Thrones

George RR Martin never had full creative control over ‘Game of Thrones’. Other authors have learned their lesson

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“This is no longer my story” is probably the worst phrase a writer can say, and it is supposed that came not long ago from the mouth of George R.R. Martinmore or less coinciding with the avalanche of audiovisual adaptations of its ‘Game of Thrones’ universe. There is the eternal question of whether the author himself is the best director or showrunner in the screen adaptation of his work, and it will depend a lot on what “author” and what “work”. What is clear is that the shining stars of the publishing market do not want to make the “Martin mistake”: seeing how your world is transformed by others without control or your own voice. Feeling that the story you saw being born no longer belongs to you must be one of the worst experiences for a creator. And given the continuous boom in news of adaptations that have been working deadline at a frenetic pace, names like Brandon Sanderson or Sarah J. Maas are clear that they are not interested in following the path of the eternal debtor of ‘Winds of Winter’. The Martin case As long as you are interested in content, interviews and news about the adaptations of ‘Game of Thrones’, it is easy to come across statements by George RR Martin about his discontentand even something more painful, assuming distance with its own adaptations. At the beginning of the ‘Game of Thrones’ project, his involvement was greater and his role was much more decisive. Although the showrunners main ones were always Benioff and Weissand creative control fell to them, Martin participated as executive producer, occasional screenwriter and advisor. However, starting in season five his role was diluted, and with it his closeness to the direction of the series. Benioff and Weiss, despite having some clues about the outcome, it is true that they had a difficult task to say the least: finish a story that not even its creator had already finished at that time. It is not surprising that given the path that the controversial closureMartin got off the wagon and acknowledged in numerous interviews that his ending was not going to have anything to do with that of the series. Arrive when you arrive. It came out so-so. With this experience, let’s call it bittersweet, one would expect Martin to be more cautious with future adaptations… But not. In ‘The House of the Dragon’ he appears again as co-creator and executive producer and, once again, at first everything seemed to flow normally in the first season. At least until again different points of view with the showrunner of the series, Ryan Condal, once again create creative tensions. The friction already exists, to the point that HBO asked Martin to take a step back from the project. Months later the author would return to production. “George and Ryan had a disagreement about the direction season three should take. At that point, it became clear that the process and communication with them had broken down and we needed to start from scratch. So, naturally, there was a period where we all took a step back for a while until we could find a new way to move forward.” HBO insider And now we have ‘The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’again with George RR Martin as producer and with active involvement. Everything seems to be going well with this new adaptation, but the first season has just finished and experience teaches us that problems begin to appear after the second, so we still don’t know what direction it may take. Others will not make concessions Even so, one cannot put all the responsibility on him or treat this fact as an isolated case. Without focusing on other disciplines where rights and authorship are also a minefield, in the publishing world the relationship between authors and adaptation rights is always they have been complicated. Just look what happened to Tolkien’s work; a real legal tangle with rights fragmented for decades, limitations of creative control of Tolkien and heirs, while different companies managed books, merchandising or characters. What ultimately resonates is that even having the rights doesn’t guarantee real creative control either. The impact that certain decisions or a controversial ending can generate directly affect your work, fandomto your reputation and, why not say it, also to your ego. Therefore, the emphasis that a few months ago is not so crazy Taylor Swift having recovered the rights to all his music; We’re not just talking about the albums, but about the visuals, creative direction, music videos… and in literature it’s a bit the same, it’s fighting to have control over everything that your creation entails. It’s normal that Sanderson doesn’t want to get his fingers caught. When an author signs with a studio to adapt their work, a sale of rights occurs to transfer the production of the series or film, temporarily or permanently. Here comes an important point: these rights can be exploitative (including books, possible spin-offs, merchandisingvideo games) or they can be separate rights where the production company or studio does not have full ownership. Now, taking into account the stumbles of other writers with this type of agreement, the essential thing for this new generation, even if the transfer of rights occurs, is to negotiate creative control clauses. This is where Sanderson He led the way a few months ago. After years of trying that did not bear fruit, the author of Cosmere is now taking advantage of his editorial power and his legion of followers to take the reins of the adaptation of his work on Apple TV. He will be the architect of the universe; He will be in charge of writing, producing, advising and will also have decision-making power. That is a level of involvement that not even JK Rowling or Martin enjoy. “I flew to Hollywood and pitched my projects to all the major streaming platforms and studios. Basically, everyone tried to bid on ‘Mistborn’ and ‘The Stormlight’. In the end, … Read more

