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"Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss have spoken about their plans for the future of the HBO series, claiming that it could potentially run for eight seasons if the network allows. Based on the Song of Ice and Fire novels from George RR Martin, the fantasy series launches its third TV season later this month.  Season three is based on part of Martin&amp;#039;s third book A Storm of Swords. Martin has written five books to date, with two more in the pipeline - &amp;#039;The Winds of Winter&amp;#039; and &amp;#039;A Dream of Spring&amp;#039; - to finish the series. Commenting on whether they plan to match Martin with eight or nine seasons of the TV show, the duo told Mother Jones: &amp;quot;Yes [we would like eight or nine seasons], if we live that long and HBO keeps wanting to make the show.  &amp;quot;We have the opportunity here to tell a coherent story that lasts for 80 hours. And while a canvas of that size presents all sorts of storytelling problems, it also allows us to spend more time with these characters we love than we&amp;#039;ll ever get again.&amp;quot; Watch our interview with Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner and Rose Leslie below:  Speaking about why the show has managed to extend beyond a cult audience, the pair said: &amp;quot;With Game of Thrones, we hoped we&amp;#039;d appeal to people who had never heard of wights and wargs, who didn&amp;#039;t know a bastard sword from a halberd.  &amp;quot;At the end of the day it&amp;#039;s all about the characters. Tyrion Lannister, Arya Stark and the many other compelling characters in George&amp;#039;s books and our show are not beloved because they live in a world where dragons are real.  &amp;quot;They&amp;#039;re beloved because they experience the things we all experience: they feel like outsiders even when they&amp;#039;re on the inside. They love people who don&amp;#039;t love them back. They&amp;#039;re afraid of power, they yearn for power, they end up with power in spite of themselves and find themselves liking it.&amp;quot; Game of Thrones returns on March 31 in the US on HBO. It airs in the UK from April 1 on Sky Atlantic. Watch the extended promo for Game of Thrones season three below:      Gallery - Game of Thrones season three posters:  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/game-of-thrones/news/a463944/game-of-thrones-creators-we-could-tell-this-story-for-80-hours/>