Game of Thrones showrunners and co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have signed a multi-year US$200-million deal with Netflix to write, produce and direct original movies and TV series exclusively for the streaming giant.
The agreement was originally reported by The Hollywood Reporter, which wrote that the pair would then have to leave HBO.
A statement provided to Global News later confirmed the news.
“We are thrilled to welcome master storytellers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss to Netflix,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos.
“They are a creative force and have delighted audiences worldwide with their epic storytelling. We can’t wait to see what their imaginations will bring to our members.”
READ MORE: HBO exec responds to ‘Game of Thrones’ fan backlash, petition for Season 8 remake
Benioff and Weiss, both 48, were partnered with HBO before cutting their deal with Netflix. They started with the company ahead of Game of Thrones’ 2011 debut.
The two worked on the pilot for the smash-hit series together for years before it eventually premiered and became a worldwide phenomenon.
“We’ve had a beautiful run with HBO for more than a decade and we’re grateful to everyone there for always making us feel at home,” Benioff and Weiss said in a joint statement provided to Global News.
“Over the past few months, we’ve spent many hours talking to Cindy Holland and Peter Friedlander, as well as Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber,” they said, listing off members of the Netflix team.
“We remember the same shots from the same ’80s movies; we love the same books; we’re excited about the same storytelling possibilities. Netflix has built something astounding and unprecedented, and we’re honoured they invited us to join them.”
READ MORE: Petition wants to keep ‘Game of Thrones’ writers off of ‘Star Wars’
The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones concluded in May and was met with mixed reception. It resulted in a massive fan backlash and subsequent petition demanding the co-creators rewrite and remake the entire season.
After the petition went viral, a number of the show’s stars responded to the backlash. Most of them defended the series, but also admitted they thought the final episode might divide fans.
WATCH: Fans of ‘Game of Thrones’ create petition to remake Season 8
The end of Game of Thrones meant that Benioff and Weiss were free to pursue other projects. Already on their plates is a trilogy of Star Wars films for Disney between 2022 and 2026.
The directing duo will write and produce three films. However, another petition was launched against them demanding Disney/LucasFilm boot them off of the project.
READ MORE: ‘I identify very much’ with Star Wars’ Jedi, says UK’s Boris Johnson
Although Benioff and Weiss will be working with Disney in the future, the massive corporation, along with Amazon, lost the bidding war for the artistic visionaries to Netflix — meaning the pair must commit to the streaming service first and foremost.
It’s currently unclear what projects Benioff and Weiss are working on.
Netflix did not disclose any of the team’s upcoming projects or the cost/budgets of them.
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