History of Game of Thrones in Timeline
Game of Thrones, created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, is an American fantasy drama television series on HBO, adapted from George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' novels. Premiering in 2011 and concluding in 2019 after eight seasons and 73 episodes, the show is a sprawling saga of noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Plotlines involve political intrigue, complex characters, war, and supernatural threats including the White Walkers. Key elements include family rivalries, alliances, betrayals, and the constant struggle for power amid a morally ambiguous landscape. The series became a global phenomenon, known for its elaborate production, intricate storytelling, and shocking plot twists.
2005: Lev Grossman calls Martin the "American Tolkien"
In 2005, journalist Lev Grossman called George R. R. Martin the "American Tolkien" in Time magazine, following the release of 'A Feast for Crows'.
January 2006: Benioff and Weiss Pitch Series to HBO
In January 2006, David Benioff read 'A Game of Thrones', shared it with D. B. Weiss, and they pitched a television series adaptation to HBO after a five-hour meeting with George R. R. Martin.
August 2007: First Draft of Pilot Script Submitted
In August 2007, the first draft of the Game of Thrones pilot script by Benioff and Weiss was submitted.
June 2008: Second Draft of Pilot Script Submitted
In June 2008, the second draft of the Game of Thrones pilot script by Benioff and Weiss was submitted to HBO.
November 2008: HBO Orders Pilot Episode
In November 2008, HBO ordered the pilot episode of Game of Thrones after reviewing both drafts of the script.
2008: Growth in Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Jobs
Starting in 2008, Northern Ireland's creative industries were boosted by the production of Game of Thrones, contributing to an estimated 12.4 percent growth in arts, entertainment, and recreation jobs between 2008 and 2013.
2009: Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean Join the Pilot
In 2009, Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean joined the Game of Thrones pilot. Other actors were also signed and some characters were recast for the first season.
2009: Pilot Episode 'Winter Is Coming' Shot
In 2009, the pilot episode 'Winter Is Coming' for Game of Thrones was shot but later required extensive reshoots.
July 26, 2010: Principal Photography Begins
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.
November 2011: Filming in Iceland
In November 2011, scenes set north of the Wall in Game of Thrones were filmed in Iceland on the Vatnajökull, Svínafellsjökull, and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers.
June 11, 2012: Game of Thrones Season Two Ratings
On June 11, 2012, TV Series Finale posted the Game of Thrones Season Two Ratings.
2012: Average Budget Per Episode Increases
Between 2012 and 2015, the average budget per episode of Game of Thrones increased from $6 million to at least $8 million.
2012: Game of Thrones Ranks Second in Deaths per Episode
In a 2012 study, Game of Thrones ranked second in deaths per episode among 40 recent television drama shows, averaging 14 deaths per episode.
June 12, 2013: Game of Thrones Season Three Ratings
On June 12, 2013, TV Series Finale posted the Game of Thrones Season Three Ratings.
2013: Growth in Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Jobs
Between 2008 and 2013, the production of Game of Thrones boosted Northern Ireland's creative industries, contributing to an estimated 12.4 percent growth in arts, entertainment, and recreation jobs.
June 18, 2014: Game of Thrones Season Four Ratings
On June 18, 2014, TV Series Finale posted the Game of Thrones Season Four Ratings.
2014: Increase in Hotel Bookings in Iceland
Between 2014 and 2016, Hotels.com reported hotel bookings increased by 285 percent in Iceland after the country appeared in Game of Thrones.
2014: Actor Contract Renegotiations
In 2014, contracts for several Game of Thrones actors were renegotiated to include a seventh-season option.
June 16, 2015: Game of Thrones Season Five Ratings
On June 16, 2015, TV Series Finale posted the Game of Thrones Season Five Ratings.
July 2015: Sixth Season Filming Begins
Filming for the sixth season of Game of Thrones began in July 2015, returning to Spain and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
2015: Average Budget Per Episode Increases
Between 2012 and 2015, the average budget per episode of Game of Thrones increased from $6 million to at least $8 million.
2015: Outstanding Drama Series Emmy Award
In 2015, Game of Thrones received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, marking the first of its four wins in this category.
April 2016: Showrunners Plan Final Episodes
In April 2016, the showrunners of Game of Thrones planned to shoot 13 more episodes after the sixth season: seven for the seventh season and six for the eighth season.
April 24, 2016: Game of Thrones Season Six Ratings
On April 24, 2016, TV Series Finale posted the Game of Thrones Season Six Ratings.
June 2016: Eighth Season Announced as Final Season
In June 2016, HBO announced that the eighth season of Game of Thrones would be the final season for the series.
June 28, 2016: Game of Thrones Season Six Ratings
On June 28, 2016, TV Series Finale posted the Game of Thrones Season Six Ratings.
August 31, 2016: Filming of Season Seven Begins
On August 31, 2016, filming for the seven episodes of the seventh season of Game of Thrones began at Titanic Studios in Belfast.
2016: Outstanding Drama Series Emmy Award
In 2016, Game of Thrones won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
2016: Increase in Hotel Bookings
In 2016, Hotels.com reported hotel bookings increased by 120 percent in Dubrovnik and doubled in Ouarzazate, Morocco after they appeared in Game of Thrones.
