Game of Thrones, an American fantasy drama series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO, adapts George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire.' Premiering on April 17, 2011, it concluded on May 19, 2019, after eight seasons and 73 episodes. The series is known for its intricate plot, complex characters, and epic scale.
Several 'Game of Thrones' storylines were left unresolved, fueling speculation about a potential Season 9. The 'Last of Us' Season 2 finale has shocking cliffhangers, leaving viewers eager to explore future outcomes and plots in the shows.
In 1994, NYPD Blue established a record of 26 Emmy nominations, a record that stood for 25 years until it was broken by Game of Thrones in 2019.
In 2001, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy was released, beginning a trend of successful screen adaptations that established fantasy as a mass-market genre.
In 2003, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy concluded, contributing to the establishment of fantasy as a mass-market genre.
Since 2004, Frasier held the record for total Emmy Award wins for a scripted television series with 37 wins. Game of Thrones eventually surpassed it.
In 2005, following the release of 'A Feast for Crows', Time magazine journalist Lev Grossman called George R. R. Martin the 'American Tolkien', recognizing him as a major force in fantasy literature.
In January 2006, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss pitched the idea of adapting George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' novels into a television series to HBO, after a meeting with Martin himself.
In August 2007, the first draft of the pilot script for Game of Thrones, written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, was submitted to HBO.
In June 2008, the second draft of the Game of Thrones pilot script, by Benioff and Weiss, was submitted.
In November 2008, HBO ordered a pilot episode for Game of Thrones after reviewing the script drafts.
Between 2008 and 2013, Northern Ireland's creative industries saw an estimated 12.4 percent growth in arts, entertainment, and recreation jobs.
In 2009, Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean were announced as joining the pilot for Game of Thrones. Other actors like Kit Harington, Jack Gleeson, Harry Lloyd, and Mark Addy were also signed for the pilot, with the rest of the cast selected later that year.
In 2009, the pilot episode, 'Winter Is Coming', for Game of Thrones was shot, but it required extensive reshoots after a poor reception.
On July 26, 2010, principal photography for the first season of Game of Thrones began, primarily at the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
In June 2011, the first season's soundtrack, composed by Ramin Djawadi, was published by Varèse Sarabande.
In November 2011, scenes for Game of Thrones set north of the Wall were filmed in Iceland on the Vatnajökull, Svínafellsjökull, and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers.
In 2011, Angus Wall and his collaborators received the Primetime Emmy Award for Main Title Design for the series's title sequence.
In 2011, the Harry Potter films concluded, contributing to the establishment of fantasy as a mass-market genre.
In 2011, the season one finale, "Fire and Blood", was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects.
On March 6, 2012, the ten episodes of the first season of Game of Thrones were released as a DVD and Blu-ray box set.
On June 11, 2012, TV Series Finale released "Game of Thrones: Season Two Ratings".
In September 2012, Dothraki, the language from Game of Thrones, ranked fourth on the Global Language Monitor's list of television words most used on the internet.
On September 27, 2012, the companion book Inside HBO's Game of Thrones by Bryan Cogman was published, covering the creation of the series's first two seasons.
In November 2012, a collector's-edition box set was released, combining the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the first season with the first episode of season two and a dragon egg paperweight.
According to TorrentFreak, Game of Thrones was the most pirated television series from 2012 to 2019 (except 2018, when no new episodes were broadcast).
Between 2012 and 2015, the average budget per episode of Game of Thrones increased from $6 million to at least $8 million.
In 2012, Game of Thrones had a high fan-engagement rate; 5.5 percent of the series's 2.9 million Facebook fans talked online about the series.
In 2012, Pixomondo earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for "Valar Morghulis".
In 2012, Vulture ranked Game of Thrones fans as the most devoted in popular culture.
In 2012, a study revealed that Game of Thrones ranked second in deaths per episode among 40 recent television drama shows, averaging 14 deaths per episode.
On February 19, 2013, DVD and Blu-ray box sets and digital downloads of the second season became available.
