By Frank Pallotta NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — \u00ab\u00a0Game of Thrones\u00a0\u00bb viewers may get to spend a little more time in Westeros than they’d thought. A spinoff — or possibly spin-offs, plural, or prequels or sequels — of the immensely popular HBO drama is in the works.<\/b>
\nBy Frank Pallotta
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) \u2014 \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d viewers may get to spend a little more time in Westeros than they\u2019 d thought.
A spinoff \u2014 or possibly spin-offs, plural, or prequels or sequels \u2014 of the immensely popular HBO drama is in the works.
The network said in a statement Thursday that it has closed deals with four writers to \u201cexplore different time periods of George R. Martin\u2019s vast and rich universe.\u201d
\u201cThere is no set timetable for these projects, \u201d the network said. \u201cWe\u2019 ll take as much or as little time as the writers need and, as with all our development, we will evaluate what we have when the scripts are in.\u201d
The network also said that Martin, the creator and author of the books that the series is based on, would also be involved in writing scripts.
HBO added that the creators and showrunners of the main series, D. B. Weiss and David Benioff, are continuing to work on finishing the upcoming seventh season of \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d and are \u201cin the midst of writing and preparing for the eighth and final season\u201d but would be attached, along with Martin, as executive producers.
\u201cWe will support them as they take a much deserved break from writing about Westeros once the final season is complete, \u201d the network said.
Plans are still far from final, and it\u2019s possible that there could be multiple new shows \u2014 or none at all. But adding something to the \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d franchise is a logical next step for HBO; it\u2019s one of the most talked-about shows on TV, and arguably the crown jewel of the cable network\u2019s lineup.
Some sort of continuation of the franchise has been talked about for a long time. Casey Bloys, HBO\u2019s programming chief, was asked about it at July\u2019s Television Critics Association press tour in Los Angeles.
\u201cIt\u2019s not something I\u2019 m opposed to, but of course it has to make sense creatively, \u201d Bloys said at the time.
The main show\u2019s seventh season premieres July 16. Its eighth season, which will have only six episodes, is slated to be its last.
(HBO, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner.)<\/p>\n

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