Creativity can not be bought. Well, if you’re already really rich, it’s easier to say that, and that’s definitely the case for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Game of Thrones‘ showrunners turned down free money by taking their names off of HBO’s prequel series House of the Dragon.
Via THR, as the creators of the original show, both Benioff and Weiss were entitled to keep their names on any and all future Game of Thrones shows without lifting a single finger. The pair could have had Executive Producer credits on House of the Dragon and any spin-off series that HBO made from here on out, netting them a ton of cash. While there’s no mention of how much money they would get, it’s a moot point because they both turned it down, saying the pressure of having their names on something that they didn’t control was too much for them.
“I don’t think there is such a thing as free money. For us, if our name is on it, especially that, while being completely detached and uninvolved, it felt like the strain that would come with that hands-off approach — with its success or failure or anything in between — was not worth it,” Weiss said of their surprising choice.
“HBO was kind of confused,” Benioff said. “I remember their lawyer saying, ‘But it’s just money, we’re just going to pay you.’ ”
It’s a fair argument in some respects, as the pair had no idea what HBO was making with the franchise and had no control over the quality. Yes, House of the Dragon turned out to be good, but that wasn’t guaranteed. Still, it’s funny the pair are worried about quality when they’re still dealing with the fallout from the final two seasons of Game of Thrones.
However, it’s easy to turn down cash when you’re swimming in it, and the pair definitely are. They’ve inked a $200 million deal with Netflix, which will see them release a slew of shows, with 3 Body Problem being the first.
