Key Takeaways:
– HBO spent over $30 million on producing a pilot episode for a potential spin-off series to Game of Thrones, known as Bloodmoon.
– Despite investing massively in the project, HBO decided to cancel the series.
– While the pilot was well-produced, HBO execs cited a lack of depth and richness compared to the original series as key reasons for the cancellation.
– George R. R. Martin, the creator of the Game of Thrones world, was drastically disappointed by the cancellation of the project he helped pitch.
A Promising Spin-off That Didn't Happen
In the world of television, Game of Thrones has made a significant impact. This success led HBO to envision expanding the universe created by George R. R. Martin. The world saw this expansion in the form of the prequel spin-off, House of the Dragon. However, there were initial plans to bring another exciting storyline from the same universe to life, which unfortunately didn't pan out.
HBO's Expensive Pilot for the Canceled Prequel
After Game of Thrones ended in 2019, fans had mixed feelings about the finale. Earlier, before the series concluded, HBO had announced its plans for a successor show called Bloodmoon. The company invested over $30 million to produce the pilot for this spin-off, based on intel from James Andrew Miller's book, Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers. However, Despite the substantial investment, the project was later scrapped.
The Reason Behind the Cancellation
A discussion with HBO's CEO, Casey Bloys, shed some light on why the decision was taken. He said, “It required a lot more invention; it was higher risk, higher reward. There wasn't anything glaringly wrong with it. Development and pilots are hard.” The sentiment was echoed by Robert Greenblatt, former chairman of WarnerMedia, who said that while the pilot was well produced and looked extraordinary, it didn't meet the standard set by the original series.
George R. R. Martin's Reaction
When the cancellation news hit, it did not sit well with George R. R. Martin, who had helped pitch the idea for the sequel. He had been actively involved in the story development of Game of Thrones in its early days but was progressively left out in the later stages. Yet, this did not deter the 76-year-old from planning and working on ideas for spin-offs.
His disappointment at the decision was clear in his blog, where he not only commented on the cancellation but also introduced fans to House of the Dragon.
A Glimpse of What Could Have Been
After the news of the cancellation, fans eventually got to see a glimpse of the scrapped series. Particularly, Naomi Watts's look as a character from House Casterly was revealed, making fans more disheartened about the cancellation.
Despite the disappointment over the canceled spin-off, fans can look forward to diving into the expansive universe of Game of Thrones with House of the Dragon available for streaming on Hulu.
So, even though the cancellation of the Game of Thrones prequel Bloodmoon was disheartening, there's plenty more to anticipate in the world of dragons, queens, and Westeros. After all, winter is always coming.
