Could an animated return to Westeros be on the horizon?

Sources report that an animated addition to the Game of Thrones franchise is in very early development at HBO Max, the on-demand service for GOT’s original parent network Warner Media.

Preliminary meetings with writers are already underway, per the Hollywood Reporter, although no deals have been finalised and it’s possible that the series may not make it out of developmental stages.  The series isn’t yet confirmed to have any talent attached, either behind the scenes or for voice roles.  Reps for HBO haven’t issued any comment on the rumours, which were widely reported over the weekend.

If the series were to go ahead, it would join HBO’s House of the Dragon as the only official successor to the wildly popular original, after HBO raised eyebrows by passing on the Naomi Watts-starring untitled prequel last year.

HBO Max is already set to have a big year following Warner Bros startling announcement in December that it intends to release all of their original films in theatres and on the HBO Max platform simultaneously.  HBO Max has struggled to find its place amongst a plethora of popular streaming services, and given the marketability of the Thrones franchise, any new series would be a welcome boost in bringing more viewers to their product.

Game of Thrones, based on George RR Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series of novels, premiered in 2011 and quickly became a commercial and critical favourite, setting a record for 59 Emmy wins, and making household names out of stars Emilia Clarke, Richard Madden and Kit Harington. The finale was watched by a record-setting 13.6 million viewers in the US alone, rising to 19.3m once streaming figures were taken into account.  Original creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have declined involvement in any of the many planned spin-off series.

Recommended Posts