George RR Martin hopes to finish parts of his long-awaited sixth Game of Thrones novel The Winds of Winter this week, the author has announced on his website.
The elusive next chapter in the series of books has become a controversial talking point among Thrones fans, some of whom have grown frustrated by the 11-year gap since the last literary instalment.
In that time, the original Game of Thrones television show aired near enough its entire run, with the widely criticised ending only adding to tensions among Martin’s considerable following.
Following several delays, The Winds of Winter is no longer aiming towards any specific release date, but Martin continues to offer updates on how it is progressing, with the latest offering a sign that he is inching towards completing the book.
“I hope to wrap up the story line for one of the viewpoint characters of Winds of Winter this week. Maybe even two,” his statement reads.
One factor that is believed to have slowed down work on The Winds of Winter is Martin’s involvement in various television projects, including imminent spin-off House of the Dragon and others yet to be ordered or announced.
On that matter, he added: “Work continues on all the other Game of Thrones successor shows we’re developing for HBO and HBO Max. Animated and live action both.
“Development is a long and chancy process, of course, and there’s no telling how many series will be green lit in the end… I am really excited about the way some of them are coming along, though.”
Martin has acknowledged the bitter reaction that HBO’s Game of Thrones finale received in 2019, saying in an earlier post to his website that the ending to his books will deviate from what was pitched by showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss.
Last week, he also told the New York Times that he was “out of the loop” during production on seasons 7 and 8 for reasons he did not understand. “You have to ask Dan and David,” he added.
House of the Dragon premieres on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Monday 22nd August 2022 – you can sign up for Sky TV here. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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