so you can win a Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition

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One more week, we return with a new exclusive giveaway for the community of Xataka Xtra. The first draw was a 75-inch LG televisionthe second a Nothing Phone (3a) Community Edition of which there are only 1,000 units and now we return with a super, super, super limited product that, in fact, is not sold in Spain: the Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition. We are going to discover both the device and the mechanics to participate right away, but first it is worth remembering that You can join Xataka Xtra from only two euros per month. This subscription includes access to this exclusive giveaway and all those that will come in the future, as well as unique discounts on digital services, a direct line with Xataka editors in El Consultorio, an exclusive Discord server and much more. And now, yes, the draw. How to participate in the exclusive draw for a Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition Like all exclusive raffles for Xataka It’s that simple. Make sure you check that box to automatically participate in the exclusive Xataka Xtra draws | Image: Xataka A gesture as simple as a click or a press, depending on where you read us from, will allow you to access this draw and future ones. If you are already part of Xataka Xtra and have participated in previous draws, don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything, so you can ignore this paragraph. As a summary, the draw is as follows: Requirements: be a Xataka Xtra subscriber and resident in Spain (Peninsula, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla) Start of the draw: Monday, March 30. End of the draw: Friday, April 10, at 9:00. Winner selection and resolution: Friday, April 10. How will the winner be chosen? From Xataka we will choose a random subscriber and two substitutes. If the winner does not respond within the period stipulated in the legal bases of each draw, the winner will go to the first substitute and, if this does not happen either, to the second. Winning a giveaway does not prevent you from winning in the following ones. You can find the legal bases at this link. Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition | Image: Xataka Regarding the award, the Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Limited Edition has a radically different finish than the standard model, with a black synthetic leather back, gold details inspired by House Targaryen and dragons and a technology that makes the back turn red when exposed to heat. It is a very cool mobile, yes, but also a collector’s item. It is not sold in Spain, but thanks to Realme Spain from Xataka we have the possibility of getting a true fan of the George RR Martin universe to take it home. In Xataka | Subscribe now to Xataka Xtra

The creator of the new Game of Thrones tells how to do something different

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Yes, of course there was talk of ‘game of thrones‘. In the presentation of the new HBO Max news for 2026we had the opportunity to find out what awaited us from the platform’s most popular franchise in the coming months. We look at new images of the third season of ‘The House of the Dragon’, which will arrive in a few months, but above all, there was talk of the imminent premiere on January 18 of ‘The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, an unexpected turn in tone and visuals for the franchise. A change of third that, if it proves anything, is that we have ‘Game of Thrones for a while’. ‘The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ is the third television project in the Westeros universe created by George RR Martin and is based on the short novels that make up the ‘Tales of Dunk and Egg’ cycle. They narrate the adventures of a wandering knight and his young squire located between ‘The House of the Dragon’ (72 years later) and ‘Game of Thrones’ (172 years before), in a time where the Targaryens still occupy the Iron Throne but the dragons are now only a distant memory. The protagonists are Ser Duncan the Tall, Dunk (Peter Claffey), a humble and tall knight, and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), who actually hides his true identity as Aegon Targaryen, the future Aegon V. With a shorter and more concentrated format, with six half-hour episodes in its first seasonthe tone promises to be brighter and more adventurous, moving away from palace conspiracies and battles to focus on this journey through the paths of Westeros. And what we saw gave us the impression of an aesthetic identical to what we expect from the franchise, but with humor that borders on parody. This series serves to make it clear that there are many ‘Game of Thrones’ in ‘Game of Thrones’. We will see death, darkness and violence, but also gags typical of a sitcom. All while remaining a strong visual bet in the purest HBO style: costumes, photography and settings are on par with what we have seen in ‘The House of the Dragon’, and it is just as violent. A surprisingly talkative Ira Parker told us about all this, showrunner of the series. To make his own, distinctive version of the books, Martin says he did what the showrunners of the previous series did with the original work: “process it in your own style.” That is to say, “you are not looking for anything specific, the new style comes naturally according to your personality.” For example, Parker affirms that there is a lot of himself in the protagonistwhich “comes from the shittiest corner of Westeros.” What happens to him is that “all these princes, kings and queens he meets seem a little absurd to him. And he doesn’t really know if people are making fun of him or not, if they are serious or not. And from that situation many comedic scenes arise naturally.” And that’s why “this series is a good starting point for people who didn’t watch the original series because it was very dark. We take them by the hand on a lighter and kinder path to Westeros. And then it becomes the Westeros we know.” Because If there’s one thing fans don’t have to worry about, it’s fidelity to the original book. Parker says that from the first conversations with HBO and Martin himself, “the idea was that the story is the story. The story of these novellas, the beginning and the end, that’s what we’re going to tell.” But above all, respecting the original spirit: “That’s the fun of these books. Anyone can die at any time.” And also, according to Bloys, “with a final battle scene that is on par with what has been seen in ‘Game of Thrones’ or ‘House of the Dragon’.” And although Parker appreciates Bloys’ words, he makes a distinction: “the series identifies with Duncan to the point that everything, our music, our photography, our action and also our budget, is a reflection of someone who rises from nothing. Of course, there are great, very careful and epic series in this world. We are not one of them. We do what we can, like Duncan.” However, the heart of the series is not in the violence, but in “the relationship established between Duncan and Egg, which we have tried to take care of as much as possible. “We have two extraordinary actors who are basically good friends, that is, they became friends during filming, and we show that on the screen, we show a friendship that is forming.” In fact, he only has words of praise for the great discovery of the series, young Dexter Sol Ansell. He says it was the first audition for the character he ever saw, and he immediately wrote to the casting director: “I said, ‘Oh, perfect. He’s done it. He’s nailed it. What do we do now? Shall we hire him?’ and he said we had to go through a slightly longer casting process. We did, we ended up going back to that first audition. Dexter is a really special kid. He’s the best child actor who has ever lived on planet Earth.” In Xataka | George RR Martin asked ChatGPT to write ‘Game of Thrones’. He did it so well that he is going to end up before the judge

