“Game Of Thrones” Writers Step Down From Upcoming “Star Wars” Films; GOT Prequel Spinoff Cancelled

“Game Of Thrones” writers David Benioff and DB Weiss have stepped down as producers and writers for the upcoming “Star Wars” trilogy film.

The writing duo has been booked and busy these past two years. The two just finished up the last season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and were immediately catapulted into the production of the new “Star Wars” film, which is set to premiere in theaters in 2022. But now, the two have stepped down, in an effort to direct their attention to new Netflix projects, as part of a new $200 million production deal. Benioff and Weiss released a statement announcing the news.

“There are only so many hours in the day, and we felt we could not do justice to both Star Wars and our Netflix projects,” the two said in a statement. “So, we are regretfully stepping away.” The writers signed off on the deal back in August. While the two say, they love “Star Wars,” the series of movies they were set to work on just wouldn’t be feasible under the new deal. “When George Lucas built it, he built us too,” they said. “Getting to talk about Star Wars with him and the current Star Wars team was the thrill of a lifetime, and we will always be indebted to the saga that changed everything.”

The “Star Wars” films, which were going to take place away from the drama of the Skywalker family, were scheduled to be the next set of “Star Wars” movies to hit theaters after December’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” CNN reports. Disney (DIS)’s Lucasfilm, which produces “Star Wars,” made the announcement in 2018 that Weiss and Benioff would be working on the films. Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm’s president, said Monday night that the two are “incredible storytellers” and that the company hopes “to include them in the journey forward when they are able to step away from their busy schedule to focus on Star Wars.”

What’s even more sad and ironic is the Game of Thrones prequel series starring Naomi Watts was dropped from HBO.