By sure metrics, “Recreation of Thrones” was and is the largest TV present of all time. At no different second in historical past — and by second, on this case, I imply a span of a number of years — has a single sequence sat so definitively on the (pardon the pun) throne of tv. It was a cultural phenomenon in contrast to every other, and so it was the least stunning factor on the earth when HBO introduced plans to massively broaden the franchise with numerous spin-offs after the unique present ended.
These plans began on considerably rocky footing because of the largely adverse response to “Recreation of Thrones” season 8, which can go down as bag-fumbling of gargantuan proportions. However greater than half a decade on, that ire has light, and the primary massive spin-off, “Home of the Dragon,” has returned the world of Westeros to essential acclaim. The third live-action sequence, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” is ready to premiere in 2026, however these aren’t the one tasks which have been introduced.
The variety of introduced or rumored “Recreation of Thrones” spin-offs, sequels, and prequels is considerably staggering. Just a few that seem like presently within the works embody a present masking Aegon the Conqueror’s conquest of Westeros and a prequel about Robert Baratheon’s rebel towards the Targaryen Dynasty. Many extra, nevertheless, have already been canceled. Their watch has ended earlier than it started, so let’s eulogize the “Recreation of Thrones” exhibits that nearly have been, however weren’t.
Flea Backside would have proven us extra of King’s Touchdown
One of many first reported “Recreation of Thrones” spin-offs additionally grew to become one of many first to be formally canceled. “Flea Backside” took its identify from the slum district of King’s Touchdown, which options prominently within the authentic sequence. The idea would have detailed life on this poor a part of Westeros, with a lot of potential for intersecting storylines in such a crowded and sophisticated place.
We by no means received any formal phrase from HBO on when the present would have taken place. A ground-level view of the overall populace may have been an attention-grabbing perspective from which to proceed the story after the top of “Recreation of Thrones” season 8, however given the state of that fictional world at that time on the timeline, it appears extra doubtless that we might have gotten one thing set a little bit earlier — possibly throughout Robert Baratheon’s reign, or the late, post-dragon years of the Targaryen Dynasty.
HBO formally killed the challenge by the center of 2021, and it is not arduous to see why. The franchise has constructed its repute with huge, sprawling epics, and a present set in a slum district of the world’s filthiest metropolis would not precisely match that model picture. Nonetheless, it is simple to think about how “Flea Backside” may have grow to be fairly an attention-grabbing present, digging into the underworld of Westeros and the methods through which supercilious royals trigger devastating penalties for his or her residents.
Bloodmoon filmed a pilot concerning the first White Walker warfare
No canceled “Recreation of Thrones” spin-off received additional alongside within the manufacturing course of than “Bloodmoon.” Introduced because the deliberate follow-up to the unique sequence earlier than “Home of the Dragon” claimed that function, the present would have gone approach again in time to the oft-referenced “Age of Heroes” from George R.R. Martin’s books — a time when the civilization of Westeros was a lot much less trendy and extra magical. The first battle would have concerned the White Walkers and the so-called “Lengthy Evening” after they final attacked and have been pushed again into the North.
“Bloodmoon actually stood out as completely different, with distinctive world-building,” HBO EVP and head of drama Francesca Orsi advised The Hollywood Reporter in 2022. “Tonally it felt very grownup, refined and clever, and there was a thematic dialog on the middle of it about disenfranchisement within the face of colonialism and spiritual extremism.” A high-budget look into the extra mystical historical past of Westeros, all with some deep-rooted thematic concepts … sounds improbable, proper?
So what went fallacious? Partially, it was the lack of understanding on Martin’s half that held the present again. “We’re coping with a way more primitive individuals,” the creator advised THR. “There have been no dragons but. Numerous the pilot revolved round a marriage of a Southern home to a Northern home and it received into the entire historical past of the White Walkers.” Whereas that particular storyline was effectively developed, the bigger state of the world was one thing Martin hadn’t fleshed out in his prior writing, leaving the present’s inventive workforce as much as their very own units when it got here to large swathes of historical past and worldbuilding. A $35 million pilot was shot, with Naomi Watts starring and “Kingsman: The Secret Service” author/producer Jane Goldman serving as showrunner. Regardless of that huge funding, HBO determined to can the challenge.