On June 12, 2013, TV Series Finale released "Game of Thrones: Season Three Ratings".
As of 2013, approximately 58% of series viewers were male and 42% female, with an average male viewer age of 41. The series showed a high fan engagement rate compared to other fantasy series.
Between 2008 and 2013, Northern Ireland's creative industries saw an estimated 12.4 percent growth in arts, entertainment, and recreation jobs.
In 2013, BBC News reported on the extreme devotion of fans, leading to fan fiction, burlesque routines, and parents naming children after series characters.
In 2013, Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans framed European politics using quotes from George R. R. Martin's novels in a speech.
In 2013, HBO said it intended to make its content more widely available within a week of the US premiere, including on HBO Go, to combat unauthorized downloads.
In 2013, Pixomondo earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for "Valar Dohaeris".
In 2013, a traveling exhibition of costumes, props, armor and weapons from Game of Thrones visited major cities in Europe and the Americas.
In 2013, the US Ambassador to Australia, Jeff Bleich, issued a statement condemning piracy of Game of Thrones in Australia.
In 2013, the Writers Guild of America listed Game of Thrones as the 40th best-written series in television history. George R. R. Martin accepted the Visionary Award from the Writers With Disabilities committee.
On February 18, 2014, the third season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1.
On June 18, 2014, TV Series Finale released "Game of Thrones: Season Four Ratings".
Between 2014 and 2016, Hotels.com reported a 285 percent increase in hotel bookings in Iceland after the location appeared in Game of Thrones.
In 2014, HBO commissioned Catch the Throne, two rap albums about the series.
In 2014, a traveling exhibition of costumes, props, armor and weapons from Game of Thrones visited major cities in Europe and the Americas.
In 2014, contracts for several Game of Thrones actors were renegotiated to include a seventh-season option.
In 2014, illegal downloads of Game of Thrones increased by 45 percent.
In 2014, the season four finale, "The Children", won the Emmy Award for Visual Effects.
On January 23, 2015, the last two episodes of season four were shown in 205 IMAX theaters across the United States, earning $686,000 on its opening day.
On February 17, 2015, the fourth season was released on DVD and Blu-ray.
On June 16, 2015, TV Series Finale released "Game of Thrones: Season Five Ratings".
In July 2015, filming for the sixth season of Game of Thrones began, returning to Spain and filming in various locations.
At a 2015 Oxford Union panel discussion, series co-creator David Benioff said that he was just glad that people watched the series; illegally downloaded episodes sometimes interested viewers enough to buy a copy, especially in countries where Game of Thrones was not televised.
Between 2012 and 2015, the average budget per episode of Game of Thrones increased from $6 million to at least $8 million.
In 2015, Game of Thrones received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, marking one of its many accolades.
In 2015, Guinness World Records named Game of Thrones the most-pirated television program. Illegal downloads increased to about seven million in the first quarter of 2015, up 45 percent from 2014.
In 2015, HBO continued Catch the Throne series with the release of more rap albums about the series.
In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter placed Game of Thrones at number four on their best TV shows ever list.
In 2015, the fifth season was simulcast to 170 countries and to HBO Now users. On April 11, the day before the season premiere, screener copies of the first four episodes of the fifth season leaked to a number of file-sharing websites, and within a week illegal downloads reached 32 million.
On March 15, 2016, the fifth season was released on DVD and Blu-ray.
In April 2016, the showrunners planned to shoot 13 more episodes after the sixth season, with seven episodes for season seven and six for season eight.
In June 2016, HBO announced that the eighth season of Game of Thrones would be the final season.
On June 28, 2016, TV Series Finale released "Game of Thrones: Season Six Ratings".
On November 15, 2016, Blu-ray and DVD versions of the sixth season were released.
In 2016, Game of Thrones set viewership records outside the United States on pay-television channels in the United Kingdom and Australia.
In 2016, Game of Thrones was placed seventh on Empire's "The 50 best TV shows ever" and twelfth on Rolling Stone's "greatest TV Show of all time" lists.
In 2016, Game of Thrones won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year.
