It has been more than a decade since the last book in George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, titled 'A Dance with Dragons' came out. The already formidable number of fans of the series were augmented after HBO's TV adaptation called 'Game of Thrones' premiered. But the series sped past the books in fifth and sixth seasons and ended in ignominy with seventh and eighth seasons that were written without the aid of any source material. All the while, Martin has failed to live up to multiple promises as to when the next book, titled 'The Winds of Winter', will coming out.

So now, he has stopped giving any promises at all. The fans are doubly eager to read the two remaining books (the seventh and final book will be called 'A Dream of Spring') precisely because 'GoT' ending was so hugely disappointing and they expect and hope the book series will be better in that regard.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-george-rr-martin-499968">George RR Martin on ‘toxic’ ‘Game of Thrones’ final season backlash: ‘I don’t trust them anymore’</a>

In the latest news, Martin has revealed an update about 'The Winds of Winter'. During an appearance on Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show', Martin said the sixth 'ASOIAF' book is going to be bigger than 'A Storm of Swords' and 'A Dance with Dragons', which were already pretty big tomes.

"I think it’s going to be a very big book [more than 1500 pages] and I think I’m about three-quarters of the way done. The characters all interweave and I’m actually finished with a couple of the characters, but not others. I have to finish all that weaving.”

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QgCxVdsQH_k" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

'A Song of Ice and Fire' is mainly set on Westeros, which is one of the three known continents in this fictional world. On Westeros is Seven Kingdoms, which is actually only one kingdom, but called so because it was divided into seven realms some three centuries ago before the events of the series. In north, the Seven Kingdoms is bounded by the Wall, a structure built to protect the realm from threats from the frigid wastes.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-george-rr-martin-urged-hbo-to-make-game-of-thrones-run-for-10-seasons-509008">George R.R. Martin urged HBO to make 'Game of Thrones' run for 10 seasons</a>

Initially, Martin had planned a trilogy of novels with around 800 pages of material per book. But the world and the plot became too big and unwieldy to really subsume everything into just three books. The plan then move to five books, and finally (as of now) to seven books. Until now, only five books have been published, with the last one 'A Dance with Dragons' being released in 2011. It has been 11 years without the next book, titled 'The Winds of Winter'. 
&nbsp; 
Meanwhile, 'House of the Dragon' ended with its season 1 on Sunday. &nbsp;Created by Martin and Ryan J. Condal, the series wa set two hundred years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones’ in the past of Westeros wherein the Targaryens ruled. Unlike ‘GoT’, ‘HotD’ was not based on a struggle for Iron Throne, but a struggle for the Iron Throne among Targaryens themselves.

It has been more than a decade since the last book in George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, titled 'A Dance with Dragons' came out. The already formidable number of fans of the series were augmented after HBO's TV adaptation called 'Game of Thrones' premiered.

It has been more than a decade since the last book in George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, titled 'A Dance with Dragons' came out. The already formidable number of fans of the series were augmented after HBO's TV adaptation called 'Game of Thrones' premiered. But the series sped past the books in fifth and sixth seasons and ended in ignominy with seventh and eighth seasons that were written without the aid of any source material. All the while, Martin has failed to live up to multiple promises as to when the next book, titled 'The Winds of Winter', will coming out. So now, he has stopped giving any promises at all. The fans are doubly eager to read the two remaining books (the seventh and final book will be called 'A Dream of Spring') precisely because 'GoT' ending was so hugely disappointing and they expect and hope the book series will be better in that regard. Also Read: George RR Martin on ‘toxic’ ‘Game of Thrones’ final season backlash: ‘I don’t trust them anymore’ In the latest news, Martin has revealed an update about 'The Winds of Winter'. During an appearance on Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show', Martin said the sixth 'ASOIAF' book is going to be bigger than 'A Storm of Swords' and 'A Dance with Dragons', which were already pretty big tomes. "I think it’s going to be a very big book [more than 1500 pages] and I think I’m about three-quarters of the way done. The characters all interweave and I’m actually finished with a couple of the characters, but not others. I have to finish all that weaving.” 'A Song of Ice and Fire' is mainly set on Westeros, which is one of the three known continents in this fictional world. On Westeros is Seven Kingdoms, which is actually only one kingdom, but called so because it was divided into seven realms some three centuries ago before the events of the series. In north, the Seven Kingdoms is bounded by the Wall, a structure built to protect the realm from threats from the frigid wastes. Also Read: George R.R. Martin urged HBO to make 'Game of Thrones' run for 10 seasons Initially, Martin had planned a trilogy of novels with around 800 pages of material per book. But the world and the plot became too big and unwieldy to really subsume everything into just three books. The plan then move to five books, and finally (as of now) to seven books. Until now, only five books have been published, with the last one 'A Dance with Dragons' being released in 2011. It has been 11 years without the next book, titled 'The Winds of Winter'. Meanwhile, 'House of the Dragon' ended with its season 1 on Sunday. Created by Martin and Ryan J. Condal, the series wa set two hundred years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones’ in the past of Westeros wherein the Targaryens ruled. Unlike ‘GoT’, ‘HotD’ was not based on a struggle for Iron Throne, but a struggle for the Iron Throne among Targaryens themselves.

