Game Of Thrones creators quit Star Wars deal with Disney
STAR Wars has suffered a major setback after Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have quit the franchise.
The pair signed a massive deal with Disney-owned Lucasfilm back in February to produce a new trilogy of movies, expected to hit screens in 2022.
The trilogy was meant to signal a new beginning for the Star Wars brand and move it away from the Skywalker dynasty which will wrap up with the December's Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker.
However Benioff and Weiss have now pulled out of the deal, claiming they don't have the time to devote to it because of their Netflix commitments.
The Game of Thrones duo signed a nine-figure payday with Netflix back in August and don't feel they can juggle the two.
In a statement to , Benioff and Weiss said: "There are only so many hours in the day, and we felt we could not do justice to both Star Wars and our Netflix projects, so we are regretfully stepping away.”
The pair also paid tribute to Star Wars creator George Lucas in their statement.
They added: "We love Star Wars. When George Lucas built it, he built us too. Getting to talk about Star Wars with him and the current Star Wars team was the thrill of a lifetime, and we will always be indebted to the saga that changed everything.”
On their part, Lucasfilm aren't ruling out a future collaboration with the Game of Thrones masterminds.
"David Benioff and Dan Weiss are incredible storytellers," Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. "We hope to include them in the journey forward when they are able to step away from their busy schedule to focus on Star Wars.”
While this deal hasn't worked out, there is still plenty of Star Wars action in the can to keep fans happy.
As well as the eagerly anticipated finale to the Skywalker story in December, there are two Star Wars-themed series launching on Disney's new streaming service, Disney+.
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The Madalorian, a series set five years after the events in Return of the Jedi, launches on November 12 in the US.
Ewan McGregor will also reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi for a as-yet-untitled Disney+ series.
Disney+ launches Stateside on with a UK release expected next year.