‘Game of Thrones’ showrunners strike exclusive film, TV deal with Netflix

Team Udayavani, Aug 8, 2019, 10:34 AM IST

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Los Angeles: “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and Dan B Weiss are heading to Netflix with an exclusive multi-year deal for new shows and films.

According to Deadline, the duo were courted by WarnerMedia, their previous home HBO’s forthcoming digital platform, Amazon, Disney and Netflix when the epic fantasy drama was nearing its finale.

Sources said the agreement is in the 9-figure range like those of previously signed by creators like Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy with Netflix.

Benioff and Weiss are expected to write, produce and direct new series and movies for the streaming platform under an overall global deal.

“We are thrilled to welcome master storytellers David Benioff and Dan Weiss to Netflix. They are a creative force and have delighted audiences worldwide with their epic storytelling. We can’t wait to see what their imaginations will bring to our members,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos.

The Emmy-winning partners added they were looking forward to working with Netflix after their longstanding and fruitful relationship with HBO.

“We’ve had a beautiful run with HBO for more than a decade and we’re grateful to everyone there for always making us feel at home. Over the past few months we’ve spent many hours talking to Cindy Holland and Peter Friedlander, as well as Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber.

“We remember the same shots from the same ’80s movies; we love the same books; we’re excited about the same storytelling possibilities. Netflix has built something astounding and unprecedented, and we’re honoured they invited us to join them,” Benioff and Weiss said.

The duo are working on one of the next “Star Wars” trilogies, to which they are attached as creators, writers and producers.

Benioff and Weiss have also penned a Kurt Cobain project for Universal and are said to adapt “Dirty White Boys”, a prison-break story, for Fox/Disney.