For years now, it’s been reported that one of the planned Game of Thrones spinoffs would follow Aegon I Targaryen, the legendary character known for conquering Westeros, unifying the kingdoms, and creating the iconic Iron Throne. But, with most projects “in development,” the spinoff, which we first reported on in 2024, has yet to be officially announced by HBO.
That’s still the case months into 2026; however, a new update proves the creatives are busy working behind the scenes to bring Aegon’s Conquest to life. The only unexpected part? Reportedly, two separate projects following the Targaryen king are in the works. We knew a project from writer Mattson Tomlin (The Batman: Part II, Terminator Zero) was being worked on, but this week, it was reported that a different project from writer Beau Willimon (Andor, House of Cards) is also happening—and, apparently, the script is finished.
The Hollywood Reporter confirms that “rival versions” of Aegon’s story are in the works, with Warner Bros. heading Willimon’s film, and HBO developing Tomlin’s TV series. As we wait for any new updates on this peculiar situation, we can’t help but wonder: what would we, Game of Thrones fans, prefer? A show or a movie? We break down the options below.
The pros and cons of a movie
At first thought, the idea of a movie might feel like a cheat to some fans. The cons, of course, are that we’d get fewer hours to tell a story. If Aegon’s Conquest was told in one movie, despite THR dubbing it a “mammoth, Dune-sized feature film,” that would still only be, what, three hours max? Neither of the Dune movies runs over two hours and 46 minutes.
Despite Aegon’s story being told in a mere 22 pages in Fire & Blood, the source material is written more like a textbook than a narrative story, meaning it would take much longer to tell the story on screen. House of the Dragon season 1 covered about 78 pages, and that consisted of 10 episodes, for comparison.
But on the other hand, a movie does offer up a major pro: the issue of the budget. House of the Dragon ran into problems with season 2, with HBO cutting an episode at the end—reportedly, among other factors, to help the budget—and instead, the season ended on an underwhelming note. Dragons and battles are very expensive, and Aegon’s Conquest would have to include a lot of that.
Producing a movie for theaters specifically would mean Warner Bros. would presumably make their money back and then some, so they could go for a big budget that would deliver on everything fans need from this story. Of course, the Dune films have big budgets, are critically acclaimed, and are box office successes, so if the studio is looking to replicate this with Aegon’s Conquest, I’d be incredibly excited.
The pros and cons of a TV show
Now, let’s talk about an Aegon the Conqueror TV show. The main pro is obvious: the amount of time allowed to work through the story. Not only is Aegon a very interesting character—who could become even more complex when adapted on screen—but his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, are just as legendary. Fleshing out the material in a limited series would be awesome. I’m not sure that we’d need a full 10 hours, but six to eight could be great.
This is the most important event in Westeros history, so rushing through it in a three-hour movie could prove problematic. Plus, HBO has already proven it knows how to produce Game of Thrones shows, from the original to House of the Dragon (though season 2 had a few issues) to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, so I would trust them with an Aegon’s Conquest series, depending on the showrunner.
A TV show would be the less risky route, knowing the franchise’s history, but the glaring issue still remains the budget. Along with their dragons, Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys successfully conquer most of Westeros, and depicting all of that on screen would be very expensive. There’s no way they would be able to adapt it all, meaning the writers would have to cut some things, and that’s where it might get tricky.
There’s not enough material to do a multi-season show, but there’s too much to adapt budget-wise for one satisfying season, and that is a serious dilemma. One complaint House of the Dragon has received is that it focuses on repetitive plot points over action, and I don’t think it’s too much of a reach to assume that decision came partly from budget concerns. Of course, we want character development. Of course, we want fleshed-out storylines. But having to drag out battles and dragon sequences for so long just makes viewers frustrated, rightfully so.
The final verdict
When the spinoff series was first reported on, I was actually pro TV show rather than movie, but my thoughts have changed since House of the Dragon season 2 was released.
If I had a say in the Warner Bros. room, I would vote for two two-hour movies, released in theaters, from a Denis Villeneuve-esque director and a Greig Fraser-like cinematographer, like Dune, to bring this story to life in a spectacular way. One three-hour movie could be enough (and I’m excited to see who’s chosen to helm it), but four hours total would allow the creatives to tell a more complete story.
At the end of the day, I am so looking forward to seeing what they cook up. This is one of my favorite parts of Westeros’s history, and I can’t wait to fall in love with Aegon and his sisters on screen (even if Aegon ends up being depicted a little less honorable than legend describes him). If done right, this adaptation could be totally epic—just as epic as Dune—but the development can’t be rushed or hindered by budget.
With either project, it does look like we’ll still be waiting a while for any casting or release date news. Page Six Hollywood’s reporting on the movie noted that it’s currently in limbo with Paramount’s purchase of Warner Bros., and we can imagine most new projects are in the same boat.
It’s also entirely possible that only one of these projects gets made, if either. As mentioned earlier, several Game of Thrones spinoffs have been reported to be in the works, but either haven’t made it past development series yet or have been ditched entirely.
The Game of Thrones universe—as most franchises—is an unpredictable place, but we’re enjoying the ride. After a very successful premiere season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, House of the Dragon returns with its third installment this June. As always, we’ll keep you updated on all the latest here at Winter is Coming.