATE-LINK&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F1250624010%3Ftag%3Dbiauto-51959-20&amp;sessionid=1638300551084jv674zny&amp;tag=insider-safetynet-20" rel="nofollow sponsored noindex">Tinderbox</a>: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers" by the journalist James Andrew Miller includes one key financial detail about the first <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-prequel-long-night-dead-hbo-reports-2019-10">abandoned</a> "Game of Thrones" prequel series. An executive working for the company at the time said HBO spent $30 million on a pilot episode for a show that isn't expected to ever see the light of day.Bob Greenblatt, the former chairman of WarnerMedia <keyword id="11896019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment" source="Orion">entertainment</keyword>, was interviewed for the book and told Miller about how he came into the conversation after showrunner Jane Goldman's pilot for a prequel was already in production. "They had spent over $30 million on a 'Game of Thrones' prequel pilot that was in production when I got there," Greenblatt said. "And when I saw a cut of it in a few months after I arrived, I said to Casey, 'This just doesn't work and I don't think it delivers on the promise of the original series.' And he didn't disagree, which actually was a relief."The "Casey" he's referring to here is Casey Bloys, HBO's chief content officer and one of the executives who helped oversee all things "Game of Thrones" at the end of its run."So we unfortunately decided to pull the plug on it," Greenblatt continued. "There was enormous pressure to get it right and I don't think that would have worked."HBO didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Greenblatt's comments about the canceled pilot.<div type="image" title="Bran Stark Night King Game of Thrones " height="900" width="1200" msid="88030928" hostid="261"></div>A group of "Game of Thrones" <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-hbo-fifth-spinoff-prequel-bryan-cogman-2017-9">prequel ideas</a> was announced to be "in development" at HBO back in 2017. A year later, <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-prequel-show-hbo-age-of-heroes-2018-6">news broke</a> that HBO was moving ahead with a pilot for a series that would be set "thousands of years before the events of 'Game of Thrones,'" likely during the legendary Long Night.But in 2019, fans were surprised by a double dose of news from HBO. After filming for the first prequel pilot was complete, the series was shelved. On the same day that fans learned that Goldman's prequel series wouldn't move ahead, HBO announced that a full 10-episode season of a completely <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-prequel-long-night-dead-hbo-reports-2019-10">separate prequel</a> called "House of the Dragon" had been greenlighted.At the time of HBO's announcement that the first "Game of Thrones" prequel wouldn't move forward, the company didn't provide much of an explanation. It said in a <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-prequel-long-night-dead-hbo-reports-2019-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a> to Insider: "After careful consideration, we have decided not to move forward to series with the Untitled Game of Thrones prequel. We thank Jane Goldman, S.J. Clarkson, and the talented cast and crew for all of their hard work and dedication."In "Tinderbox," Greenblatt said things had been "going well in the development process" with "House of the Dragon," which is helmed by Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal."I'm the one who encouraged Casey to greenlight it to series," Greenblatt told Miller. "I said, 'Let's not risk $30 million on a pilot.' You can't spend $30 million on a pilot and then not pick it up. So I said, 'Let's not make a pilot. Let's get a great series that we feel good about, and just make it. Or not.'"Greenblatt also told Miller that HBO was "minting so much money" that the company had "lost a lot of discipline." He believed the approach to creating expensive shows that might fail or have production issues needed to be "overhauled."Now, "House of the Dragon" is set to premiere in 2022. You can read everything we know about the new show <a href="https://www.insider.com/house-of-the-dragon-game-of-thrones-prequel-everything-to-know">here</a>. The first trailer for the upcoming series has already teased neat connections to "Game of Thrones" and author George R.R. Martin's books, including a familiar <a href="https://www.insider.com/house-of-the-dragon-trailer-valyrian-dagger-game-of-thrones-2021-10">catspaw dagger</a> and a new design for the <a href="https://www.insider.com/house-of-the-dragon-trailer-new-iron-throne-design-books-2021-10">Iron Throne</a>.

