Game of Thrones spin-off all but confirmed as showrunners hint at possibilities

David Benioff and DB Weiss are more open to the idea than originally thought

Now HBO has announced that there are a mere 13 episodes left to go before Game of Thrones wraps, it would be no surprise to learn that the premium cable network was searching for ways to extend the television phenomenon in the form of a spin-off.

While remaining coy over such ideas in the past, it seems that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are more attune to the idea than first thought.

Speaking on the UFC Unfiltered podcast, the duo said: "One of the great things about what George [RR Martin] did is he didn't just build a story… he built a world.

"[There's] so many characters and such a rich detailed history behind it that there are a lot of different ways you could go with it."

In their defense, both Benioff and Weiss have quite a task ahead of them: ending what is considered one of the biggest TV shows of the decade.

"We just haven't had time to really think through the details of it, because we're so focused on just getting the show made," they leveled. "This is such a 24-hour-a-day job. Once we start thinking about [any spin-off], we realise we have other things that are immediately pressing that we need to be thinking about."

The opportunities are endless. They could go down the prequel route, perhaps fleshing out what actually went down with the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, or maybe even a Gendry (Joe Dempsie) spin-off detailing what he got up to ever since Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham) helped him escape back in season three. Or, of course, a series focused on Lyanna Mormont.

Game of Thrones, which aired its season six finale last month, will return for a seventh outing next spring.