Game of Thrones: HBO Exec Addresses Status of Other Spinoffs

The Game of Thrones series was one of the biggest TV shows of the past decade, with HBO understandably excited to extend those successes with new projects, and while House of the Dragon was a hit with both audiences and critics alike, HBO and HBO Max content CEO Casey Bloys recently revealed to Variety that we shouldn't expect to see a flood of other spinoffs. Even though House of the Dragon ended up being a major success, another spinoff in the franchise only filmed a pilot and the network opted not to move forward with it, so it's clear that HBO has set the bar high for what spinoffs get picked up as ongoing series.

"Remember, to get House of the Dragon following up from Game of Thrones, we developed a lot of shows, shot a pilot, developed a bunch of scripts and we got House of the Dragon," Bloys admitted to the outlet. "To do that again is going to take the same amount of effort. You have to develop a lot of things, try things. You never know what's going to work. So we're currently doing that. I'm not opposed to any number of shows. There's probably a natural limit to how many fans want, but I'm open to any as long as we feel really good about the scripts and the prospects for a series."

He added, "It takes a while to get one that hits the mark ... I know [franchise creator] George [R.R. Martin] feels the same way. You want to do one that everybody's really proud of and excited about."

The exec also noted that, with Season 2 of House of the Dragon not expected until 2024, there isn't pressure to develop more series merely to make sure there is a Game of Thrones project debuting on an annual basis.

"My philosophy is a good script is number one priority," Bloys pointed out. "I am not doing it based on wanting to have one a year, two a year. I want to do it based on the scripts that we're excited about."

In addition to wanting each spinoff to meet a quality standard, Martin himself revealed that various behind-the-scenes shakeups have impacted the progress of already-announced projects.

"Now I am back in the salt mine, working... working on so many bloody things, my head may soon explode," Martin shared on his blog back in December. "Yes, Winds of Winter, yes, yes. And House of the Dragon, Season 2. And several of the other successor shows that we're developing with HBO. (Some of those are moving faster than others, as is always the case with development. None have been greenlit yet, though we are hoping... maybe soon. A couple have been shelved, but I would not agree that they are dead. You can take something off the shelf as easily as you can put it on the shelf. All the changes at HBO Max have impacted us, certainly)."

Stay tuned for details on the future of the Game of Thrones franchise.

Are you hoping we get more spinoffs in the franchise? Let us know in the comments!