Game of Thrones: George R.R. Martin Confirms HBO Max Shakeups Have Impacted Spinoffs

Over the last few months, a number of shocking decisions have been made about projects at HBO Max, with movies like Batgirl being scrapped completely, despite principal photography having been completed, while various other planned movies and TV series being cancelled, with Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin confirming that behind-the-scenes decisions are also impacting that franchise's planned expansions. Martin did explain that, while some of those plans might have hit snags and delays, that doesn't mean that they will be permanently abandoned, with the success of the prequel series House of the Dragon confirming just how excited audiences remain for stories unfolding in Westeros.

"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. "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)."

While this is surely disappointing news for Game of Thrones fans, not all hope is lost. This first prequel series took three years to make, and with ratings and critical reviews being promising with this first season, the wait was seemingly worth it. One project, which starred Naomi Watts, made it to the point of filming a pilot, though HBO opted not to move forward with it. So while it might sound frustrating that the franchise isn't expanding as quickly as some might hope, being more selective about which narratives to invest in seems to be a strategy that is paying off up to this point.

The spinoff that is arguably drawing the most excitement from fans is a sequel series that is expected to focus on Kit Harington's Jon Snow, while projects focusing on House of the Dragon's Sea Snake character and a prequel focusing on the origins of the Dorne are also reported to be in development at HBO.

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

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