Game of Thrones showrunners haven't watched House of the Dragon

However, they didn't return for the prequel series House of the Dragon, which is based on Martin's novel Fire & Blood, and was created for HBO by the author alongside Ryan Condal.

And now, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Benioff and Weiss have spoken about why they aren't connected to the prequel.

Talking about how they were contractually guaranteed producer credits on all properties within the Game of Thrones on-screen universe, but turned them down because they didn't want their names connected to a project they weren't actively involved in, Benioff said: "HBO was kind of confused.

"I remember their lawyer saying, 'But it's just money, we're just going to pay you.'"

Weiss continued: "I don't think there is such a thing as free money.

“For us, if our name is on it, especially that, while being completely detached and uninvolved, it felt like the strain that would come with that hands-off approach – with its success or failure or anything in between – was not worth it."

The pair also revealed that neither has watched House of the Dragon and that, while Weiss recently revisited Game of Thrones with his family, Benioff hasn't rewatched a single episode since the show aired its conclusion.

Game of Thrones fans will remember that the show had a very controversial finale, with the final six episodes failing to live up to some fans' expectations, many of whom complained of rushed storytelling and confusing character choices.

Speaking about season 8, Benioff said: "You always hope everyone's going to love anything you do and it would've been great if 100 per cent of people loved it, but they didn't."

He continued: "You can get so bogged down in public opinion that you spend your whole life googling things and trying to find people who felt one way or the other way."

The pair's latest project 3 Body Problem – an adaptation of the first novel in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy by Liu Cixin – is due to arrive on Netflix in March and recently unveiled its first full trailer.

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The first season of House of the Dragon is available to watch on Sky and NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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