Game of Thrones is a franchise of contrasts. As successful as the first few seasons of the epic fantasy saga were, the finale is incredibly unpopular among fans. After the flagship series was over, multiple spinoffs were announced, including Bloodmoon, set thousands of years before the events of the series, and Snow, the sequel series following Jon Snow after he set off with the wildlings in the Game of Thrones finale.
Now, both of those projects are shelved, and many of the other ideas are stuck in development hell. But that’s not stopping the Game of Thrones universe from evolving. The future of the series may not be spinoffs after all: It might get cinematic.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. has been quietly developing at least one film set in the Game of Thrones universe. It’s early days yet, as no names are attached to the project, but it’s a brand new approach for the series. So far, spinoffs have been the name of the game, with House of the Dragon gearing up for both its third and fourth (and final) seasons, and the upcoming Knight of the Seven Kingdoms set to premiere in 2025.
But while a movie may be a new idea in a post-Game of Thrones world, it has been bandied about before. In 2020, author George R. R. Martin told the German outlet Welt that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss originally had plans to end the series with three theatrical movies instead of the final two seasons of the show.
Benioff and Weiss confirmed this to the Wall Street Journal four years later, saying the plan was blocked by the network. But it looks like in the era where Warner Bros. is now Warner Bros. Discovery, that opinion has changed.
There’s no telling what these movies could cover, especially since the Game of Thrones universe is so broad, but there is a pattern forming within the spinoffs in development: Beginning with House of the Dragon, the vast majority of spinoffs center around the Targaryen dynasty.
With the success of House of the Dragon, it’s likely that any future movies will stick with what works and explore more about the dragon-riding clan. There may not be anything to do now except speculate, but a foray into cinema can only be good for fans. The franchise isn’t just languishing on HBO now: It’s moving on up to bigger and better things.
