Never Mind: Game of Thrones Showrunners Quit Star Wars

David Benioff, DB Weiss say they need to focus on their Netflix projects
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 29, 2019 10:05 AM CDT
Never Mind: Game of Thrones Showrunners Quit Star Wars
In this April 3, 2019, file photo, David Benioff, left, and DB Weiss attend HBO's "Game of Thrones" final season premiere at Radio City Music Hall in New York.   (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss were accused by many fans of rushing through the end of their HBO show to get to their next project, a 2022 Star Wars film that was to be the first in a series. But in what the Hollywood Reporter refers to as a "shocker," the pair has now quit the Star Wars project. "We love Star Wars. When George Lucas built it, he built us, too," they said in a statement. "Getting to talk about Star Wars with him and the current Star Wars team was the thrill of a lifetime, and we will always be indebted to the saga that changed everything. But there are only so many hours in the day, and we felt we could not do justice to both Star Wars and our Netflix projects. So we are regretfully stepping away." Benioff and Weiss signed a five-year, $250 million deal with Netflix in August.

Their 2022 movie was to be the next to come in the Star Wars universe after the Skywalker saga ends in December with the release of Rise of Skywalker, Episode IX in the film series that started it all. But Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has a lot more planned in the Star Wars universe, including a series of films from Rian Johnson, a movie project being developed by Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige, and a bunch of small-screen projects for Disney+. Kennedy noted in a statement, "David Benioff and Dan Weiss are incredible storytellers. We hope to include them in the journey forward when they are able to step away from their busy schedule to focus on Star Wars." Some fans may not want that, however, considering Benioff and Weiss' departure led to a number of headlines like this: "Game of Thrones showrunners won't be ruining Star Wars too after all." (More Star Wars stories.)

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