We have been locked in for a good part of this year. Although things are gradually opening up, it’s still the norm that you should only go out if and when it’s necessary. So, we can say that many activities which aren’t strictly need-based are still shut down. During this period of COVID-19 lockdowns, hopeful things have eluded us constantly. However, we have heard about a few exciting developments as well; prime among which was the news about the progress on The Winds of Winter.

George R.R. Martin had informed us that the lockdown had helped him to write and that he was writing every day. Now, the author of the ASOIAF (A Song of Ice and Fire) series has given another update on his journey of finishing the penultimate novel in the book series. He also shared the position of the prequel TV series, The House of the Dragon in response to pandemic problems. Read on to find out more.

Martin has been posting regularly on his Not a Blog throughout the period of the lockdown. In a recent post titled “Writing, Reading, Writing”, he talked about The Winds of Winter. “If nothing else, the enforced isolation has helped me write. I am spending long hours every day on THE WINDS OF WINTER, and making steady progress. I finished a new chapter yesterday, another one three days ago, another one the previous week,” he wrote.

Further, he cautioned us against assuming that the book is almost complete. “But no, this does not mean that the book will be finished tomorrow or published next week. It’s going to be a huge book, and I still have a long way to go. Please do not give any credence to any of the click-bait websites that like to parse every word of my posts as if they were papal encyclicals to divine hidden meanings.”

GRRM expressed his sadness over the fact that the Worldcon in New Zealand (CoNZealand) this year has had to go virtual. But he’s positive that now he doesn’t have to compromise with the rhythm he’s in lately. “The last thing I need right now is a long interruption that might cost me all the momentum I have built up. I can always visit Wellington (in New Zealand) next year, when I hope that both Covid-19 and THE WINDS OF WINTER will be done.” So, that’s the latest estimate Martin provided which suggests that we could expect TWOW somewhere in 2021.

He is still participating in the Worldcon through the virtual domain though. While he has been busy in pre-recording some of his parts for the event, he keeps attending to his writerly duties in Westeros. “In between tapings, I return to Westeros. Of late I have been visiting with Cersei, Asha, Tyrion, Ser Barristan, and Areo Hotah. I will be dropping back into Braavos next week. I have bad days, which get me down, and good days, which lift me up, but all in all I am pleased with the way things are doing.”

Industries and businesses have taken a serious hit when people had to go indoors due to coronavirus. But Martin reassured us about the confirmed Game of Thrones prequel. “Hollywood has slowed to a crawl thanks to the pandemic, but THE HOUSE OF THE DRAGON is still flying wonderfully, thanks to Ryan Condal and his writers, and the tireless Ti Mikkel.” Mikkel is one of the writers who are assisting the show creators with the scripts.

GRRM left us with a tempting taste of blood when he signed off. “Now you will have to excuse me. Arya is calling. I think she means to kill someone,” he wrote at the last. We know who comes to your mind by that. But the books do not deal with White Walkers the same way as the show did. So, Arya here could be just after anyone on her list.

What are your thoughts about this update? Talk to us in the comments below.

Raging protests took place in the United States along with the rest of the world after George Floyd, an African-American, was pinned to death by four policemen. The incident took place on May 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and ever since then, the Black Lives Matter movement has caught fire across the globe; including all the fifty states of the USA. Although violent riots broke out in some places, most people raised their voices peacefully against racial injustice and police brutality. George R. R. Martin, the man whose words brought Game of Thrones to life, also voiced his opinion on his Not a Blog.

In a post titled “Words for our Times”, Martin posted a picture with two quotes by Frederick Douglass; a famous African-American social reformer who spoke and wrote against slavery. “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will,” read the first one. The American author wrote no words of his own yet clearly expressed his unease and anger towards the way people have segregated various sections of the society based on class, race, and gender. The ignorance of the society and of those in power regarding such issues has cost the safety of our freedom, life, and diversity. It has only spread hatred and brought ruin to the marginalized groups.

Many from the Game of Thrones cast had come out in the open to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Actors like Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Kerry Ingram (Shireen Baratheon), and Richard Madden (Robb Stark) took to streets and walked and chanted with the protesters. Other celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt, and Michael B. Jordan also spoke for equality and the stake of black voices in different aspects of the society. Slogans like “No justice No peace”, “White silence is violence”, “I can’t breathe” echoed through the streets.

The US President, Donald Trump’s recent statement calling “Black Lives Matter” a symbol of hate has raised questions about the role of the people in power. However, the office of the President has made it clear that it was meant for the organization of the same name that they claim is leading people to violence and extremism. Whatever the reasons, it’s not possible to rule out any government from the equations of injustice. It’s a burden shared by every citizen which is mirrored in the face of our leaders.

You can tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.

We have to let things go after a point even when we want to hold on to them forever. The HBO network’s most popular show of the last decade, Game of Thrones bid us goodbye before the advent of the 2020s. Although there’s no need to drop GoT from our memories, the audiences have begun to look forward. With the launch of WarnerMedia’s streaming service platform HBO Max on May 27, new horizons have come upon. The most popular show on HBO Max within the first four days of its launch was not Game of Thrones or other adult hits such as The Sopranos or Sex and the City. It was Looney Tunes Cartoons, which was followed by The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo on the second spot; both aimed at kids. Read on to find out more.

Looney Tunes Cartoons is an animated web TV series; created as a reboot from the characters of the classics, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies (from the 1930s-1960s). It premiered on May 27, 2020, along with the debut of HBO Max. Parrot Analytics, a global data firm, estimates the most popular shows in terms of social media, fan ratings, and piracy. The stats for the shows on HBO Max told us that Looney Tunes drew a demand that was 19.4 times higher than an average show.

This was more than the demand for the top shows of Quibi and Apple TV+; within the first four days of their respective launches. But the interest pales in comparison to Disney+’s The Mandalorian, which had generated an interest of 46.1 times higher than an average show; when it debuted in November 2019. At the end of the first week of HBO Max, Love Life (a rom-com anthology series) took the second spot after Looney Tunes Cartoons; with a demand of 9 times more than an average show.

The report by Bloomberg hints that the latest trends on HBO Max suggest a necessary diversification in terms of the audience demographic. HBO has produced some great, premium content for its adult viewers over the years; while there hasn’t been much variety available for the kids. However, with new streaming services such as Disney+, Apple TV+, and the already established Netflix and Amazon Prime, a wave of family-friendly content has emerged. Thus, HBO Max also seems to be making the cut in the race of growing competition.

The path of HBO Max has been far from smooth as the COVID-19 pandemic has halted the production of any new exclusives. Also, not everyone is aware of the differences between HBO (already has 40 million subscribers) and HBO Max. The quality of HBO shows has never been questioned. Giants like Game of Thrones, Succession, Chernobyl, and Barry have carried HBO with great value and reception. But the new streaming battle will have to be fought with a great mix of new originals and old classics; which would pave a way to get HBO Max in front of a large number of viewers.

So, yes, Game of Thrones might not interest everyone who is watching these news shows on the streaming platforms; perhaps because they have already watched the biggest fantasy-drama ever. However, the interest in Westeros will certainly rise when the upcoming prequel, House of Dragon arrives. And with more spinoffs in the pipeline, plus two monumental books in the ASOIAF series still in progress, Game of Thrones is here to stay; with one face or the other.

What are your thoughts? Talk to us in the comments.