The first 'Game of Thrones' prequel series was scrapped after HBO had already spent $30 million on a pilot episode

<ul class="summary-list"><li>George R.R. Martin said he had "no contribution" to later seasons of "Game of Thrones."</li><li>He told The Wall Street Journal that he is much more involve with "House of the Dragon."</li></ul>"Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin admitted that he has more influence on the new "House of the Dragon" series than on the original show.Martin wrote the book series that inspired the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones" and its prequel series.While he was consulted during the beginning of the "Game of Thrones" series by showrunners David Benioff and Dan "D.B." Weiss, he recently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html">told New York Times reporter John Koblin</a> that from season five <a href="https://www.insider.com/george-rr-martin-was-out-of-the-loop-of-game-of-thrones-season-8-2022-8">he was "pretty much out of the loop."</a>Martin said he was never told why. However, season five was when <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-show-book-endings-analysis-2020-5">the show started to depart from the book</a> series since <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-winds-of-winter-is-taking-so-long-2017-1">Martin had not finished writing it</a> — and indeed is still working on the series as of August 2022.<a href="https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-george-martin-11660965303">During a new interview with The Wall Street Journal</a>, Martin said that he was able to contribute more than he is used to with "House of the Dragon" which premiered Snday."I had no contribution to the later seasons except, you know, inventing the world, the story, and all the characters," Martin said. "I believe I have more influence now than I did on the original show."Showrunner Ryan Condal told Insider that the big reveal about the <a href="https://www.insider.com/house-of-the-dragon-asoiaf-prophecy-reveal-came-from-george-rr-martin-2022-8">Targaryen family at the end of episode one was inspired by new information from Martin himself rather than the books.</a><div type="image" title="House of the Dragon character guide" height="1280" width="1706" msid="93708496" hostid="261" sizebytes="149090"></div>Martin also told The Journal that he wanted the "Game of Thrones" TV series to be longer than the eight seasons produced by Benioff and Weiss did."I was saying it needs to be 10 seasons at least and maybe 12, 13. I lost that one," he said.Last year, the book <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Faffiliate.insider.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.amazon.com%252FTinderbox-HBOs-Ruthless-Pursuit-Frontiers%252Fdp%252F1250624010%26amazonTrackingID%3Dbiauto-51959-20%26site%3Din%26vikingID%3D619d690ae7f7170ebb66b06d%26platform%3Dbrowser%26sc%3Dfalse%26disabled%3Dfalse%26sessionID%3D1661159664668vtfybrvo%26tag%3Dinsider-safetynet-20" rel="nofollow sponsored noindex">"Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers" by the journalist James Andrew Miller</a> said that Martin <a href="https://www.insider.com/george-rr-martin-begged-hbo-game-of-thrones-10-seasons-2021-11">begged HBO's former CEO, Richard Plepler, for more seasons of the show.</a>"George would fly to New York to have lunch with Plepler, to beg him to do ten seasons of ten episodes because there was enough material for it and to tell him it would be a more satisfying and more entertaining experience," Paul Haas, Martin's agent said.Martin added: "I wish it had run for ten years. I think that would've given us a little more time in the later seasons to end it. But that might be just because I'm still trying to end it in these books here."House of the Dragon" airs on Sundays on HBO at 9 p.m. ET.