In 2016, bookings doubled in Ouarzazate, Morocco, due to it being a filming location for Daenerys' season three scenes, and Hotels.com reported a 120 percent increase in hotel bookings in Dubrovnik.
In 2016, researchers published a paper analyzing emotional sentiment in online discourse during season four. The Mathematical Association of America also published a journal applying network science to the show's characters and relationships.
In 2016, the average per-episode gross viewing figure had increased to over 25 million, with nearly 40% of viewers watching on HBO digital platforms. A New York Times study showed Game of Thrones was more popular in cities.
In 2016, the lighting, or lack of light, in darker scenes was criticized, with viewers noting difficulties seeing characters and events. Bustle listed 31 examples of scenes where the lighting caused problems.
Filming for Season 7 of Game of Thrones continued until the end of February 2017 to ensure appropriate winter weather in certain European locations.
In February 2017, The Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, an orchestral tour with composer Ramin Djawadi, began in North America.
In April 2017, The Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience concluded its North American tour.
In May 2017, HBO commissioned Max Borenstein, Jane Goldman, Brian Helgeland, Carly Wray, and Bryan Cogman to develop five individual Game of Thrones successor series with George R. R. Martin.
On August 29, 2017, TV Series Finale released "Game of Thrones: Season Seven Ratings".
In October 2017, filming for season eight of Game of Thrones began.
On December 12, 2017, Blu-ray and DVD versions of the seventh season were released.
In 2017, Duolingo began offering courses in High Valyrian, attracting 1.2 million users between 2017 and 2020.
In 2017, cinematographer Robert McLachlan defended the dark lighting as a naturalistic artistic choice. Criticism peaked during "The Long Night" episode, with viewers expressing difficulty seeing the battle.
In 2017, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's Reputation album was released, with the artist telling Entertainment Weekly in 2019 that several songs on it were inspired by Game of Thrones characters and plots.
On June 8, 2018, HBO commissioned a pilot to a Game of Thrones prequel series from Goldman as showrunner and Martin as co-creator, set in the Age of Heroes. S. J. Clarkson was announced to direct and executive produce the pilot, while Naomi Watts was cast as the female lead.
In July 2018, filming for season eight of Game of Thrones concluded.
In September 2018, HBO president Casey Bloys discussed the four Game of Thrones prequel projects in development, stating that some had been abandoned while others remained possibilities. George R.R. Martin added that at least two of the projects were based on material from "Fire & Blood".
A 2018 scientific study concluded that approximately 60% of major characters in Game of Thrones died as a result of violence and war.
In 2018 no new episodes of Game of Thrones were broadcast and the series was not the most pirated.
In 2018, Australian scientists conducted a survival analysis examining the mortality of 330 important characters during the first seven seasons of Game of Thrones.
In 2018, Game of Thrones was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
In 2018, a second tour of The Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience took place across cities in Europe and North America.
In 2018, the first season was released in 4K HDR on Ultra HD Blu-ray.
Starting in 2018, Diageo released several Game of Thrones themed whiskies.
In April 2019, Cogman confirmed that his Game of Thrones prequel project would not be moving forward in development.
In April 2019, HBO announced the Game of Thrones Studio Tour, an exhibition and tourist attraction located at Linen Mill Studios outside Belfast.
On April 16, 2019, TV Series Finale released "Game of Thrones: Season Eight Ratings".
On April 26, 2019, Columbia Records released the companion album For the Throne: Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones.
In May 2019, George R.R. Martin announced that two of the Game of Thrones prequel projects were still in the script stage and progressing closer to production.
On May 19, 2019, Game of Thrones concluded its eight-season run on HBO, totaling 73 episodes.
In June 2019, WarnerMedia reported that subscription revenue declined only 0.9 percent after the show's finale.
In September 2019, Martin claimed the pilot was in post-production.
In September 2019, it was reported that a second prequel from Martin and Ryan Condal that "tracks the beginning of the end for House Targaryen" was close to receiving a pilot order from HBO.