George RR Martin asked ChatGPT to write ‘Game of Thrones’. He did it so well that he is going to end up before the judge

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The debate about the AI usage limits and how is this going to actually affect the creators It is very complex, and it has only just begun. From discerning to what extent AI’s ability to create works outside of humans will continue to grow to the logical ethical and legal concerns that appear around a tool that, from its very definition, is in a completely unexplored area. At the moment, George RR Martin and other authors are taking steps in search of more demanding regulation. What has happened? A federal judge in Manhattan has given the green light for the lawsuit filed by George RR Martin and other authors against OpenAI and Microsoft for alleged copyright violation. The creator of ‘Game of Thrones’ and his colleagues accuse these companies of use his works without authorization to train ChatGPT. According to the ruling issued on October 27, 2025, there are reasons for the case to move forward, since ChatGPT’s proposal for a sequel to the saga was substantially similar to Martin’s work already protected by copyright. The determining test. It came when lawyers asked ChatGPT to create a fictional sequel to ‘A Clash of Kings’. The chatbot immediately spawned a novel called ‘Dance of Shadows’, a sequel that included a new Targaryen heir named Lady Elara, a rebellious sect of the Children of the Forest, and a mysterious form of ancient dragon-related magic. This ability to recreate elements from Martin’s universe made the question clear: how could the AI ​​know his work in such detail without having fed on it? The precedents. The origins of this legal conflict date back to September 2023, when Martin, accompanied by 17 other authors (including people like Michael Chabon, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jia Tolentino, John Grisham, Jonathan Franzen and Sarah Silverman) raised his voice against what he considered a systematic exploitation of his work. The case was brought by the Authors Guild union, in a lawsuit that spoke of “systematic theft on a massive scale”, arguing that the tool makes use of their works without paying royalties and without the writers’ consent. The letter. Months before the lawsuit, these authors and many others, such as Margaret Atwood or Nora Roberts, they had sent a letter to large technology companies conveying their concerns about generative AI technologies. In that document they warned about “the injustice inherent in exploiting our works as part of your AI systems without our consent, credit or compensation.” The accusation was clear: ChatGPT had not only learned from his books; Now I could replicate them. Other attacks. We are at a key moment in determining the legal implications of generative AI. At the beginning of 2025, for example, it was decided by the juries a similar dispute against Anthropicwhich concluded with an out-of-court settlement: the company paid $1.5 billion to authors whose works were used without permission. This precedent shows that technology companies are willing to negotiate to avoid court rulings that could establish binding jurisprudence. In England, by contrast, the High Court of England determined that Stability AI did not infringe copyright by train your model with Getty imagesthat is, a decision in literally the opposite direction, which has generated alarm among European creators. In all these cases the debate about “fair use” or fair use: The technology companies argue that the training of their models constitutes a transformative use of works, similar to when search engines index content. The creators reply that it is a massive appropriation that replaces, not complements, the original work. And in the background, a shock that has only just begun. Header |Gage Skidmore

The AI ​​industry has become a kind of ‘game of thrones’. And that reveals a worrying truth for your future

