"Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have confirmed their exit from their planned "Star Wars" trilogy because the pair want to focus on their Netflix commitments.
The duo behind the hugely popular TV adaptation of George R.R. Martin's fantasy epic will no longer write or produce a series of movies in the space saga, as they confirmed plans to focus on their upcoming Netflix projects.
In a statement, the pair said: "We love 'Star Wars'. When George Lucas built it, he built us too.
"Getting to talk about 'Star Wars' with him and the current Star Wars team was the thrill of a lifetime, and we will always be indebted to the saga that changed everything.
"But there are only so many hours in the day, and we felt we could not do justice to both 'Star Wars' and our Netflix projects. So we are regretfully stepping away."
Meanwhile, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy heaped praise on Benioff and Weiss, while insisting the studio would welcome them back in the future.
She added: "David Benioff and Dan Weiss are incredible storytellers. We hope to include them in the journey forward when they are able to step away from their busy schedule to focus on 'Star Wars.' "
Back in February last year, the pair were originally slated to be making a trio of movies existing independently from the longrunning Skywalker saga, which is set to conclude with 'Rise of Skywalker' later this year.
Their project - which had planned releases for 2022, 2024 and 2026 - would also have been separate from Rian Johnson's upcoming film series.
There is still little known about Benioff and Weiss' upcoming Netflix commitments, although the creative partnership settled on the streaming platform after a bidding war with rivals Amazon and Disney.