Scrapped 'Game of Thrones' prequel pilot episode cost HBO $30mn!
HBO's Game of Thrones is truly a sensation in television history. So, it's natural the company has planned various spin-offs around it. While one such show, House of the Dragon, is greeting us next year, the very first spin-off announced by the producers was notably canceled. And it was no low-key act. Apparently, HBO had spent $30mn only on its pilot episode. Here's more.
Why does it matter?
Back in June 2018, HBO made the announcement that a prequel will be made, set thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones. A few months later, Oscar-nominated actress Naomi Watts was cast. However, the unnamed project crashed before its flight in late 2019, when it was officially scrapped. One of the reasons behind the call was reportedly a not-so-impressive pilot episode.
Despite massive production cost, matter was not promising enough: Executive
Now, former WarnerMedia entertainment chairperson Bob Greenblatt has revealed this pilot episode had cost over $30 million [roughly Rs. 225 crore]. Despite the massive production cost, when Greenblatt saw a cut of the episode, it just wasn't promising enough. This interesting piece of information came from the executive's interview in James Andrew Miller's book Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers [via Insider].
'I don't think it delivers on promise of original series'
"They had spent over $30 million on a Game of Thrones prequel pilot that was in production when I got there," Greenblatt said. Recalling his reaction after watching a portion of what was shot, he remembered saying: "This just doesn't work and I don't think it delivers on the promise of the original series." "So we unfortunately decided to pull the plug on it."
So what was the unnamed show going to be about?
Although none of us are going to see what happened to the pilot, we do know some things about the plot. The storyline would have focused on the Stark clan while capturing the downfall of the world from the golden Age of Heroes.
Apart from 'House of the Dragon,' three prequels are coming
Coming to the spin-off that's surely seeing the light, House of the Dragon is coming in 2022. Focusing on the House Targaryen, the show will cover the Targaryen civil war aka the Dance of the Dragons. It is currently under production with the first official photos being released in May. Moreover, three other prequels—10,000 Ships, The Sea Snake, and Flea Bottom—are being made.
