‘Game Of Thrones’ May End After Season 8; HBO In Talks For Another Two-Season Renewal

On the heels of the most recent announcement that HBO’s beloved fantasy series, “Game of Thrones,” will return for Season 6 on April 24, the network is giving fans even more cause to be excited for the future. After casting contracts pointed to the contrary, new reports indicate that HBO is looking to renew the popular series for at least two more seasons.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO programming president Michael Lombardo spoke at a Television Critics Association winter press tour event on Dec. 7 saying the network is currently negotiating a two-season renewal of “Game of Thrones,” with an official announcement likely coming soon. If it comes to fruition, the deal would extend the show all the way through Season 8.

As some will note, a Season 7 renewal isn’t surprising given the fact that the principal members of the cast signed a deal in 2015 that would extend their contracts another year. Because the network only renewed the contracts for Season 7 and did so by paying out hefty raises to its stars, many believed that the show would end there. After all, the “Song of Ice and Fire” books by author George R.R. Martin that act as the basis for the show will only extend for seven installments. So far, the show has adapted roughly one book per season.

However, with the news of a potential Season 8 coming to HBO, fans of the series can officially get their hopes up that they’ll be treated to another three seasons of “Game of Thrones” instead of just two. It’s worth mentioning that neither HBO nor the series’ producers, David Benioff and Dan Weiss, have confirmed the dual season renewal, let alone that Season 8 will be its last. However, given the evidence and the limited source material it has to work with, the writing is on the wall for a Season 8 finale.

“David and Dan are feeling there’s probably two more years after Season 6, that’s what we’re looking at right now,” Lombardo told Deadline in July. “We hope that they would change their mind, but that’s how they are feeling now.”

This isn’t the first time that HBO has sought a two-season renewal for the show. Typically re-upping for two more years is reserved for shows that are on the same popularity scale as “Game of Thrones,” which saw its finale break its previous ratings record with a whopping 8.11 million average viewers, according to Variety.

Do you want to see “Game of Thrones” surpass Season 8, or do you think it will have run its course by then? Comment below or tweet your thoughts on the potential deal to @TylerMcCarthy.