George RR Martin says 'The Winds of Winter' is three-quarters finished: 'It will be biggest of them all'

HBO's fantasy drama series 'Game of Thrones' was by far the biggest show in the world at its peak. Thanks to HBO's dollars, the makers were able to believably craft an immersive world from author George RR Martin's fantasy series 'A Song of Ice and Fire'. A gritty recreation of quasi-mediaeval England, opulent sets, great writing, cast, characters with a lot of depth, and dizzyingly complex storylines involving lords, ladies, sellswords, preachers, wildlings, and so on with a generous dose of mythical beings like dragons and Whitewalkers.&nbsp;

The show was the biggest thing on the planet. Until it wasn't. Its fall was even steeper than its rise. The culprit was hurried, nonsensical last season and to some extent the preceding season and the fact that the show overtook Martin's books. He has written only five out of seven books.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qJZBzhFRAAU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Since that disastrous finale, Martin has wisely distanced himself from the show, saying in a roundabout way that the final two books will be quite different from the show. In other words, the show and book series will end differently.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wg86eQkdudI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

He wrote on his blog, "I have been at work in my winter garden. Things are growing… and changing, as does happen with us gardeners. Things twist, things change, new ideas come to me (thank you, muse), old ideas prove unworkable, I write, I rewrite, I restructure, I rip everything apart and rewrite again, I go through doors that lead nowhere, and doors that open on marvels. Sounds mad, I know. But it’s how I write. Always has been. Always will be. For good or ill."

Meanwhile, several spinoffs of 'GoT' are in the works, beginning with 'House of the Dragon' which will release on August 21 this year. Co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal.&nbsp;

HBO's fantasy drama series 'Game of Thrones' was by far the biggest show in the world at its peak. Thanks to HBO's dollars, the makers were able to believably craft an immersive world from author George RR Martin's fantasy series 'A Song of Ice and Fire'.

HBO's fantasy drama series 'Game of Thrones' was by far the biggest show in the world at its peak. Thanks to HBO's dollars, the makers were able to believably craft an immersive world from author George RR Martin's fantasy series 'A Song of Ice and Fire'. A gritty recreation of quasi-mediaeval England, opulent sets, great writing, cast, characters with a lot of depth, and dizzyingly complex storylines involving lords, ladies, sellswords, preachers, wildlings, and so on with a generous dose of mythical beings like dragons and Whitewalkers. The show was the biggest thing on the planet. Until it wasn't. Its fall was even steeper than its rise. The culprit was hurried, nonsensical last season and to some extent the preceding season and the fact that the show overtook Martin's books. He has written only five out of seven books. Since that disastrous finale, Martin has wisely distanced himself from the show, saying in a roundabout way that the final two books will be quite different from the show. In other words, the show and book series will end differently. He wrote on his blog, "I have been at work in my winter garden. Things are growing… and changing, as does happen with us gardeners. Things twist, things change, new ideas come to me (thank you, muse), old ideas prove unworkable, I write, I rewrite, I restructure, I rip everything apart and rewrite again, I go through doors that lead nowhere, and doors that open on marvels. Sounds mad, I know. But it’s how I write. Always has been. Always will be. For good or ill." Meanwhile, several spinoffs of 'GoT' are in the works, beginning with 'House of the Dragon' which will release on August 21 this year. Co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal.

George RR Martin promises last two Game of Thrones books will be different from show's ending

This episode is already proving to be as divisive as the other five episodes have been in the eighth and final season. “Thrones” enthusiasts have been voicing their displeasure at the direction of the season from the get-go, a criticism that has mounted since series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss moved beyond the material from George R.R. Martin’s book series “A Song of Ice and Fire.”

