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Nearly six years have passed sinceGame of Thronesconcluded its run on Jul 08, 2025. The hit HBO series that became a cultural phenomenon is based on novelist George R. R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Fireseries. The show primarily covered the first five books and eventually outpaced the source material as the network was committed to keeping the momentum going with one season per year from 2011 to 2017. The final shortened season took two years to produce and arrived in early 2019.
The first five books in theASOIAFseries were released between 1996 and 2011, but the remaining two are plagued by delays. TheGame of Thronesmastermind Martin has regularly updated readers onThe Winds of Winterthrough various interviews and hisNot A Blogblog. But for now, it appears the sixth book will not be released anytime soon. Here’s why.
Martin’s Involvement In A RumoredElden RingMovie AndThe Winds of WindsDelay
Martin sat with Daemon Hatfield at IGN Fan Fest 2025 to discuss InThe Lost Landsand addressed speculations about his potential involvement inanElden Ringmovie. When quizzed about InThe Lost Lands, Martin explained that the epic or dark fantasy film derives from a 1982 short story of his. He also gave a subtle nod to his long-awaitedThe Winds of Winterin his answer:
“I was writing a lot of short stories then, in the earlier part of my career. Now, I of course, am most famous for writing these gigantic books that take decades to do and are thousands of pages…”
Martin crafted the lore of the 2022 RPGElden Ring.Lately, discussions about a potential movie adaptation have surfaced. In the subsequent parts of the same IGN interview, Martin hinted that anElden Ringmovie adaptation might happen, but his involvement would be limited due to his ongoing work onThe Winds of Winter. Martin was asked if he would be interested in coming back fora sequel toElden Ring,to which he responded:
“Well, I can’t say too much about it, but there is some talk about making a movie out of Elden Ring.” adding, “So, we’ll see if that [the Elden Ring movie] comes to pass and what the extent of my involvement was, I don’t know. I’m a few years behind with my latest book, so that also limits the amount of things that I can do.”
The Winds of WinterUpdates From Martin: Should It Be Expected?
ASOIAFreaders stay abreast of the developments inThe Winds of Wintercanon and Martin’s insights as well as reflections throughNot A Blogand various interviews. In a recent conversation withThe Hollywood Reporter, the author was asked about the long-awaitedThe Winds of Winter. He acknowledged the delay in the planned sixth installment’s release, expressing a mix of hope, self-awareness, and defiance in his response:
“Unfortunately, I am 13 years late. Every time I say that I’m [like], ‘How could I be 13 years late?’ I don’t know it happens a day at a time, adding, “But that’s still a priority. A lot of people are already writing obituaries for me. [They’re saying] ‘Oh, he’ll never be finished.’ Maybe they’re right. I don’t know. I’m alive right now! I seem pretty vital!”
Martin’s numerous other commitments and an ever-so-complicated and vast storyline contribute toThe Winds of Winter’sdelay. It has been over 13 years since the release ofA Dance with Dragonsand almost 14 sinceGame of Thronesdebuted.Game of ThronespopularizedA Song of Ice and Fire, following which Martin became a household name. He elevated his brand by pursuing several projects and exploring fiction far beyond the world-building and narratives of Westeros. These developments created a sense of uncertainty surroundingThe Winds of Winter.Furthermore, the creative choices ofThrones' creators, Dan Weiss and David Benioff’s creative debacles, and the resultant backlash likely led to challenges for Martin. The writers took a different path to finish offThrones, albeit honoring Martin’s ending in broad strokes (Daenerys' descent into the Mad Queen, Jon killing her, and Bran on the Iron Throne). The final two seasons lacked the pacing and buildup that Martin’s planned books are expected to provide. All of this places a significant burden of legacy and expectations on the author, making it harder to finish the already complicated task at hand. Martin has to weave together a complex story and give a satisfying conclusion to the series, especially since the fandom has already been disappointed with Dan and David’s televised adaptation’s ending.
What Is The Latest From Martin?
Despite repeatedly speaking of finishing the last of theA Song of Ice and Firebooks (such as in a recent interview withCollider), Martin has significantly procrastinated on his work. He committed to another promise of finishingThe Winds of Winterin the blog post titled"Dunk, Egg, a Few Random Mutterings,“published on July 05, 2025:
“And once I finish THE WINDS OF WINTER, I will need to get hopping on “The Village Hero,” and all the other tales that await the lads. Don’t worry, I am sure you folks will remind me.”
Martin and Robert Redford made a surprise appearance in the Season 3 premiere of AMC/AMC+‘sDark Winds. In the scene, theDark Windsexecutive producers are incarcerated in jail and engaged in a chess duel. Redford’s character waits for Martin’s character named George to express a chess move. He indirectly pokes fun at the long-delayedThe Winds of Winterby saying, “George, the whole world’s waiting, make a move!” This is when the Navajo tribal police officer Joe Leaphorn helps Martin put Redford in a checkmate. Martin’s character takes extra time in the scene, and Redford’s character’s jab has a hidden barb at the author’s prolonged writing process.
The completion of the next two books (The Winds of WinterandA Dream of Spring) in theA Song of Ice and Fireseriesis shrouded in mystery. 13 years is a long time and the waiting period without a promise makes theGame of Thronesfandom’s frustration quite understandable.