February 2017: Filming of Season Seven Concludes
Filming of the seven episodes of season seven of Game of Thrones concluded at the end of February 2017, after continuing as necessary to ensure winter weather in some European locations.
August 29, 2017: Game of Thrones Season Seven Ratings
On August 29, 2017, TV Series Finale posted the Game of Thrones Season Seven Ratings.
October 2017: Filming for Season Eight Begins
Filming for season eight of Game of Thrones began in October 2017.
June 8, 2018: HBO Commissions Game of Thrones Prequel Pilot
On June 8, 2018, HBO commissioned a pilot for a Game of Thrones prequel series from Goldman and Martin. The prequel was to take place in the Age of Heroes.
July 2018: Filming for Season Eight Concludes
Filming for season eight of Game of Thrones concluded in July 2018.
September 2018: HBO president comments on the prequels
In September 2018, HBO president of programming Casey Bloys mentioned that some of the Game of Thrones prequel projects had been abandoned, while others remained as possibilities for the future. Martin added that at least two of them were solidly based on material in Fire & Blood.
2018: Study on Character Deaths
A scientific study conducted in 2018 stated that approximately 60% of the major characters in Game of Thrones died due to violence and war.
2018: Outstanding Drama Series Emmy Award
In 2018, Game of Thrones won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
April 2019: Cogman's prequel would not be moving forward
In April 2019, Cogman confirmed that his prequel would not be moving forward.
April 2019: Game of Thrones Studio Tour Announced
In April 2019, following the series finale, HBO announced a Game of Thrones Studio Tour to be located at Linen Mill Studios outside Belfast.
April 16, 2019: Game of Thrones Season Eight Ratings
On April 16, 2019, TV Series Finale posted the Game of Thrones Season Eight Ratings.
May 2019: Two Prequel Projects Edging Closer
In May 2019, George R.R. Martin announced that two of the prequel projects were in the script stage and were "edging closer" to production.
May 19, 2019: Game of Thrones Concludes on HBO
On May 19, 2019, Game of Thrones concluded its run on HBO after eight seasons and 73 episodes.
September 2019: Second Prequel Close to Pilot Order
In September 2019, Deadline Hollywood 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.
September 2019: Pilot in Post-Production
In September 2019, Martin claimed that the Game of Thrones prequel pilot was in post-production.
October 2019: HBO Decides Not to Move Forward with Prequel Series
In October 2019, HBO decided not to move forward with the Game of Thrones prequel series pilot.
October 29, 2019: House of the Dragon Commissioned as a Complete Series
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.
2019: Outstanding Drama Series Emmy Award
In 2019, Game of Thrones received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
2019: HBO Converts Filming Locations to Tourist Attractions
In 2019, after filming finished, HBO converted Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland into tourist attractions, drawing approximately 350,000 visitors annually.
January 2020: House of the Dragon Scheduled for 2022 Release
In January 2020, HBO stated that House of the Dragon is scheduled for a 2022 release and that the writing process has begun.
July 2020: Casting for House of the Dragon Started
Casting for the House of the Dragon series started in July 2020.
October 2020: Paddy Considine Cast as King Viserys I Targaryen
In October 2020, it was revealed that Paddy Considine was cast as King Viserys I Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
December 2020: Additional Castings Announced for House of the Dragon
In December 2020, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen were announced to be starring in House of the Dragon.
January 2021: Adult Animated Spin-off Series Announced
In January 2021, it was announced that an adult animated spin-off series was in development at HBO Max.
January 2021: Tales of Dunk and Egg Prequel Series in Development
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.
February 2021: Production Start and More Castings Confirmed for House of the Dragon
In February 2021, HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys stated that production of House of the Dragon would start in April, with filming occurring in England. In the same month, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Rhys Ifans, and Sonoya Mizuno were confirmed to also be starring in the series.
November 2021: Steven Conrad Attached to Tales of Dunk and Egg
In November 2021, Steven Conrad was attached as writer and executive producer of the Tales of Dunk and Egg series.
March 2022: House of the Dragon Premiere Date and Teaser Trailer Released
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.
June 2022: Jon Snow Sequel Series in Development
In June 2022, it was reported that a Jon Snow sequel series with Kit Harington to reprise 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.
August 21, 2022: House of the Dragon Series Premiere
On August 21, 2022, House of the Dragon series premiered.
2022: House of the Dragon Premieres
In 2022, House of the Dragon, a prequel series to Game of Thrones, premiered on HBO.
April 2023: HBO Orders A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to series
In April 2023, HBO ordered A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to series.
April 2023: Aegon Targaryen Series in Development
In April 2023, it was reported that a series based on Aegon Targaryen's conquest of Westeros was in development.
December 2023: The Sea Snake Developed as Animated Series
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.
April 2024: Jon Snow Sequel Series Shelved
In April 2024, Kit Harington stated the Jon Snow sequel series had been shelved because they could not find a story that excited them enough.
2026: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Scheduled to Debut
In 2026, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, another prequel series, is scheduled to debut.
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