New York watch party has mixed reviews on 'Game of Thrones' finale

Putting speculations to rest, HBO now confirms that fan rumours were true -- the final season of &quot;Game of Thrones&quot;&nbsp;won&#39;t be back until 2019.&nbsp;

HBO&#39;s flagship hit series &quot;Game of Thrones&quot;&nbsp;is taking longer than the previous seasons to make and will need more than one year to film and release.&nbsp;

The confirmation proves earlier media reports that &quot;GOT&quot;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/red-wedding-winds-of-winter-directors-to-team-up-for-final-got-season-20730" target="_blank">showrunners</a>&nbsp;David Benioff and Dan Weiss plan to spend a year and a half crafting the show&rsquo;s final episodes in an effort to make the final hours as spectacular and satisfying as possible.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-game-of-thrones-finale-is-unbelievable-reveals-former-cast-member-jason-momoa-25567" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;&#39;Game of Thrones&#39; finale is unbelievable, reveals former cast member Jason Momoa</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-there-is-a-ban-on-social-media-on-sets-of-game-of-thrones-reveals-emilia-clarke-27061" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;There is a ban on social media on sets of &#39;Game of Thrones&#39;, reveals Emilia Clarke</a>

The filming of the final season is scheduled to start this summer if reports are to be believed.&nbsp;

Also, star Sophie Turner let slip in an interview that she didn&#39;t expect the show to return until next year.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-pictures-the-got-cast-spotted-in-belfast-possibly-for-shotting-season-8-21301" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;In pictures: GoT cast spotted in Belfast, possibly for shooting Season 8</a>

The final season will have six episodes as previously reported -- while some episodes may be longer than usual.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Fans have been waiting for the final season of the hit TV series 'Game of Thrones' ever since the last season aired in 2017

Putting speculations to rest, HBO now confirms that fan rumours were true -- the final season of "Game of Thrones" won't be back until 2019. HBO's flagship hit series "Game of Thrones" is taking longer than the previous seasons to make and will need more than one year to film and release. The confirmation proves earlier media reports that "GOT" showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss plan to spend a year and a half crafting the show’s final episodes in an effort to make the final hours as spectacular and satisfying as possible. Also Read: 'Game of Thrones' finale is unbelievable, reveals former cast member Jason Momoa Also Read: There is a ban on social media on sets of 'Game of Thrones', reveals Emilia Clarke The filming of the final season is scheduled to start this summer if reports are to be believed. Also, star Sophie Turner let slip in an interview that she didn't expect the show to return until next year. Also Read: In pictures: GoT cast spotted in Belfast, possibly for shooting Season 8 The final season will have six episodes as previously reported -- while some episodes may be longer than usual.

HBO confirms for first time, 'Game of Thrones' to return in 2019

Hit fantasy TV show Game of Thrones&nbsp;pulled in nearly 9 million viewers on Sunday, its highest one-day audience figures ever, for the season six finale broadcast on HBO. 
 
Nielsen said 8.9 million people watched the 10th and final episode of the latest season, either live or on playback, on Sunday. 
 
The Emmy-winning show tells the story of noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne, all the while keeping one eye on the &quot;White Walkers&quot; leading hordes of the undead toward an invasion from the North. 
 
Based on George R.R. Martin&#39;s A Song of Ice and Fire&nbsp;novels, the show has been distinguished by steadily rising audience figures. Just three million tuned in for the finale of season one. 
 
Its previous audience record for live and same-day viewing was 8.1 million for the last episode of Season five. 
 
Season six was the first time the show largely moved past the source material from the books. 
 
In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, the entertainment industry website, the show&#39;s creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss said the end is near. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s two more seasons we&#39;re talking about,&quot; Benioff was quoted as saying on Monday. &quot;From pretty close to the beginning, we talked about doing this in 70-75 hours, and that&#39;s what we&#39;ll end up with. Call it 73 for now.&quot; 
 
The creators said their intention was to tell one cohesive story and not overstay their welcome. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve known the end for quite some time and we&#39;re hurtling towards it,&quot; said Benioff. &quot;We&#39;re definitely heading into the end game now.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

8.9 million people watched the 10th and final episode of the latest season, either live or on playback, on Sunday

