On one hand, things are great for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. They ran the most popular and Emmy-decorated show on TV, Game of Thrones, and they were tasked with scripting a new Star Wars trilogy. That’s a childhood dream come true! On the other hand (sorry, Jaime), they are literally synonymous with “bad writers.” No wonder they skipped San Diego Comic-Con, much to Seth Rogen’s delight. But for Benioff and Weiss, I bet the good outweighs the bad, because they’re close to signing a $200 million deal. Just not with HBO.
The Thrones showrunners are, according to the Hollywood Reporter, “inching closer to a new overall deal elsewhere as they continue to take meetings across town and narrow the field for their new home. Sources say Benioff and Weiss have had meetings for a sizable overall deal with Amazon Studios, Netflix and, more recently, Disney/FX.” They’re reportedly looking for a $200 million, surpassing what Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan are making for Westworld ($150 million), which would “include overhead costs to set up a production company.”
The Reporter‘s, uh, report did not catch HBO off guard. Back in May, the network’s programming president Casey Bloys said that Benioff and Weiss are “meeting everywhere, which I totally get. It’s a great time to be a creator. People are throwing open doors and throwing money around.” Left unsaid is what this means for Confederate. But based on the reaction to the alt-history drama, about the South seceding from the Union, it should remain unsaid forever.
(Via Hollywood Reporter)