Game of Thrones Showrunners Land New HBO Series

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, creators and showrunners of Game of Thrones, are making a new series for HBO called Confederate.

The drama is set in an alternative timeline in which the U.S. Southern states were able to secede from the Union, creating a nation in which slavery remains legal. The show chronicles the events that lead to a third American civil war. It will be written by Benioff and Weiss, who will also serve as showrunners.

Casey Bloys, president of HBO Programming, noted, “As the brilliant Game of Thrones winds down to its final season, we are thrilled to be able to continue our relationship with Dan and David, knowing that any subject they take on will result in a unique and ambitious series. Their intelligent, wry and visually stunning approach to storytelling has a way of engaging an audience and taking them on an unforgettable journey.”

Also attached are executive producers and writers Nichelle Tramble Spellman and Malcolm Spellman. Carolyn Strauss and Bernadette Caulfield will also join as executive producers.

“We have discussed Confederate for years, originally as a concept for a feature film,” Benioff and Weiss said. “But our experience on Thrones has convinced us that no one provides a bigger, better storytelling canvas than HBO. There won’t be dragons or White Walkers in this series, but we are creating a world, and we couldn’t imagine better partners in world-building than Nichelle and Malcolm, who have impressed us for a long time with their wit, their imagination and their Scrabble-playing skills.”

Production will begin following the final season of Game of Thrones.