Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection
A new “Game of Thrones” prequel about Aegon I Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros is being actively discussed on HBO. Variety has learned exclusively from the sources.
As the project is in its early stages, there is currently no writer attached, though sources say the search is underway as HBO is eager to move forward and develop it. Sources also say there may be a feature film component to the project, meaning HBO and Warner Bros. would produce a feature film that would then lead to the potential series, though plans are still changing at this time.
The show would tell the story of how Aegon and his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, used their army and their three dragons to conquer six of the seven kingdoms in Westeros with the exception of Dorne. In doing so, Aegon I became the first King of Westeros, the first to sit on the Iron Throne, and the founder of the Targaryen Dynasty. Those events took place roughly 300 years before the events of “Game of Thrones.”
HBO declined to comment.
This would be the last Westeros-based project on HBO. Following the worldwide success of “Game of Thrones,” the premium cabler went on to develop a series of series set in the world created by author George RR Martin.
Of the many projects announced over the years, the only one that has moved forward to date has been “House of the Dragon.” That show premiered its first season in August 2022, getting a quick Season 2 renewal less than a week after it launched. Season 2 is currently in production.
The only other “Game of Thrones” project to film footage to date was the abandoned pilot about Long Night starring Naomi Watts. That project was ultimately scrapped in 2019, the same day “House of the Dragon” was given the green light.
The move to expand the world of “Game of Thrones” and potentially tie it into a movie isn’t surprising, as the show remains one of the most valuable pieces of intellectual property in Warner Bros. Discovery’s library. Legacy media companies have also been working for some time on building interconnected TV and movie universes around their biggest titles, with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe being the biggest example. Warner Bros. Discovery is also currently working on a rebooted DC Universe under the direction of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
