The Naomi Watts-led Game of Thrones prequel series will no longer be moving forward at HBO.
Deadline reports that the show is finished, with writer and showrunner Jane Goldman having notified the cast of the show’s demise. Today’s news “comes after a lengthy post-production and rumors about issues during filming in Northern Ireland.” HBO has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
Early reports on the series teased a narrative that would be fittingly large in scale, with 100 kingdoms and White Walkers playing a substantial role. The unnamed prequel show would have taken place 5,000 years before the original series and featured appearances from both the Stark family and direwolves. It would have been overseen by Goldman and series mastermind George R.R. Martin.
Game of Thrones came to a close earlier this year with many fans voicing concerns caused by a “rushed” final season. Though this Watts project will not see the light of day, HBO does have more Game of Thrones planned for the future.
In September, a House Targaryen origin prequel series set 300 years before the events of the original show was also greenlit. This second spinoff is planned to follow Martin’s Fire & Blood book and will be produced by the author and Ryan Condal.
