Game of Thrones Spinoff Nearly Featured Superhero Team-Up Series in Westeros
Game of Thrones undeniably became a cultural behemoth when it initially aired, taking the mythos from George R.R. Martin's beloved book series to new heights. In the years since the flagship series has wrapped, fans have wondered what the long-term future of the franchise holds, and have already begun to get their answer, with a House of the Dragon prequel series set to debut soon on HBO. A new article from The Hollywood Reporter sheds light on the journey to make House of the Dragon a reality, and reveals some of the fifteen different spinoff possibilities that were suggested along the way. According to the report, one concept almost seemed like "a superhero team-up about the fabled Seven Gods of Westeros as if they were actual people." The series would have followed the adventures of Father, Smith, Warrior, etc — and according to one insider cited in the report, "That didn't get very far."
"We tried everything," HBO exec Casey Bloys says in the report "There were no ideas too weird."
Reports have already indicated what some of those other potential spinoffs could be, including a trio of hypothetical series including 9 Voyages (aka Sea Snake), Flea Bottom, and 10,000 Ships. Sea Snake reportedly has Gotham and Pennyworth alum Bruno Heller attached. There is also an additional spinoff series adapting the Tales of Dunk & Egg novellas, as well as a potential animated series for HBO Max.
"I'd rather not come up with like an arbitrary number — I want three shows or five shows or 10 shows or whatever it is," HBO chief Casey Bloys explained previously said. "I really try to talk to the team about what are the stories we're telling, what are the characters worth highlighting? The number of shows that I want are the number of shows that are good. So I try to let that be our guide as opposed to picking a number and working backwards. If the show is good, that's what we'll do."
House of the Dragon finds the Targaryen dynasty at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires-real and imagined-crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins almost 193 years before the events of Game of Thrones, when King Viserys Targaryen breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm." Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans star in the series.
What do you think of the updates surrounding the latest potential Game of Thrones spinoffs? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
House of the Dragon will debut on August 21st exclusively on HBO.