It looks like HBO isn’t scared of Netflix or Amazon and is definitely producing at least one “Game of Thrones” spin-off series, according to two HBO executives.
In a report from Deadline, HBO’s Casey Bloys and Francesca Orsi were speaking at the Keshet-organized conference INTV in Jerusalem. While they talked about how the final season of “Game of Thrones” is going to be an emotional event, with many characters dying (obviously), the real news came when they discussed the future of the network, and how they’re planning on competing with Netflix and Amazon, as those two companies throw millions of dollars at high-profile creators.
First, they wanted to talk about “Game of Thrones” and the possibility of spin-offs. “When we were in Belfast in October, Casey said ‘it feels like corporate malfeasance’ to not continue it, which is why it’s spawned 3,4,5 ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-offs,” Orsi said. But the real question isn’t IF you do a ‘GoT’ spin-off, but really HOW you do a spin-off.
Orsi added, “There is a conundrum if we do take off on one of these ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-offs, where do we start? We can’t obviously start with the budget of season 8 but would it be a ‘Game of Thrones’ season 3 budget?”
This is a point that doesn’t get brought up often enough. HBO has set a standard, whether they like it or not, with the production value of “Game of Thrones.” While other fantasy series on TV are clearly lower-budgeted, fans come to expect a certain look for “Game of Thrones.” So, if a spin-off is to succeed, HBO isn’t going to be able to do it for cheap.
Speaking of money, Bloys and Orsi had some things to say about Netflix and Amazon. While these streaming giants are seemingly throwing money at every person with a pulse in Hollywood, HBO doesn’t seem worried. Why? It all comes down to the idea of curated content.
“The more crowded the marketplace becomes, when your brand is curated content, that means something not only to a subscriber but to a creator, going to a place where you know you’re going to be taken care of and maybe fussed over and really involved in marketing. That curation is more valuable now than it was five years ago as we doubled the amount of scripted series, knowing you’re going to a place where you’re going to have a proper launch and attention paid to your show is more valuable as we get deeper into this world,” said Casey Bloys.
Curated content doesn’t just mean that each series gets the spotlight. It also means, logistically, HBO can offer things that Amazon and Netflix can’t.
“I don’t want to out some of the partners and producers that we work with but lately a couple of the prestige pieces that have come through our door are passionately saying they want to set it up at HBO because at Amazon they don’t get some of the benefits in marketing or, on ‘Picnic At Hanging Rock,’ they can’t travel the cast to the premiere… Amazon is not paying for the travel, which is somewhat of a disgrace and they need to know that and others don’t want to get lost in Netflix,” concluded Orsi.
If you’re a subscriber to Netflix, it’s clear that these series don’t get the hype that HBO can produce for their content. While “Stranger Things” and “House of Cards” get multiple teasers, and plenty of marketing, content like “Everything Sucks!” or “Love” get one trailer, normally released about two weeks before the release.
Needless to say, HBO isn’t concerned by the sheer number of series coming from Amazon and Netflix. They’ll be just fine.