George R.R. Martin says he has more influence on 'House of the Dragon' than the original 'Game of Thrones' show

<ul class="summary-list"><li>George R.R. Martin said he was "out of the loop" during the final four seasons of "Game of Thrones."</li><li>During an interview with The New York Times, he said he didn't know why that happened.</li></ul>George R.R. Martin had a surprising response when asked why he was "out of the loop" during the last four seasons of HBO's "Game of Thrones" adaptation. Speaking with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html">New York Times reporter John Koblin</a>, the fantasy author said: "By season five and six, and certainly seven and eight, I was pretty much out of the loop."When Koblin asked why, Martin said: "I don't know — you have to ask Dan and David."Dan and David refers to the two showrunners who helmed "Game of Thrones" — David Benioff and Dan "D.B." Weiss. The New York Times said <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html">a representative for Benioff and Weiss "declined to comment."</a>This revelation came in the context of a feature about "House of the Dragon," the first "Game of Thrones" prequel series that will premiere on HBO later this month. Benioff and Weiss were not involved with "House of the Dragon" (they're currently working within an overall deal at Netflix). Instead it was <a href="https://www.insider.com/house-of-the-dragon-game-of-thrones-prequel-everything-to-know">Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik who took up the mantle for a new fantasy show</a> set in the mystical lands of Westeros. Condal was a huge fan of Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels prior to this new series coming into the spotlight. He and Martin have both spoken openly about the author's heavier involvement in "House of the Dragon." Martin participated in early planning meetings, read scripts, and previewed early cuts of the first season's episodes. This is a departure from his involvement with "Game of Thrones" in the later years. For the first four seasons of the adaptation, Martin wrote one script per season. This tradition stopped with the fifth season, and Martin told fans this was due to his need to focus on writing the sixth book in his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series (<a href="https://www.insider.com/why-winds-of-winter-is-taking-so-long-2017-1">you can read more about that debacle here</a>). <div type="image" title="george rr martin emmy" height="2236" width="2981" msid="93489303" hostid="261" sizebytes="370988"></div>The fifth season was around when "Game of Thrones" began taking significant departures from Martin's books, including consolidations of characters or storylines. The show soon overtook the written material entirely, leaving Benioff and Weiss to write their own endgame pathways for characters. As <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-show-book-endings-analysis-2020-5">previously reported by Insider</a>, the more it became clear that Martin wouldn't finish his last two books ahead of the show, the more Benioff and Weiss starting speaking more openly about how the show and books might end differently. The means the show's ending likely didn't "spoil" Martin's own planned ending — <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-show-book-endings-analysis-2020-5">you can read more about how we know that here</a>.By the time the series finale was about to air, fans were surprised to learn that neither Martin nor the "Game of Thrones" showrunners knew for sure how the other would wrap up the massive story."I haven't read the scripts and haven't been able to visit the set because I've been working on 'Winds,'" Martin said in a <a href="https://ew.com/tv/2019/03/06/george-rr-martin-game-of-thrones-season-8-interview/">2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly</a>. That same feature revealed that Martin had turned down an offer from Benioff and Weiss to make a cameo appearance in the final season. Following the series finale in May 2019, more news came out about certain preferences and desires Martin had for the show, including the revelation that <a href="https://www.insider.com/george-rr-martin-begged-hbo-game-of-thrones-10-seasons-2021-11">the author reportedly flew to New York to "beg" an HBO executive to make "Game of Thrones" 10 seasons long.</a>Martin's agent, Paul Haas, was interviewed for a 2021 book titled <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Faffiliate.insider.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.amazon.com%252FTinderbox-HBOs-Ruthless-Pursuit-Frontiers%252Fdp%252F1250624010%26amazonTrackingID%3Dbiauto-51959-20%26site%3Din%26vikingID%3D619d690ae7f7170ebb66b06d%26platform%3Dbrowser%26sc%3Dfalse%26disabled%3Dfalse%26sessionID%3D1660169924937wanmtdhm%26tag%3Dinsider-safetynet-20" rel="nofollow sponsored noindex">"Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers" by the journalist James Andrew Miller</a>."George loves Dan and Dave, but after season five, he did start to worry about the path they were going because George knows where the story goes," Haas told Miller for the book. "He started saying, 'You're not following my template.'"This complex relationship is unlikely to be replicated with "House of the Dragon" because this time around Martin has already finished the story upon which the series is based. Showrunners Condal and Sapochnik are working from the historical fiction about House Targaryen titled "Fire and Blood," and Martin <a href="https://www.insider.com/house-of-the-dragon-grrm-3-book-details-in-show-2022-8">has been able to make specific requests about what should be included in the show.</a>"House of the Dragon" premieres on Sunday, August 21 on HBO at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET.

