HBO has had a "Game of Thrones" sized hole in its programming (and fans have had a "Game of Thrones" sized hole in our hearts) since the epic series concluded in May of 2019. There has been a ton of great TV since then, but nothing quite as watercooler conversation special as "Game of Thrones."

We know that upon season 8 wrapping up HBO immediately started work on more "Game of Thrones" content, including one spin-off series starring Naomi Watts that failed to materialize and one spin-off centering on the history of the Targaryen family that got the green light and will be released as "House of the Dragon" sometime this year.

"House of the Dragon" is being run by Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik and there are a handful of other spin-offs being developed. So many, actually, that there was a question about where or not the original "Game of Thrones" showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, would ever return to Westeros. Well, that question has now been unequivocally answered.

And That Answer Is Basically, "No Thanks."

Weiss did an interview with Entertainment Weekly about his upcoming Netflix film "Metal Lords" and shot down, in no uncertain terms, any possibility of a return to Westeros.

"All in, we were 11 years, probably, doing that show. When I say 11 years, it was full on, all in, all day, every day for 11 years. It was the best decade of our lives. It still kind of feels a bit like a dream, but we got to a place where it was pretty clear to us that we had reached the end of what made sense for us to be involved with in that world that we lived. It just felt like, for us, it was time to move on and get excited and terrified about building something else — building lots of something elses."

Which is totally understandable. That's a long time to dedicate to anything, let alone a single TV show. Plus, Weiss and Benioff also got a lot of backlash for how they ended things so I'm sure that left a little sour taste in their mouths as well.

But this is only a good thing. On the "Game of Thrones" side, Benioff and Weiss stepping away from the spin-offs lets others have a chance to play in George R.R. Martin's sandbox, and on the Benioff and Weiss side, they can focus on new creative projects that energize them in the same way they were when they started their decade-plus long "Game of Thrones" journey.

"House of the Dragon" is the next "Game of Thrones" property up and will feature a crazy cast, including Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans and Eve Best. The series is set to premiere some time in 2022 on HBO and HBO Max.

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