In October 2019, it was announced that HBO had decided not to move forward with the Game of Thrones prequel series pilot.
On October 29, 2019, the prequel titled "House of the Dragon" was commissioned as a complete series. The 10-episode series is to be based on material from "Fire and Blood".
On December 3, 2019, the final season was released on DVD and Blu-ray, including behind-the-scenes footage and cast commentary. A box set containing all eight seasons, including a cast reunion hosted by Conan O'Brien, was also released on DVD and Blu-ray on the same date.
According to TorrentFreak, Game of Thrones was the most pirated television series from 2012 to 2019 (except 2018, when no new episodes were broadcast).
In 2019, Game of Thrones received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
In 2019, HBO converted filming locations in Northern Ireland into tourist attractions, and 350,000 visitors came to Northern Ireland annually due to Game of Thrones.
In 2019, Taylor Swift stated that several songs on her 2017 album Reputation were inspired by Game of Thrones characters and plots. Additionally, the name "Khaleesi" became more popular for baby girls.
In 2019, the Australian Red Cross conducted a study using international humanitarian law to determine which Game of Thrones characters committed the most war crimes during the first seven seasons.
In 2019, the show's final season established a new record for most Emmy nominations received in a year with 32.
In January 2020, HBO stated that the series "House of the Dragon" is scheduled for a 2022 release and that the writing process has begun.
In July 2020, casting for the series "House of the Dragon" started.
In October 2020, it was revealed that Paddy Considine was cast as King Viserys I Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
On November 3, 2020, a box set containing all eight seasons was released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.
In December 2020, three more castings were announced for "House of the Dragon": Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen.
By 2020, 1.2 million people had signed up for the High Valyrian course on Duolingo, which launched in 2017.
In January 2021, it was announced that an adult animated spin-off series was in development at HBO Max.
In January 2021, it was revealed that HBO were developing another prequel series to be based on Martin's novella series "Tales of Dunk and Egg".
In February 2021, HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys stated that "House of the Dragon" would start production in April, with filming occurring in England. Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Rhys Ifans, and Sonoya Mizuno were also confirmed to be starring in the series.
In March 2021, it was reported that three Game of Thrones spin-offs were in development at HBO; they include "10,000 Ships" (from Amanda Segal), a reference to the voyages made by warrior queen Princess Nymeria; "9 Voyages aka The Sea Snake" (from Bruno Heller), about the voyages of Corlys Velaryon on his vessel the Sea Snake; and a project based on Flea Bottom, the poorest slum in King's Landing.
In November 2021, Steven Conrad was attached as writer and executive producer of the "Tales of Dunk and Egg" series.
In March 2022, HBO announced a series premiere date of August 21, 2022, for "House of the Dragon", followed by the release of the official teaser trailer.
In June 2022, it was reported that a Jon Snow sequel series with Kit Harington reprising his role was in early development at HBO. The working title was "Snow" and Martin confirmed his involvement with the project and that Harington initiated the idea.
In August 2022, the complete Game of Thrones series was released in 4K, Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos on HBO Max.
The series premiere of House of the Dragon was on August 21, 2022.
In 2022, House of the Dragon, a prequel series to Game of Thrones, premiered on HBO.
In April 2023, HBO ordered "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" to series.
In April 2023, it was reported that a series based on Aegon Targaryen's conquest of Westeros was in development.
In December 2023, it was announced that "The Sea Snake" is being developed as an animated series, having been previously announced as a live action series.
In 2023, Game of Thrones was included on The Guardian's list of worst TV endings of all time.
In 2023, Variety ranked Game of Thrones No. 21 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.
In April 2024, Kit Harington stated that the Jon Snow sequel series had been shelved because they could not find a story that excited them enough.
In October 2024, HBO in partnership with Heritage Auctions launched an event to auction more than 2,000 costumes, props, set decorations and other items used in the series.
In 2025, Colossal Biosciences announced its work to de-extinct the dire wolf, with investors including Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and George R.R. Martin.
In 2026, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, another Game of Thrones prequel, is scheduled to debut.
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