The Big Picture

  • HBO explored various concepts for Game of Thrones spinoff shows, but only House of the Dragon made it to screens.
  • One of the canceled projects, Bloodmoon, came the closest to being made and even had a pilot episode, but HBO ultimately had concerns about the amount of invention required.
  • Despite Bloodmoon's unique concept, HBO wanted a follow-up that captured the same feel as the original Game of Thrones.

After the massive success of Game of Thrones, HBO decided to expand the universe with many different shows, all set in that world. Each concept explores different time periods and characters, but all connect to the original in some way. Although numerous spin-offs were laid out, only House of the Dragon has made it to screens. Of the others, some still have hope of progressing. These are still officially in development and may move forward though there is no official timetable, and they are far from guaranteed. But in expanding the Game of Thrones universe, there will surely be hits and misses.

As they go, HBO must weed out some concepts, and they certainly have. The ones they didn't choose were canceled. Though these would still have been interesting stories, HBO will not be making them. Series focusing on Flea Bottom, the Doom of Valyria, the Targaryen conquest, and the life of the seven gods were all scrapped, as was an early version of the Dance of the Dragons story. Yet one of these canceled projects stands out from the rest: Bloodmoon. This series was the only one to make a pilot episode directed by Madame Web helmer S.J. Clarkson before cancelation. Despite spending a lot of money on the pilot, the show was not chosen to continue, leaving fans to ask why.

house of the dragon poster
House of the Dragon
TV-MA
Fantasy
Drama
Action
Adventure

The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.

Release Date
August 21, 2022
Creator
Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin
Cast
Paddy Considine , Olivia Cooke , Rhys Ifans , Matt Smith , Eve Best , Steve Toussaint , Emma D'Arcy , Milly Alcock , Emily Carey
Seasons
2

HBO Explored Numerous 'Game of Thrones' Spin-Off Ideas

When it comes to the canceled projects, we know more about some than others. Not all were canceled at the same stage, so some are more developed ideas. Some don't even have a working title, but the ones we know at least have a general description of what they would have been about. While all the scrapped concepts have merit, they were ultimately not the best options for continuing the world. Originally, HBO wanted to build on Game of Thrones in a way that would surprise fans rather than a direct successor, so they explored every idea, no matter how strange. And there were some that were out there.

One idea that reportedly did not get far was about the seven gods of the Westerosi faith when they walked the world. It's described as a superhero-like team-up featuring the Father, Mother, Warrior, Smith, Maiden, Crone, and Stranger. This show would have explored their time in the world and explained why they were worshiped in Game of Thrones. This would be one that had little, if any, source material from George R. R. Martin, but it would certainly be different from Game of Thrones. Yet, it was dropped, and HBO focused on other concepts.

When Game of Thrones was coming to an end, several people were chosen to pitch an idea for a new show. Among them was a prequel from Bryan Cogman, who worked on Game of Thrones. The idea, first pitched by Martin himself, was supposed to be the story of the Dance of the Dragons. Although it focuses on the same story, this concept should not be confused with House of the Dragon. The script he penned was different, though we don't know how. This version was scrapped, and House of the Dragon was developed separately.

At the same time, several other shows were explored. One was about the Targaryen conquest of Westeros. It would have featured the much-revered Aegon I as a drunken lout. Though there is much more information available about the Targaryen conquest, it would need to be dramatized as there was very little resistance for Aegon and his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, as they took control of Westeros. Another canceled show developed at this time was supposedly titled Empire of Ash. The show would have told the story of the mysterious Doom of Valyria, which ended most of the dragonrider culture. What exactly happened to Valyria remains unknown in Martin's works, but it would be an intriguing question to answer. Both concepts had interesting stories, but neither one was chosen in the end.

Added to the list later was a series set in Flea Bottom, the poorest area in King's Landing. The slum is home to brothels and taverns and is always full of debauchery. It's the birthplace of Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) and Gendry Baratheon (Joe Dempsie). The timeframe of this series wasn't clear, nor was the exact story, and since it is no longer moving forward, we may never know.

Related
George R. R. Martin Teases Fate of 'Game of Thrones' Spinoffs
"A couple have been shelved, but I would not agree that they are dead."

‘Bloodmoon’ Was Canceled, but ‘House of the Dragon’ Has Seen Success

Of all the canceled spin-offs, Bloodmoon came the closest to being made. A pilot episode was made before HBO officially passed on the concept. Originally chosen because it was so different from Game of Thrones, the series was to be the first successor show. Set thousands of years before Game of Thrones, during the Age of Heroes, this series would have told the origins of the White Walkers and the original Long Night, which nearly happens again in the original series. But with Martin having written only a few mere sentences about the timeframe, the project would never have been easy to create. Martin expressed concerns about the amount of invention required, but the pilot script made it to completion, and the show even continued from there.

Jane Goldman, known for her work on X-Men: First Class and Stardust, was picked to be the showrunner with S.J. Clarkson directing the pilot. A cast was assembled with Naomi Watts as the lead. Reportedly, the pilot's plot revolved around a wedding between a Northern house and a Southern house, as well as exploring the White Walker origins. The pilot required new massive sets. When the pilot episode was completed, it had a 30-35 million dollar budget. Yet few ever saw it.

HBO's chief content officer, Casey Bloys, said nothing was glaringly wrong with the Bloodmoon pilot. They just decided against it. A story with so little source material was always a risk. Though the idea was cool, it wasn't what HBO chose in the end. The decision to cancel Bloodmoon was sudden, especially for Goldman, who was already working on rewrites from the studio's notes. But Bloodmoon didn't have the same feel as the original Game of Thrones, so HBO didn't want it to be the follow-up. While fans are left wondering exactly what the story the spin-off would have told, Seasons 3 and 4 of House of the Dragon are underway.

House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

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