HBO’s Casey Bloys recently set the record straight regarding which Game of Thrones spinoffs are actually greenlit.
Game of Thrones continuation projects have been a source of speculation since before the show’s eight-season wrapped up back in 2019. To date, only one such production, the 2022 prequel series House of the Dragon, has materialized.
Another, Bloodmoon, came close to getting off the ground in 2019. HBO commissioned a pilot with a reported $30-35 million price tag – enough to make even a Lannister wince – only to then shut the whole thing down.
Since then, various sources have bandied about other Game of Thrones-inspired follow-ups, including a direct sequel focusing on Kit Harrington’s Jon Snow.
HBO chief confirms which Game of Thrones spinoffs are happening
Yet according to Bloys, HBO is focusing on just two Game of Thrones spinoffs for now: House of the Dragon Season 2 and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.
Updates from HBO's Casey Bloys:– "House of the Dragon" Season 2 debuts in early summer– "Succession" spinoff is "highly unlikely"– "The Last of Us" beyond Season 2 is up to the creators but Bloys will "take as many seasons as they want to give us"https://t.co/jSzaXn1Vkl
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) January 17, 2024
“I think with a show like this, when somebody reads that something is in development, there becomes an expectation that that is being shot, which is not the case,” the HBO chairman and CEO told The Wrap. “So right now the only two things that are greenlit are House of the Dragon, obviously, and The Hedge Night. There are a lot of other projects in development but I don’t have anything imminent to report.”
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This tracks with previous comments by Bloys hinting that most of the mooted Game of Thrones spinoffs weren’t necessarily going ahead. That said, the HBO boss’s more recent remarks suggest these projects are more Jon Snow than Ned Stark: liable to spring back to life without warning.
In other good news, Bloys’ interview with The Wrap also revealed that The Hedge Knight – which is based on franchise creator George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas – will kick off filming in 2024 as planned. The spinoff’s scripts and cast aren’t yet finalized, though.
House of the Dragon Season 2 claws its way closer to screens
There’s plenty of positive buzz around House of the Dragon Season 2, as well. Not only has George R.R. Martin talked up the spinoff’s next, “gut-wrenching” installments, but Bloys revealed to The Wrap that they’ll arrive relatively soon.
Bloys supplied an “early summer” 2024 release window – slightly earlier than star Matt Smith’s earlier August estimate. What’s more, a recent report claims that House of the Dragon Season 3 is already in active development, which (if true), points to a small gap between seasons.