A guide to every Game Of Thrones spin-off in development right now at HBO

House Of The Dragon isn't the only GOT-related series in the works. Here's everything you need to know about the seven other shows in the franchise's queue

By Jen Lennon | August 16, 2022 | 8:00am

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A guide to every Game Of Thrones spin-off in development right now at HBO

Clockwise from bottom left: House Of The Dragon cast (HBO), Kit Harington in Game Of Thrones (HBO), Targaryen ships in Game Of Thrones (HBO), and Steve Toussaint in House Of The Dragon (HBO) Photo: HBO

Despite Game Of Thrones’ widely derided ending, HBO is determined to build out author George R.R. Martin’s universe into a massive TV franchise. While House Of The Dragon will be the first spin-off to premiere, it’s not the first that HBO commissioned: that honor belongs to Bloodmoon, a series set thousands of years before the start of Game Of Thrones. The network cast Naomi Watts as the show’s lead, filmed a pilot that cost roughly $30 million, and then promptly scrapped the entire thing. Bloodmoon was set during The Long Night, a period of time about which Martin has written very little, and the lack of source material was reportedly a large part of the decision to cancel the series: HBO just couldn’t make the series work without having something to base it on.

The network’s executives could have—and probably should have—learned that lesson from seasons six through eight of Game Of Thrones and saved $30 million in the process. But at least they got there eventually, right? If there’s an upside to the Bloodmoon debacle, it’s this: Martin is far more involved with House Of The Dragon and the seven other Game Of Thrones spin-off series currently in development. Hopefully, that means he’ll be able to prevent them from going completely off the rails. Here’s everything you need to know about all of the Game Of Thrones spin-off series in development at HBO.

House Of The Dragon

Despite ’ widely derided ending, HBO is determined to build out author George R.R. Martin’s universe into a massive TV franchise. While will be the first spin-off to premiere, it’s not the first that HBO commissioned: that honor belongs to Bloodmoon, a series set thousands of years before the start of Game Of Thrones. The network cast Naomi Watts as the show’s lead, filmed a pilot that cost roughly $30 million, and then promptly . Bloodmoon was set during The Long Night, a period of time about which Martin has written very little, and the lack of source material was reportedly a large part of the decision to cancel the series: HBO just without having something to base it on. The network’s executives could have—and probably should have—learned that lesson from seasons six through eight of Game Of Thrones and saved $30 million in the process. But at least they got there eventually, right? If there’s an upside to the Bloodmoon debacle, it’s this: Martin is far more involved with House Of The Dragon and the seven other Game Of Thrones spin-off series currently in development. Hopefully, that means he’ll be able to prevent them from going completely off the rails. Here’s everything you need to know about all of the Game Of Thrones spin-off series in development at HBO.

Paddy Considine, Sian Brooke, Michael Carter, Steve Toussaint, and Eve Best in Photo Courtesy of HBO/Ollie Upton

This is the big one, the show that will test the viability of HBO’s Game Of Thrones spin-off strategy. House Of The Dragon is set 200 years before the start of Game Of Thrones and focuses on House Targaryen as the family members fight among themselves for control of the Iron Throne. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), the last acknowledged descendent of House Targaryen, was one of the most popular characters from the original show, and her fight to restore her family’s name and retake the Iron Throne pulled the series through some rough seasons. But it remains to be seen if her ancestors are as compelling as Dany was, or if their machinations will measure up to her righteous yet slightly unhinged crusade. House Of The Dragon premieres on August 21 and stars Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower, and Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon.

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Snow

Despite his , Kit Harington is coming back for a . This one is going to be a bit of a gamble because it’ll be a sequel to Game Of Thrones, meaning there won’t be any narrative or plot points to draw from in Martin’s work. Martin’s extensive character building and the sheer number of pages dedicated to Snow (he’s second only to Tyrion Lannister in terms of how many chapters are told from his perspective in the A Song Of Ice And Fire novels) will likely help inform the story. , the series was Harington’s idea, and he also brought in the showrunners and writers (whom Martin declined to name). Snow is still in early development.

The Sea Snake

The Sea Snake (formerly known as Nine Voyages) centers on Lord Corlys Velaryon, played by Steve Toussaint in House Of The Dragon. The Sea Snake will seemingly be set before House Of The Dragon, during Velaryon’s fabled voyages, which led to him being known as the greatest seafarer in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. Toussaint has said that he will not play Velaryon in The Sea Snake; instead, as he told , the role will be played by “some younger, prettier guy.” Rome co-creator Bruno Heller is set as the showrunner, and the series is currently in the script stage.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

Sadly, this is not a series about the inimitable Brienne of Tarth; it’s based on Martin’s Tales Of Dunk And Egg novellas. A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms will follow Ser Duncan the Tall, a.k.a. Dunk, a hedge knight whose squire is Prince Aegon Targaryen, a.k.a. Egg. Season one will closely follow the plot of Martin’s novella The Hedge Knight, which is set 90 years before the start of Game Of Thrones and explains how Dunk and Egg met, befriended, and began working with one another. Patriot creator Steve Conrad is the showrunner for A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, which is still being scripted.

Ten Thousand Ships

Ten Thousand Ships takes place 1,000 years before the start of Game Of Thrones, making it the earliest in the timeline of prequel shows. The series will follow Princess Nymeria of the Rhoynar as she leads her people on a journey to find a new home after a war devastates their land and population. Nymeria is a legendary leader in Westerosi history; Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) even named her direwolf after Nymeria. Helstrom co-executive producer Amanda Segel is the showrunner on Ten Thousand Ships and has “delivered a couple drafts” of scripts for the show so far, .

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