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Sam Altman, CEO of Openai, must be pulling the hairs. In recent days Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, “He has sneaked into his house” and has stolen no less than seven of his most valuable engineers. He has done it with the oldest tactics in the world. He money. In fact, the finish lines have shaken the foundations of the AI ​​industry, because it has not stopped spending true money with the aim of hiring all the talent of the IA that has been able. The situation has turned these engineers into the new superstars of Silicon Valley, with absolutely stratospheric salaries that are linked to the eternal promise that AI will end up changing the world. Goal is betting everything to that belief, and has decided to go for all spending huge fortunes Not already in data centersbut in talent. Let’s summarize: According to Altman himself, the Zuckerberg company offered initial bonds of 100 million dollars -although They were not exactly that – to some specific talents of AI to sign by goal. Fact offers reach 300 million dollars in four years According to Wired. Several of the “tempted” engineers per finishing have ended up accepting those millionaire offers. According to a internal statement From Zuckerberg himself, there have been 11 engineers who have signed by goal. Seven come from Openai, three from Google and one from Anthropic. Meta has also paid $ 14.9 billion for 49% participation in Scaleai, but above all for signing Alexandr Wangits CEO, which will now collect the new goal superintelligence division. They have also signed Nat Friedman, Exceiver of githubwhich will collect that new division with Wang. And they have just signed Daniel Gross, who Safe Superintelligence co -founded Together with Ilya Sutskever just a few months ago. For those last two target signings he has offered Buy a participation 49% in the Risk Capital Fund of Friedman and Gross, called NFDG. The value of the operation is unknown. Welcome to the Game of Thrones of the AI The last movements are nothing more than a confirmation of Zuckerberg’s voracity, which has moved quickly and with that irresistible hook of checks (almost) blank. And meanwhile, its competitors have been exposed to a reality: That AI has become a ‘game of thrones’. This industry is seeing from its beginnings and notable coming. At first, however, these internal movements were motivated by personal differences, visions or ambitions. Now many seem simply motivated by money. Thus, we saw how Openai’s origins became a new “Paypal Mafia” from which new startups arose. These first movements had a lot to do with a simple reason: some confudators and employees of OpenAi did not support Altman or did not share their vision. And that was how we saw several outstanding startups derived from those tensions: However, they all abandoned by OpenAi’s boat not so much for money – which probably also – as well as betting on another different vision. Of those “Morales” resignations We have gone to absolutely mercenary resignations in which money – and not the mission or vision of the company – is the clear factor of movement. That has made Altman recently said, there are two sides: that of the missionaries – which faithful to the companies in which they began their career, and that they believe in their vision and objectives – and the mercenaries that are sold to the highest bidder. AND According to Altman“The missionaries will overcome mercenaries.” The case of Sutskever, which confirmed yesterday the newsIt is especially painful, because now he runs out of his main adventure partner – Daniel Gross. The Sutskever startup is, as in the case of Murati, an absolute mystery: They have no visible productbut they have still achieved extraordinary investment rounds. It was in fact leaked that Zuckerberg came to make an offer to Sutskever To buy your startup, valued at 32,000 million dollars. Sutskever himself seemed to confirm that information by saying that “we feel flattered for their attention, but we are focused on our work.” Betrayals point to an awkward reality: AI is, above all, smoke These movements speak of a deeper problem in the AI ​​industry: those that can be trying to make their particular August, because it is not clear that the promises and the expectation generated by these companies end up becoming a reality. The clearest example is in the recent case of Daniel Gross, co -founder with Sutskever by Safe Superintelligence. In his message confirming the news of his partner’s departure, Sutskever said that “we have (the resources of) computing, the team and we know what to do. Together we will continue to build a safe superintelligence.” It is clear that Daniel Gross knew the same thing that Sutskever knows about the progress of that work, so, If they were so clear about the goal and knew how to achieve it, why change the side? If someone knew that he was going to win the race with his car, would he change it for another simply because they pay him for doing so? It makes no sense. And that tells us about the great truth of the world of AI: that despite all those expectations and all that money, nobody knows for sure if this technology will change the world as many believe it will change it. But in the meantime, the mercenaries will take advantage of it. Quevedo already said. Powerful gentleman is Don Money. Image | Max In Xataka | Four decades ago China decided to invest in forming millions of engineers. Today that plan gives it advantage in the race for AI

The companies of AI and their ‘Game of Thrones’, what would have happened if Apple had bought Tesla and much more in crossover

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Surely many of our readers will remember how Blackberry seemed to have everything in his hand in the world of messaging. He lost that and other wars, but what would have happened if it had been the one who bought WhatsApp Instead of Facebook? Is one of those great “What if?” that we raise with others even more striking such as that What if Apple had bought Tesla to launch its ICAR? Cupertino’s company ended up abandoned Your Project Titanbut of course that option seemed feasible. In the 1×08 episode of Crossover, presented as always by Carlos Santa Engracia and Jaume Lahoz, we speak in addition to a very special salseo: the one that is lived in artificial intelligence companies. All of them live immersed in a Wild Game of Thronesand The internal wars —It, hatred, some come, Others goothers They believe His own startups – they are our daily bread. And what we have left. Curiously, one of the companies that also has its own intrahistory in that area of ​​AI is Apple, which with its Apple Intelligence Users have not just conquered. They tell the US users, whom we have asked at street level interviews. The curious questions section to Carlos and Jaume returns to measure your technological wisdomand we close at full speed: with a report by Jaume in Monaco talking about the formula andwith 100% electric cars that go to every pill. On YouTube | Crossover

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