George R.R. Martin says he doesn't know why he was 'out of the loop' during the final seasons of 'Game of Thrones'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>George R. R. Martin wrote on his blog that he has seen the rough cut of the "<keyword id="12251453" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="house-of-the-dragon" source="Orion">House of the Dragon</keyword>" pilot.</li><li>Martin spoke about the show after it was listed by IMDB as the most anticipated show for 2022.</li></ul>"<keyword id="12019469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="game-of-thrones" source="Orion">Game of Thrones</keyword>" creator George R. R. Martin wrote on his blog that he has seen the "House of the Dragon" pilot and he was impressed.Martin wrote the book series that was adapted into the hit HBO series that spanned eight seasons. "House of the Dragon" is the first of <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-prequel-spinoff-plans-timeline-hbo">several prequels to the "Game of Thrones" TV series.</a>On Wednesday, <a href="https://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2021/12/29/most-anticipated/">Martin wrote on his blog</a>, called "Not A Blog," about the series after it was <a href="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls576273465/?ref_=ls_mv_close">listed by IMDb</a> as the most anticipated new TV show for 2022."I have got to confess, I was chuffed to read that the most anticipated new show, according to IMDB, was… (drum roll, please) HOUSE OF THE DRAGON!" Martin began the post. "That's a hell of a list to be at the top of, too. Amazon's new Tolkien series? Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN? Marvel shows? STAR WARS shows?"Martin continued: "I am anticipating HOUSE OF THE DRAGON pretty eagerly myself, for what it's worth. Okay, I am hardly objective. And I know a lot of what you will be seeing. (I, um, wrote the book). Also… mum's the word now, don't tell anyone… I've seen a rough cut of the first episode. And loved it. It's dark, it's powerful, it's visceral… just the way I like my epic fantasy."<div type="image" title="Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen House of the Dragon HBO Game of Thrones TV show 1" height="1074" width="1432" msid="88594553" hostid="261"></div>"Ryan and Miguel have done an amazing job, and the cast… just as with GAME OF THRONES, most viewers will only have heard of a few of the actors, but I think you are going to fall in love with a lot of them," the "Game of Thrones" creator added. "I think the Targaryens are in very good hands. Anticipate away. I do not think you will be disappointed."It was revealed in <a href="https://www.insider.com/reviews/out?asin=1250624010&amp;originalTag=insider-safetynet-20&amp;platform=browser&amp;postSource=in%7C61a958a63e57d74d3e4d8683&amp;postTag=insider-safetynet-20&amp;sc=false&amp;type=AMAZON-AFFILIATE-LINK&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F1250624010%3Ftag%3Dinsider-safetynet-20&amp;sessionid=1640863484134xzw41e7i" rel="nofollow sponsored noindex">"Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers" by the journalist James Andrew Miller,</a> that Martin had pitched this particular prequel to HBO but <a href="https://www.insider.com/george-rr-martin-surprised-by-game-of-thrones-prequels-2021-12">was surprised by the announcement of four "Game of Thrones" prequels.</a>"Then I suddenly found out that they had put four prequels in motion," Martin told Miller. "The Dance of the Dragons idea was just one of them. And the other three were ideas that had come from other people who I guess had read my books or had some of the documents at HBO.""House of the Dragon" comes out next year and <a href="https://www.insider.com/house-of-the-dragon-game-of-thrones-prequel-everything-to-know">is set 200 years before the events in "Game of Thrones."</a> The series is about the <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-prequel-series-targaryen-house-of-dragon-2019-10">Targaryen family,</a> best known for their relationship with dragons.

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