Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire are going to have to wait a little longer for a return to Westeros, as HBO has surprisingly pulled the plug on its planned Game of Thrones prequel series, which would have taken place thousands of years before the hit fantasy series.
According to TV Line, the pilot which was shot over the summer, failed to impress HBO executives, with the cable network sending creator Jane Goldman (X-Men: First Class) and the creative time back into the edit suite for a raft of changes. When this failed to appease concerns, HBO opted to call it quits on a pilot that was apparently “‘troubled’ from the start, marred by budget overruns, numerous personnel issues and myriad creative differences.”
SEE ALSO: Game of Thrones director Neil Marshall agrees that the final season felt “really rushed”
The pilot was directed by S.J. Clarkson (Jessica Jones) and featured a cast that included Naomi Watts (Gypsy) and Josh Whitehouse (Poldark), Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), Denise Gough (Colette), Jamie Campbell Bower (Camelot), Shella Atim (Harlots), Ivanno Jeremiah (Black Mirror), Georgie Henley (The Spanish Princess), Alex Sharp (How to Talk to Girls at Parties), and Toby Regbo (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald).
It is actually the second of HBO’s planned spinoffs to receive the axe, with the first from Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman failing to make it as far as the pilot stage. The network was initially reported as working on five potential projects, and another – a prequel centred around House Targaryen from George R.R. Martin and Colony co-creator Ryan Condal – has already earned a pilot order from HBO.
SEE ALSO: George R.R. Martin says Game of Thrones’ final season wasn’t “completely faithful”
Are you disappointed that this Game of Thrones spinoff isn’t moving ahead? Will we see a spinoff show on HBO before George R.R. Martin releases The Winds of Winter? Let us know in the comments below or on our social channels @flickeringmyth…