What happened to Games Of Thrones spin-off Bloodmoon?

Virgin Radio

20 Jul 2022, 13:18

With Games Of Thrones prequel House of Dragons set to air soon, and a sequel series based around Jon Snow also reportedly in the works, there is plenty for GoT fans to be excited about. But these two series weren’t the first proposed spin-offs. Remember Bloodmoon?

Of course you don’t, because the series was scrapped after only the pilot was filmed.

But whatever happened to it the planned series, which was to be set 8,000 years before events in Game Of Thrones? 

Well, despite the never-aired pilot costing a reported $30-35 million to make and starring big names in Naomi Watts and Jamie Campbell Bower, the prequel series was ditched in 2019 because it didn't have the “depth and richness” of the original series.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Casey Bloys, HBO’s chief content officer explained that the show “required a lot more invention; it was higher risk, higher reward.”

He added: “There wasn’t anything glaringly wrong with it.”

With GoT creator George R.R. Martin only having published approximately eight lines of text about the time period of the show, the author said: “Bloodmoon was a very difficult assignment." 

He added: "We’re dealing with a much more primitive people. There were no dragons yet.”

Meanwhile, then-chairman of HBO’s parent company WarnerMedia, Robert Greenblatt, explained: “It wasn’t unwatchable or horrible.... It was very well produced and looked extraordinary. But it didn’t take me to the same place as the original series.

“It didn’t have that depth and richness that the original series’ pilot did.”

And so, instead of Bloodmoon, fans can instead watch the spin-off that did get made. House Of The Dragon premieres on Sky in August.

The narrative will be set two centuries before the events of the original Game Of Thrones series, and will focus on the story of the House of Targaryen. It will star Matt Smith, Paddy Considine Rhys Ifans, and Olivia Cooke.

Meanwhile, we all await more news of the apparent Jon Snow-focused Game of Thrones sequel series.

House of the Dragon will debut on Sky Atlantic and NOW on 22 August.