HBO Pulls the Plug on New ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel
In a new book by James Andrew Miller titled “Tinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers,” it is revealed that HBO had plans for a Game of Thrones prequel. Following the 2019 series finale, production for a prequel series began before the show was eventually scrapped.
HBO spent $30 million on a cancelled Game of Thrones prequel series pilot. https://t.co/kDwwK926aF pic.twitter.com/ggoErovzLK
— IGN (@IGN) December 2, 2021
In a quote from former chairman of WarnerMedia entertainment, Bob Greenblatt states, “they had spent over $30 million on a Game of Thrones prequel pilot.” According to the same source, Greenblatt viewed a cut of it and told Casey Bloys, the chief content officer of the prequel, “this just doesn’t work and I don’t think it delivers on the promise of the original series.”
Bloys agreed with Greenblatt’s stance, and the show was canceled. “There was enormous pressure to get it right,” Greenblatt revealed, “and I don’t think that would have worked.”
The prequel series was written by Jane Goldman and was set to star Naomi Watts (The Ring), Miranda Richardson (Harry Potter), Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), and Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia).
Too bad, the concept of a prequel taking place 8,000 years before the original show sounds very intriguing!https://t.co/nJmy8xQy1v
— Barak Shoshany ⚡ (@BarakShoshany) December 2, 2021
Though most details of the unnamed prequel have not been revealed, it has been confirmed that the pilot episode of the unreleased series was filmed in Northern Ireland in 2019.
The series was also said to depict Westeros shifting from the “Age of Heroes” to “The Long Night,” a fall from prosperity that was often mentioned in Game of Thrones.
Despite the cancelation of the unnamed prequel, HBO fully intends to continue exploring the Game of Thrones universe. As of now, Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon is still set to premiere on HBO in 2022. Check out the trailer below.
Content Writer | Journalist
