Game of Throne’ creators, David Benioff and Dan Weiss have left their home at HBO to join streaming giant Netflix.
The duo has signed what sources say is a $200 million multiyear overall film and TV deal with Netflix. Under the pact, Benioff and Weiss will depart their longtime quarters at HBO and create and develop new projects for the streaming site.
"We are thrilled to welcome master storytellers David Benioff and Dan Weiss to Netflix. They are a creative force and have delighted audiences worldwide with their epic storytelling. We can’t wait to see what their imaginations will bring to our members," Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said Wednesday in a statement.
Benioff and Weiss also released a joint statement to mark their departure from HBO and begin their new journey with Netflix: "We’ve had a beautiful run with HBO for more than a decade and we’re grateful to everyone there for always making us feel at home. Over the past few months we’ve spent many hours talking to Cindy Holland and Peter Friedlander, as well as Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber. We remember the same shots from the same '80s movies; we love the same books; we’re excited about the same storytelling possibilities. Netflix has built something astounding and unprecedented, and we're honored they invited us to join them."
Heat around Benioff and Weiss ramped up this summer and reached a fever pitch after ‘Game of Thrones’ as its divisive final season set a new Emmy record for the most nominations by a single program in one year (32).
Benioff and Weiss, who created and served as show runners on HBO's mega-hit 'Game of Thrones', were also in discussions with Disney and Amazon. They came to their decision after extensive talks with Netflix.