Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke in Game of Thrones.Photo: HBO
Winter continues to come for lovers ofGame of Thrones.
Since the hugely popular showaired its series finalein May 2019, multiple spinoff series went into development — and are still going into development — at HBO.
Read on for a breakdown of all theThrones-related offshoots that have popped up so far. (And one that has been felled like the Night King.)
The Naomi Watts-led prequel
The prequel was set to take place thousands of years before the events ofGOT, chronicling “the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour.”
“From the horrifying secrets of Westeros' history to the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend, only one thing is for sure: It’s not the story we think we know,” the official description said.
Naomi Wattswas cast in the lead role alongsideNaomi Ackie(I Wanna Dance with Somebody), Denise Gough (Broadway’sAngels in America), Josh Whitehouse (Daisy Jones & The Six) and several others.
“After careful consideration, we have decided not to move forward to series with the untitledGame of Thronesprequel,” the network said in a statement at the time. “We thank Jane Goldman, S.J. Clarkson and the talented cast and crew for all of their hard work and dedication.”
House of the Dragon
Emma D’Arcy inHouse of the Dragon.Ollie Upton/HBO
The same day the untitled project was canceled, HBO gave the green light to another prequel series that eventuallyhad a successful premiereon Aug. 21, 2022.
The series centers on House Targaryen, the dynasty that will ultimately be responsible forGOT’s Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), during the reign of King Viserys (Paddy Considine). As Viserys wishes to pass down the kingdom to a male successor, his son’s death gives him no choice but to appoint his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) to the throne.
Rhaenyra’s younger half-brother, Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), challenges her claim to the throne and ignites a civil war among House Targaryen — known as the Dance of the Dragons — that takes place nearly 200 years before the events inGame of Thrones.
Also starring isMatt Smithas Prince Daemon Targaryen,Olivia Cookeas Queen Alicent Hightower, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower,Fabien Frankelas Criston Cole, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon and many more.
HBO
Withseason 2 beginning production in the U.K.in April 2023, Condal said that the team is “thrilled to be shooting again with members of our original family as well as new talents on both sides of the camera.”
“All your favorite characters will soon be conspiring at the council tables, marching with their armies and riding their dragons into battle,“reads the official press release.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight
In April 2023,Varietyannounced aGOTprequel series — based on Martin’s series of novellas, theTales of Dunk and Egg— was issued a straight-to-series order at HBO.
George R. R. Martin’s book.
The story takes place 90 years before the events of Martin’sA Song of Ice and Fireseries that served as the inspiration forGOT, and tells the tale of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk), a knight who eventually joins the Kingsguard, and his young squire Aegon V Targaryen (Egg), who eventually becomes king.
“Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends,” reads theofficial description.
Martin and Ira Parker will both co-write and co-executive produce the drama series, with Condal andGOTproducer Vince Gerardis as executive producers as well.
Shortly after the news, Martinwrote a celebratory post on his blog, revealing that “the writing is well underway,” with no official date set in stone yet.
“Ira has assembled a small but very talented team, and they are at it already, building on the foundations laid down last year in previous creative summits … and of course on the original novella,” Martin wrote. “The Dunk & Egg novellas are fully-fleshed narratives more like the novels ofA Song of Ice & Firethan the imaginary history ofFire & Blood; the stories are right there on the page, and our goal is to produce faithful adaptations of those tales for the screen.”
Martin has published three novellas in the series so far:The Hedge Knight,The Sworn SwordandThe Mystery Knight.
9 Voyages,Flea Bottomand10,000 Ships
Deadlinereported in March 2021 that HBO is developing a trio of ideas for new spinoffs set in Martin’s world.
Plans for aFlea Bottomseries have since been scrapped, according to a 2021 update fromThe Hollywood Reporter.
Ina 2022 blog post, Martin stated that spinoffs are “still in the script stage.”
“Outlines and treatments have been written and approved, scripts have been written, notes have been given [and] second and third drafts have been written,” Martin wrote. “That is the way television works. Please note: nothing has been green-lit yet, and there is no guarantee when or if it will be … on any of these shows.”
A2023 New Year’s Eve updatefrom Martin revealed that9 Voyageswould switch from a live-action format into an animated series. “A move I support fully,” he wrote. “Budgetary constraints would likely have made a live action version prohibitively expensive, what with half the show taking place at sea, and the necessity of creating a different port every week.”
An animated drama
According toThe Hollywood Reporter, an animated drama set in theGOTuniverse is also in early development at HBO Max. Though animated, the outlet reported that the series would be “adult-leaning.”
“The animated shows are coming along great,” MartintoldThe Hollywood Reporterin 2022. “The concept art is absolutely stunning.”
In March 2022, Martinwrote on his blogthat they have a working title (The Golden Empire), which “would be set in Yi Ti.”
No deals have been made regarding the animated series, so it’s possible it may end up getting scrapped.
A Song of Ice and Fire
The author has yet to finish theSong of Ice and Fireseries, which served as source material forGOT. So far, five books in the series have been published.
Decades after the first book was released in 1996, there arestill two more to come:The Winds of WinterandA Dream of Spring.
RELATED VIDEO: Cryptic ‘Winter Is Coming’ Tweet HasGame of ThronesFanbase in a Frenzy
In July 2022, Martin said that he’s “been at work in [his] winter garden.”
“Things are growing … and changing, as does happen with us gardeners,” he wrote on his blog of thelong-awaitedThe Winds of Winter. “Things twist, things change, new ideas come to me (thank you, muse), old ideas prove unworkable, I write, I rewrite, I restructure, I rip everything apart and rewrite again, I go through doors that lead nowhere and doors that open on marvels.”
George R. R. Martin.Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty
The sixth installment will feature viewpoints unexplored on the show, including Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, Areo Hotah, Jon Connington and Aeron Damphair, as well as a myriad of secondary characters.
“There will be new characters as well,” Martin wrote. “No new viewpoints, I promise you that, but with all these journeys and battles and scheming to come, inevitably our major players will be encountering new people in lands far and near.”
“I think [The Winds of Winteris] going to be a very big book … and I thinkI’m about three-quarters of the way done,” Martin said in an appearance onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbertin October 2022. “The characters all interweave, and I’m actually finished with a couple of the characters, but not others. I have to finish all that weaving, but it’s still going to take me a while.”
A Jon Snow-centered sequel series
In the series finale airing in 2019, Jon was banished from Westeros and traveled North of the Wall with the Wildlings thereafter.
In December 2022, Haringtonreflected on his character after these events, claiming Snow is “not okay.”
“I think if you asked him, he would’ve felt he got off lightly,” the actortoldEntertainment Weekly. “At the end of the show when we find him in that cell, he’s preparing to be beheaded and he wants to be. He’s done. The fact he goes to the Wall is the greatest gift and also the greatest curse.”
Martin confirmed his involvement with the seriesin a 2022 blog post, saying Harrington was the person behind the series idea. “Kit’s team have visited me here in Santa Fe and worked with me and my own team of brilliant, talented writer/consultants to hammer out the show,” he wrote.
Aegon’s Conquest prequel
Varietyreported that the network was discussing the series idea last April. A source described the project toTHRas a “back to basics” take on Martin’s extended fantasy universe — though as of now, it’s unclear what that means.
James Mercadante
source: people.com
