The first trailer of ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off, ‘House of the Dragon’ has finally dropped. Now, the countdown has begun for its grand premiere on HBO Max on August 21. The upcoming series will explore a time nearly 300 years before the setting of ‘Game Of Thrones’. But this is not the first spin-off in the franchise.
Another masterpiece prequel titled ‘Bloodmoon’ was planned to focus on the past of ‘Game Of Thrones’. Not a hundred, not a thousand, but the show’s concept was planned to dig deep into the history of Westeros – about 8,000 years ago. But, the concept couldn’t turn into reality as the shoot was suddenly canceled in 2019 even after filming a pilot.
What Really Happened To ‘Bloodmoon’?
Firstly, we are mad knowing ‘Bloodmoon’ was canceled. We certainly can’t get enough of the fantasy franchise. The prequel was to be helmed by none other than the ‘Stardust’ and ‘Kick Ass’ director Jane Goldman. Sad, right? Moreover, the series would have starred Naomi Watts in the lead role. It also would have included ‘Fantastic Beasts‘ stars Toby Regbo and Jamie Campbell Bower, and ‘Chronicles of Narnia‘ alum Georgie Henley. What’s more upsetting is that the show got unceremoniously canceled after spending nearly $35 million to shoot the pilot. But why?
Well, George R.R. Martin revealed the reason in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Apparently, it was difficult to build up the storyline, considering that the time period was only briefly mentioned in ‘A Song of Ice and Fire‘.
“Bloodmoon was a very difficult assignment,” Martin said. “We’re dealing with a much more primitive people. There were no dragons yet. A lot of the pilot revolved around a wedding of a Southern house to a Northern house and it got into the whole history of the White Walkers.”
Meanwhile, ‘House of the Dragon‘ is based on the author’s book, ‘Fire And Blood‘. Martin revealed that “It was actually the first concept I pitched to HBO when we started talking about a successor show, way back in the summer of 2016.” Thankfully, this got picked up and is now ready to entertain viewers.
HBO Chief Thought The Unreleased ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Looked Extraordinary
HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys admitted there was nothing wrong with it, but it just didn’t work. “It required a lot more invention; it was a higher risk, higher reward,” Bloys said. “There was nothing obvious wrong with it. Development and drivers are difficult.”
Former WarnerMedia chairman Robert Greenblatt agreed. “It wasn’t unwatchable or horrible or anything,” he said. “It was very well produced and looked extraordinary. But it didn’t take me to the same place as the original series. It didn’t have the depth and richness that the original series pilot had.”
Read more: House Of The Dragon: GOT Prequel Trailer Highlights The Fall Of The Targaryen Dynasty
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