Netflix beats out competition for exclusive deal with ‘Game Of Thrones’ creators

Netflix has beaten the likes of Amazon and Disney to strike an exclusive deal with Game Of Thrones creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.

Under the deal, which is believed to be in the range of nine figures, the duo will write, produce and direct both series and films for the platform, which is eager to launch a drama of the scale of Game Of Thrones in order to compete with its cash-flush competitors.

Benioff and Weiss join the ranks of super-producers Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes, who have also linked up with Netflix in exclusive pacts over the last two years.

The pair have been speaking to a number of studios over the last few months, including Apple, Amazon, Disney and Comcast. HBO parent company WarnerMedia was also in the mix.

However, by late July, Disney and streaming giants Netflix and Amazon were the players still involved in discussions.

The deal was brokered by Gretchen Rush, Benioff and Weiss’s attorney at Hansen Jacobson Teller.

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said: “We are thrilled to welcome master storytellers David Benioff and Dan Weiss to Netflix. They are a creative force and have delighted audiences worldwide with their epic storytelling. We can’t wait to see what their imaginations will bring to our members.”

Benioff and Weiss added: “We’ve had a beautiful run with HBO for more than a decade and we’re grateful to everyone there for always making us feel at home. Over the past few months we’ve spent many hours talking to Cindy Holland and Peter Friedlander, as well as Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber.

“We remember the same shots from the same ‘80s movies; we love the same books; we’re excited about the same storytelling possibilities. Netflix has built something astounding and unprecedented, and we’re honoured they invited us to join them.”

The news was first reported by Deadline.