Game Of Thrones Author Confirms He Does Watch The TV Show [UPDATE]

[UPDATE] Martin told Entertainment Weekly that something might have been lost in translation in the interview where he supposedly said he doesn't watch Game of Thrones. When he was traveling, including to Russia where he gave the interview, he didn't watch any TV and is not caught up on the current seventh season of Game of Thrones. But he does indeed watch the show, even if he's not completely caught up.

The original story is below.

Game of Thrones is one of the biggest television shows in the world, but George R.R. Martin himself doesn't actually watch it. The author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the series upon which the show is based, revealed recently that he just doesn't have the time to sit down and consume Game of Thrones.

In an interview with Metro, Martin explained that writing and touring require too much time to allow for watching the show. This is in spite of the fact that he was, in early seasons, involved in writing episodes for the show, although he hasn't in recent years. In addition, he reiterated that the show has diverged significantly from the in-progress sixth book, to the point that the novel will feature a number of characters who have already been killed off in Game of Thrones.

Martin also stated that he was approached many years ago by film studios looking to adapt A Song of Ice and Fire into movies. They were apparently looking for another fantasy series to make into a new blockbuster film following the success of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies.

You can read more from the interview over at Metro. The author is still hard at work on Winds of Winter, the sixth novel in the series. He said recently that he expects at least one new book to be released in 2018--either Winds of Winter or the first volume in a history of Westeros called Fire and Blood. Martin is also involved with HBO's Game of Thrones spinoffs, which are still a ways away from being released.

For more on Game of Thrones's seventh season, check out these recently released images of the final episode coming up this Sunday. In addition, you can read our speculation and analysis of the most recent episode here.