'Game of Thrones' season 7 news, spoilers: HBO boss brings hope of prequel despite 'GoT' showrunners' disinterest in project

"Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss may have already confirmed that they are not interested in working on a prequel for the massively popular HBO fantasy drama series; however, the network is not closing its doors on the possibility of such a project.

The Emmy-winning show is a year away from airing its seventh season, the shortened penultimate run that will consist of just seven episodes. Season 8, with possibly just six episodes, will be the show's last. Even though "Game of Thrones" season 8 will conclude the stories of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), and its numerous other characters, there's plenty more to tell from the show's source material, the vast and complex world created by bestselling author and "Thrones" executive producer George R.R. Martin.

One way to keep "Game of Thrones" or a version of it on-air is to create a sequel for the series. However, Benioff and Weiss, the duo behind "Thrones," have already expressed their disinterest in the prospect. When asked about a potential "Thrones" sequel at this year's Emmy Awards, Benioff said, "You might want to ask George [R.R. Martin] about that."

"It's a great world George created and a very rich world," he commented, adding. "I'm sure there will be other series set in Westeros, but for us this is it."

Nonetheless, HBO programming president Casey Bloys has given a glimmer of hope for the project, telling The Hollywood Reporter that there are so many areas that "Thrones" could go to after its final episode airs. "For us, it's about finding the right take with the right writer," he said.

He also offered an explanation for Benioff and Weiss' recent comment, telling THR that the two are currently embarking on production for season 7, which is a huge commitment for them. He also said that it would be nice if the duo would be involved in a spinoff or prequel.

"There are things that sound interesting, but at this point, we have no writers assigned or anything like that," he said, adding, "In a perfect world, 'Game of Thrones' would keep going, and we wouldn't have to deal with any of this!"

"Game of Thrones" season 7 will debut on HBO in 2017.