Game of Thrones 'might need film', says George RR Martin

Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has said the TV adaptation of his novels may end with a feature film.

At the series four premiere in New York, the writer said: "It all depends on how long the main series runs.

"Do we run for seven years? Do we run for eight? Do we run for 10?

"The books get bigger and bigger. It might need a feature to tie things up, something with a feature budget, like $100m (£60.7m) for two hours," he told the Hollywood Reporter.

"Those dragons get real big, you know."

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lena Headey as Jaime Lannister and Cersei Lannister

Martin also revealed other ideas he has for movie adaptations for his work.

One of the possibilities being considered centres around Tales of Dunk and Egg, three prequels which feature characters including Ser Duncan the Tall.

According to the stories, he lived 90 years earlier in Westeros, the setting for A Song of Ice and Fire, the series on which Game of Thrones is based.

"They could be the basis for [a film]. I have written these three stories and I have about a dozen more," said the 65-year-old author.

Martin said the characters in Tales of Dunk and Egg are direct ancestors of some of those in Game of Thrones but did not reveal how they are related.

Emilia Clarke plays Daenerys Targaryen in the series, made by HBO

Previously it has taken up to six years for Martin to release the next book in the series and there have been concerns the HBO show may overtake the author's output.

Last year, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, co-creator and showrunner David Benioff said there was a chance the programme may end before the last book is released and that producers were aware of the general ending of Martin's story.

"Ideally, the books come out first," said Benioff.

"We don't want to become a show that outstays its welcome and tries to turn each book into three seasons.

"Part of what we love about these books, and this show, is this sense of momentum and building toward something.

"If we tried to turn this into a 10-season show we'd strangle the golden goose. There is a ticking clock here."

John Bradley-West plays Samwell Tarly in the series, which is shown on Sky

Game Of Thrones was the most pirated TV show ever in 2013, according to TorrentFreak, with nearly six million people using file-sharing sites to download last season's finale.

Directors for the upcoming fourth series include Michelle MacLaren, who worked on Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and The X-Files.

Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss, Gangs of New York's Roger Ashton-Griffiths and Homeland's Pedro Pascal are some of the names joining the cast for this season.

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