Game of Thrones Creator Confirms a Scrapped Prequel Series Is Back in Development

Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin claims that the scrapped prequel series 10,000 Ships is back in development at HBO! 

Martin was doing an entry on his blog in which he congratulated playwright Eboni Booth, who just won the Pulitzer Prize for her play “Primary Truth”. In sharing praise for Booth’s work and acclaim, Martin also shared the fact that she’s been working with HBO on expanding the Game of Thrones Universe – including doing the latest script draft for the Ten Thousand Ships prequel! 

Never having won a Pulitzer Prize myself, I am at a loss to explain why the medal shows Ben Franklin rather than Joseph Pulitzer, but Eboni has promised to fill me in after the ceremony.   She’s an amazingly talented young playwright, and a joy to work with; when not writing and producing her prize-winning plays on- and off-Broadway, she has been kept busy by me and HBO, working on a new pilot for TEN THOUSAND SHIPS, a GAME OF THRONES spinoff about Nymeria and the Rhoynar.   We’re all very excited about this one… though we’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to pay for ten thousand ships, three hundred dragons, and those giant turtles.

What Is Game of Thrones: 10,000 Ships About? 

10,000 Ships was originally part of a trio of possible Game of Thrones prequels, titled  9 Voyages (aka Sea Snake), Flea Bottom, and 10,000 Ships. The Sea Snake project was to follow the titular ship, which was responsible for some of the greatest sea voyages made by House of the Dragon character Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint). The Flea Bottom project was to follow the titular location, aka the slum district of King’s Landing, which has been featured in both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. 

10,000 Ships will follow the journey of warrior Princess Nymeria and her people the Rhoynar, who traveled from Essos to Dorne following their defeat by the Valyrian Freehold in the Second Spice War. There, in Dorne, conflict and intermarriage would create one of the most unique cultures in Westeros – including the legendary House Martell. 

How Long Before Game of Thrones Does 10,000 Ships Take Place? 

The series would take place roughly 1,000 years before the events of Martin’s original Game of Thrones novels, making it the earliest series (chronologically) set in that world. 

House of the Dragon takes place nearly 175 years before GoT; the announced Aegon the Conqueror series would be 300 years before GoT; while the other prequel series in development, The Hedge Knight, will be set less than 100 years before GoT. 

House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres on HBO and Max this week.