They only split ASOS into two seasons because it was so meaty and interesting. I don't think they will split AFFC or ADWD into two seasons. Also, I don't think season 5 will be strictly AFFC. They've already done a bunch of time-shifting, including bringing Theon's story ahead in time. I think season 5 will be a combination and condensation of AFFC and ADWD, with several storylines and characters cut out.

For example, I don't think we'll see the Soiled Knight storyline. They haven't introduced Arys Oakheart as a character so there won't be much loss there. Maybe no Areo Hotah either. Dorne might be limited to Doran and Arianne Martell, and maybe Darkstar depending on how big a role he has to play in the remainder of the story.

I think the kingsmoot/queensmoot will be much scaled down. They'll skip the Aeron Damphair backstory and reduce Asha/Yara's attempt to rally support to her cause. They'll still keep the scene overall as a dramatic introduction of Crow's Eye.

I think the main elements they'll keep from AFFC are Margaery/Cersei/Faith of the Seven/Iron Bank; some Jaime and some Brienne because they're popular characters; some Petyr & Alayne; the scaled down kingsmoot; Jon sending Sam to Oldtown; and Arya and the House of Black & White.

From ADWD, I think they'll skip the whole Quentyn storyline. Whether they keep Young Griff probably depends on whether he's real. Add in Jon, Stannis, Theon in the North; Tyrion and Jorah Mormont; Dany as a sucky ruler; Bran and the Reeds.

Combining AFFC and ADWD into season 5 means you don't have gaps waiting to find out what happened to characters, including Theon and Tyrion. I think it's doable.

AFFC and ADWD really necessitate being combined into the same season. I don't think viewers would take kindly to an entire season without Tyrion and Jon Snow. As much as I enjoyed Brienne and Jaime in AFFC, they can't carry the whole season, especially when so many new characters get introduced. The whole Eyrie storyline will make for awesome TV, but I don't think HBO will be able to get much out of the Greyjoys.

From what I've read, the show runners plan on doing more than one season each for books 4 and 5, but they will have to combine the storylines. No way HBO risks losing characters for an entire season, and since book 4 and the first half of book 5 occur simultaneously, the transition should be fairly easy I'd imagine. That said, I don't know how many seasons they will plan for books 4 and 5. Could be 2. Could be 3 if they use the second half of ADWD as its own season. But I do know in discussing the timeframe for GRRM finishing the series, they said he should have time to publish the 7th book before they make it to that season which would suggest at least 3 seasons for AFFC/ADWD and 2 more for TWOW.

But my question is, how can they possibly do that? Arya, for instance, will be like 20 in real life at that point. Bran would be close to that as well. Seems impossible, which makes you think they'd have to stop splitting the seasons...

Hey, I just did a search and looky what I found: "Well… “A Storm of Swords” is too long to fit in a single season. And as readers know, “A Feast for Crows” and “A Dance with Dragons” takes place during roughly the same time frame, so we’ll have to fold those together. The plan, if we’re lucky enough to be given the opportunity to see it through, is to use as many seasons as we need to tell the story as a whole, to do justice to George’s entire opus." -- D.B. Weiss

http://screenrant.com/game-thrones-season-3-4-5-details-aco-160936/

I find it hilarious that you commented on the problems created by the real-life aging of Arya and Bran, but you didn't mention Rickon. Poor Rickon, overlooked by GRRM, HBO, and everyone else.

Lets not forget that bran is already loooking way too mature for the role, its not a shock to me that we never see poor hodor carrying this kid anymore.

I have heard murmurs the HBO series will span 9 seasons, which I estimate means books 4 and 5 will encompass 2.5 seasons and the final 2 books will cover 2.5 seasons. Assuming you bother to tell the stories of every point of view. I personally think Quentyns entire story culminates in just showing how unpredicatble dragons are. but is it even necessary since we hear about drogon murdering children and eating sheep?

Spoiler alert. Books 4 and 5 suck in general. I love the HBO series so far but I shudder to think about how aweful it's likely going to be when we get there.

Book 3 was my fav and it will prolly be the best season on HBO...

In the March/April 2013 issue of Mother Jones, Benioff and Weiss say they'd like 8 to 9 seasons.

MJ: So I gather that Game of Thrones could last eight or nine seasons. Does that mean putting novel writing on hold for a decade?

B&W: Yes, if we live that long and HBO keeps wanting to make the show. 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'll ever get again. Every once in a while we get five minutes to think about thinking about novels. But mostly we're just happy when we get to read one now and again.

http://www.motherjones.com/media/2013/03/hbo-game-thrones-season-3-interview-david-benioff-dan-weiss

A week ago at the BAFTA awards, produce Frank Doelger said: Doelger said: "[The number of series] is being discussed as we speak. The third season was the first half of book three, season four will be the second part of book three. George RR Martin has written books four and five; six and seven are pending. I would hope that, if we all survive, and if the audience stays with us we’ll probably get through to seven seasons."

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-05-13/game-of-thrones-producer-well-probably-get-through-to-seven-series

Good info! thank you

I want to know where the damn wolves are in season 3?

Who needs wolves when you've got torture porn?

Arya in Braavos is really what will carry the adaptations of books four and five. Who doesn't want to watch her being trained to be a Faceless Man?

Anyone on her short list.

http://i.imgur.com/lb1uGAl.jpg

They won't keep Martin's format for 4 and 5, they'll cross them into a simultaneous storyline (which they really are, more or less). You can't abandon half your cast in an HBO series.

Brienne, isn't she hot?

To my personal taste? Not really. Margaery Tyrell, hands down. And I'll pass on fluffing by Loras, thank you.

I have a feeling that GRRM and the shows creators are going to get together, GRRM is going to tell them after the sixth book is done (around the time they film the sixth book four years from now) and say this is how I'm going to end it, you guys do something completely different. So the TV show crowd will have one ending, but the book crowd knows the real ending is a few years away.

And if I remember book 4 theres alot of positioning and plotting. The same happened in book 2. The good thng about that stuff, though dull, is that on TV you can condense that quite easily. Long passages that are meant to show a characters mood are done in a second on TV, and without a point of view you don't need several charecters dealing with the same event and giving their thoughts like in the point of view. I have a feeling book 4, 5 and the beginning of 6 (when 4 and 5s main plot lines are wrapped up) are going to be done in 2 seasons.