Game of Thrones movie rumours debunked by author

Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has quashed rumours that a big screen spin-off is being made, although he admitted he would "love to see one".

The Daily Star quoted him as saying at at an HBO party that there "will be a movie".

Martin took to his online LiveJournal to respond: "Don't believe everything you read, boys and girls. Especially not online."

He did, however, confirm that there was "great enthusiasm" for the notion.

"The idea is still powerfully attractive. Not just to me, but to many people connected with the show. Actors, directors, producers, writers. How not?," he wrote.

"It would be a great way to end."

He went on to qualify that "(HBO) are in the TV business, not the feature film business. And those of you with long memories may recall all the rumours about a Sopranos movie...a Rome movie...a Deadwood movie. Rumours is all they were. And that's all this one is too, at least for now."

HBO's president of programming, Michael Lombardo, confirmed the station's stance, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.

"Certainly there have been conversations where it's been said, 'Wouldn't it be cool to do that?'," Lombardo said. "But when you start a series with our subscribers, the promise is that for your HBO fee that we're going to take you to the end of this. I feel that on some level [a movie would be] changing the rules: Now you have to pay $16 to see how your show ends."

This is despite fans of the show already demonstrating their enthusiasm to experience the series on the big screen. The IMAX limited release of the series generated an impressive $1.9m (£1.25m) at the US box office for showing two repeats of the series in 205 cinemas across Super Bowl weekend.

The fantasy series won a record 12 Emmys at last Sunday's ceremony.

Game of Thrones returns to HBO for its sixth season in 2016.