George R.R. Martin Signs 5-Year HBO Deal With 6 Game of Thrones Series

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The mastermind behind Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin, has signed a five-year deal with HBO. Based on Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels, Game of Thrones is HBO's biggest and most-acclaimed series to date. Martin has been writing fiction of various genres since the 1970s, and though the war-torn continent of Westeros is the most well-known of his brainchildren, it is far from the only one. An embodiment of the sentiment that your big break can come at any age, 72-year-old Martin has his finger in many pies.

Given the success of Game of Thrones, HBO has been pursuing the idea of a spinoff since May 2017. There are currently six series set in the same universe in development at the network. Furthest along is House of the Dragon, which chronicles the conquest of Westeros by House Targaryen and serves as a prequel to the original series. Tales of Dunk and Egg, based on the books of the same name, is another prequel that follows Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Aegon Targaryen, whose egg-shaped head will one day bear the crown. 10,000 Ships features warrior queen Nymeria, who founds the kingdom of Dorne. 9 Voyages stars avaricious seaman, Lord Corlys Velaryon, and Flea Bottom explores life in the King's Landing slum of the same name. Still shrouded in mystery is an animated series that will match the tone of Game of Thrones.

Per THR, Martin has signed a deal to develop programming for HBO and HBO Max. The contract will last for five years and comes with a price tag in the mid-eight figures. Martin's work will not only concern content based on Game of Thrones. He currently serves as executive producer on the upcoming series, Who Fears Death, adapted from the post-apocalyptic novel by Nnedi Okorafor, and Roadmarks, which is based on the fantasy novel by Roger Zelazny.

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A prolific and brilliant talent, Martin was a lucrative find for HBO. The studio evidently finds his collaboration greatly valuable. Even steeped in a number of projects and at his advanced age, Martin has projects in the works elsewhere. Wild Cards is currently in development at Peacock and is adapted from a series of anthologies by Martin and other collaborators. Paul W.S. Anderson will direct Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista in his feature adaptation of Martin's short stories, In the Lost Lands. Martin's immersive entertainment company, Meow Wolf, has two attractions set up in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, with a third on the way to Denver.

A Renaissance man of entertainment, Martin is involved in more projects at one time than many of his younger counterparts. Ironically, the one area where the famous author notoriously slacks is in his writing. Martin insists he's going to write the end of A Song of Ice and Fire – the planned sixth novel, The Winds of Winter, is currently a manuscript over 3,000 pages long and has yet to hit the shelves. Game of Thrones fans will rejoice at the closer partnership between Martin and HBO, but dedicated readers will have more reason to moan as they wait for the next installment.