Ten Thousand Ships would have adopted the story of Princess Nymeria
One other present thought digging into the extra distant historical past of Westeros was “Ten Thousand Ships,” which might have adopted Princess Nymeria of the Rhoynar roughly 1,000 years earlier than the beginning of “Recreation of Thrones.” The title of the sequence was pulled from the in-universe legend of Nymeria, who led the remaining Rhoynar throughout the ocean to Dorne after being ousted from their homeland by the Valyrian Freehold.
Nymeria’s identify is usually conjured in “Recreation of Thrones” as a result of it is the identify Arya Stark provides to her direwolf initially of the sequence — an emblem of Arya’s want to grow to be a famed feminine warrior herself.
Whereas this present was taken off the calendar for HBO, there’s really nonetheless some hope right here that it may come again round. The unique model, which at completely different factors was attributed to Amanda Segel and “A Knight’s Story” author/director Brian Helgeland, was in the end shelved by the community, however there’s been phrase of a unique model making the rounds. “It got here out nice, however I believe they felt the interval of my present was too far faraway from the pillars of the unique,” Helgeland advised Inverse in 2024, referring to his authentic idea, which he described as “the story of Moses however swapping him out for Nymeria.” The theoretical manufacturing would have been extremely advanced and costly by the sound of it, with Helgeland describing the Rhoynar “residing in a raft metropolis that was sure collectively, this massive floating metropolis.”
Simply a few months after Helgeland’s chat with Inverse, George R.R. Martin posted on his private weblog that Pulitzer Prize winner Eboni Sales space was taking a crack on the challenge. There have been no official updates since then.
Snow was the one true sequel thought for Recreation of Thrones
Of all of the “Recreation of Thrones” spin-off concepts that received tossed round close to the present’s finish, just one would have given the unique sequence a direct sequel. Tentatively titled “Snow,” the present would have starred Equipment Harington as Jon Snow within the time following season 8. In accordance with a weblog put up from Martin on June 23, 2022, Equipment Harington himself pitched the thought and introduced in among the preliminary of us to type the inventive and manufacturing groups.
In 2024, Harington advised Leisure Weekly that the sequence had been shelved, saying, “it is not taking place — and never taking place anytime quickly anyway. We bounced some concepts round and nothing actually lit us up.” Whereas he left the door open for the present to proceed growth someday later down the road, odds appear slim.
In equity, making a direct sequel after the culture-shakingly controversial closing season of “Recreation of Thrones” might need been a dicey proposition. “Home of the Dragon” has benefitted from its narrative distance from the unique sequence, which wrapped up in a approach many followers nonetheless discover embarrassing. A Jon Snow sequel would have been coping with all of these closing plot factors instantly, so it is sensible why the workforce assembled struggled to contrive a convincing premise.
A number of Recreation of Thrones animated sequence may nonetheless occur
Transferring on from the utterly canceled and the perpetually shelved, it appears acceptable to debate a few “Recreation of Thrones” sequence that also appear to be lengthy photographs however may occur in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later. Each are deliberate animated sequence, marking a transition from the franchise’s live-action roots.
The primary would comply with “Home of the Dragon” character Lord Corlys Velaryon, aka the Sea Snake, on a sequence of adventures and campaigns from his youth. “9 Voyages” is the working title. As lately as January 2024, “Rome” and “The Mentalist” creator Bruno Heller was hooked up to pen the pilot script.
One other animated sequence, with the working title “The Golden Empire,” would concentrate on the Essos area of Yi Ti, based mostly on Imperial China. Martin has confirmed that the challenge is can be animated if it makes it by way of growth. In a 2024 interview with Leisure Weekly, the creator additionally claimed that three “Recreation of Thrones” animated exhibits have been on the desk at HBO, that means that there is nonetheless at the very least one shock in retailer.
