Budgets for the Game of Thrones spin-offs are going to be massive as the emotional Season 8 finale is teased

This is going to be epic.

“If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention…” – Ramsay Bolton.

You don’t need to the Three-Eyed Raven to know that the end of Game of Thrones is going to be dramatic because with the stakes this high, we’re expecting blood, death and dragonfire. With the final six episodes currently filming – each episode is heavily rumoured to be feature-length – there’s no doubting the fact that winter is here and the dead come with it.

Speaking at a panel titled ‘The Best of HBO’ at the INTV conference in Israel , Francesca Orsi, HBO senior VP of drama, said that the finale episode in Game of Thrones might just break fans of the show.

Hell, after being put through the ringer, we’re gluttons for punishment at this stage!

After a table read of the last few episodes with the show’s cast, she said that it: “was a really powerful moment in our lives and our careers. None of the cast had received the scripts prior, and one by one they started to fall down to their deaths. By the end, the last few words on the final script, the tears just started falling down. Then there was applause that lasted 15 minute.”

Well, after so many twists, characters, turns, stabbings, murders, battles, double-crosses, dragons, and shitty weddings, the end is near and the Game of Thrones finale looks set to put you through the ringer.

On the plus side, we always have the five spin-off shows to look forward to. It’s worth noting that not every one of these standalone shows has been approved, but it’s looking very likely that we’re going to be getting more than one, especially if these comments are anything to go by.

These spin-offs have already been budgeted and they’re going to be significantly higher than anything GoT had in its first few seasons. “$50 million (per season) would never fly for what we are trying to do. We are going big,” Orsi said.

She added that “it feels like corporate malfeasance to not continue it,” before saying that the network is planning “three, four, five spin-offs” of the original series.

Granted, more money isn’t an indication of quality, but it’s nice to see that the impressive production design and scale is going to remain.

At present, there are currently five Thrones prequels in development. Veteran GOT writer Bryan Cogman is creating one one of them, as is Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island). Jane Goldman (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential), and Carly Wray (The Leftovers) are also developing their own shows.

Valar morghulis.