A Game of Thrones movie is officially making progress, and it’s expected to cover Aegon’s Conquest — but there are better stories for the franchise’s jump to the big screen. HBO’s Game of Thrones universe now consists of three shows, and the excitement surrounding A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is rapidly reigniting interest in the IP. That makes it a great time to expand further, and George R.R. Martin’s world is massive enough to warrant a feature; it lends itself to one nearly as well as The Lord of the Rings.
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That’s why it’s no surprise that the previously announced Game of Thrones film took a huge step forward this year, enlisting Andor writer Beau Willimon as its scriptwriter (via Deadline). All reports indicate the film will be about Aegon the Conqueror, the first Targaryen king, who used dragons to conquer almost all of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros (with just Dorne resisting). Obviously, that conquest lends itself well to a film, offering up even more Targaryen history, dragons, and high-stakes action. However, I’d argue there are better stories Warner Bros. could have tapped for its Game of Thrones movie — especially since the current spinoffs already focus so much on House Targaryen.
3) Robert’s Rebellion
Robert’s Rebellion is the event that directly leads into Game of Thrones, granting Robert Baratheon the Iron Throne, giving Ned Stark a secret Targaryen nephew to raise, and sending Daenerys and her brother into hiding across the Narrow Sea. Obviously, then, it’s a story that would appeal to ASOIAF readers and casual Game of Thrones fans alike. It’s compelling enough that it’s the subject of a Game of Thrones stage play dubbed The Mad King. Yet I can’t help but feel like it’d work better as a feature film, as it has enough clear-cut connections to the main show to draw a wide audience and plenty of action to justify the format. It would let us see characters like Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark in their prime, and it would show firsthand how Jaime Lannister became the Kingslayer. There’s a lot of promise there, even if the film would be lacking in dragons.
2) The Long Night
The White Walkers are a huge threat throughout Game of Thrones, but despite their importance, we don’t get as much insight into the Night King and his army as many fans would have liked. The series gives us an origin for the White Walkers, but it doesn’t go much deeper. It never definitively confirms the identity of the Night King, nor does it provide insight into his motivations. Game of Thrones‘ Blood Moon spinoff promised to fix this, but it was canceled before it could begin. As the Age of Heroes and original Long Night are some of the most fascinating bits of Martin’s history, they should make their way to the screen though. And the Long Night would make for a heart-pounding feature film, offering visuals and suspense on par with anything centered on human wars and dragons.
1) Princess Nymeria’s Story
Both Rhaenyra Targaryen and Arya Stark idolize Princess Nymeria of the Rhoynar — Arya’s direwolf is even named after her — so she’s a figure from the Song of Ice and Fire universe who demands to be seen on-screen. A 10,000 Ships spinoff is supposed to be happening, chronicling the warrior queen’s journey from Essos to Dorne. There’s been little news about the series, though, and given its premise, it could work as a feature film. The image of Nymeria’s huge fleet alone is easy to imagine on the big screen. If the movie worked in the conflict leading up to her people’s migration, it would have even more potential as an epic. I’d certainly go to theaters to see Princess Nymeria shine.
What parts of George R.R. Martin’s ASOIAF history would you like to see as a film? Leave a comment and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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Courtesy of Bones Film
