We're already getting House of the Dragon next month but there was a time when HBO was producing a different Game of Thrones spin-off that was ultimately cancelled. But why did the network decide against the release of Bloodmoon? George R.R. Martin has revealed why the first prequel was axed.
Back in 2018, HBO had announced that the first Game of Thrones spin-off will take place in the Age of Heroes and The Long Night. The network even assembled an all-star cast including Naomi Watts, Fantastic Beasts stars Toby Regbo and Jamie Campbell Bower, and Chronicles of Narnia alum Georgie Henley. However, HBO decided not to go through with the production after filming a pilot with a $35 million budget.
So what's the deal with Bloodmoon? George R.R. Martin revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that it was hard to build the story considering that the time period was only briefly mentioned in A Song of Ice and Fire.
“Bloodmoon was a very difficult assignment,” Martin said. “We’re dealing with a much more primitive people. There were no dragons yet. A lot of the pilot revolved around a wedding of a Southern house to a Northern house and it got into the whole history of the White Walkers.”
It may have been difficult but Martin managed to come up with enough to film a pilot. Unfortunately, the pilot never aired and is being kept hidden in the vaults of HBO along with the original Game of Thrones pilot, never to be watched by anyone, not even George R.R. Martin.
Although Bloodmoon never came to be, the Game of Thrones spin-off shows are still moving forward. House of the Dragon is set to premiere on HBO on August 21, 2022. In addition to that, the Jon Snow series is currently in development.
Related: Game of Thrones Prequel Series Almost Focused on Aegon I Targaryen's Quest for Westeros
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!