Hit fantasy TV show Game of Thrones pulled in nearly 9 million viewers on Sunday, its highest one-day audience figures ever, for the season six finale broadcast on HBO. Nielsen said 8.9 million people watched the 10th and final episode of the latest season, either live or on playback, on Sunday. The Emmy-winning show tells the story of noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne, all the while keeping one eye on the "White Walkers" leading hordes of the undead toward an invasion from the North. Based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the show has been distinguished by steadily rising audience figures. Just three million tuned in for the finale of season one. Its previous audience record for live and same-day viewing was 8.1 million for the last episode of Season five. Season six was the first time the show largely moved past the source material from the books. In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, the entertainment industry website, the show's creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss said the end is near. "It's two more seasons we're talking about," Benioff was quoted as saying on Monday. "From pretty close to the beginning, we talked about doing this in 70-75 hours, and that's what we'll end up with. Call it 73 for now." The creators said their intention was to tell one cohesive story and not overstay their welcome. "We've known the end for quite some time and we're hurtling towards it," said Benioff. "We're definitely heading into the end game now." (AFP)

'Game of Thrones' season finale scores record ratings

Game of Thrones, the hit HBO cable TV series that is partly filmed in Northern Ireland, will not suffer due to Britain&#39;s decision to leave the European Union, the cable network said on Friday, aiming to quash speculation that the lavishly produced show would lose EU funding. 
 
Britons voted on Thursday to leave the European Union, a decision that economists and government leaders say clouds growth prospects for the world&#39;s fifth-largest economy and could dim its attraction for investors. 
 
The result could also discourage Hollywood studios and cable networks to film shows and movies in Britain, in part because the country would no longer have access to European subsidies. 
 
The series received support from the EU&#39;s European Regional Development Fund in its early years, HBO confirmed, but the fund has provided no support for the past few seasons. 
 
&quot;We do not anticipate that the result of the EU referendum will have any material effect on HBO producing Game of Thrones,&quot; the network, a unit of Time Warner Inc, said in a statement. 
 
As results from Britain&#39;s historic referendum came in overnight, speculation spread online that the decision would hurt HBO&#39;s most-watched series, which had as many as 20 million viewers per episode last season. 
 
The show continues to receive funding from the UK, including from Northern Ireland Screen (NIS), which provides government support for local businesses. 
 
NIS issued a statement on Friday saying the organisation &quot;does not use monies provided from European-funded programmes.&quot; 
 
A majority of voters in Northern Ireland, one of four &quot;nations&quot; that comprise the United Kingdom, cast ballots for remaining in the EU. 
 
The Emmy-winning Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin&#39;s A Song of Ice and Fire books, tells the epic fantasy tale of a multi-generational struggle for control of the Iron Throne and rule over the Seven Kingdoms. 
 
The show, now in its sixth season, has a budget of $10 million per episode, according to Entertainment Weekly. 
 
(Reuters)

Northern Island Screen, which funds the show, said that the organisation does 'not use monies provided from European-funded programmes'

Game of Thrones, the hit HBO cable TV series that is partly filmed in Northern Ireland, will not suffer due to Britain's decision to leave the European Union, the cable network said on Friday, aiming to quash speculation that the lavishly produced show would lose EU funding. Britons voted on Thursday to leave the European Union, a decision that economists and government leaders say clouds growth prospects for the world's fifth-largest economy and could dim its attraction for investors. The result could also discourage Hollywood studios and cable networks to film shows and movies in Britain, in part because the country would no longer have access to European subsidies. The series received support from the EU's European Regional Development Fund in its early years, HBO confirmed, but the fund has provided no support for the past few seasons. "We do not anticipate that the result of the EU referendum will have any material effect on HBO producing Game of Thrones," the network, a unit of Time Warner Inc, said in a statement. As results from Britain's historic referendum came in overnight, speculation spread online that the decision would hurt HBO's most-watched series, which had as many as 20 million viewers per episode last season. The show continues to receive funding from the UK, including from Northern Ireland Screen (NIS), which provides government support for local businesses. NIS issued a statement on Friday saying the organisation "does not use monies provided from European-funded programmes." A majority of voters in Northern Ireland, one of four "nations" that comprise the United Kingdom, cast ballots for remaining in the EU. The Emmy-winning Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books, tells the epic fantasy tale of a multi-generational struggle for control of the Iron Throne and rule over the Seven Kingdoms. The show, now in its sixth season, has a budget of $10 million per episode, according to Entertainment Weekly. (Reuters)

Season 7 is coming, HBO says Brexit won't affect 'Game of Thrones' production