It looks like HBO isn’t thinking of more Game of Thrones spinoffs anytime soon!
Given the wide range of story potential in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, it’s not too surprising that fans would expect HBO to build on it with more Game of Thrones shows. We have gotten House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and there have been rumors of more shows, as well as reports of several in development.
However, in an interview with Variety, HBO chief Casey Bloys discussed many topics relevant to the network and streamer. When asked about how HBO approaches projects, Bloys made the intriguing observation that the company isn’t interested in oversaturating the streamer with scores of Thrones shows just for the sake of the brand.
“I think, in retrospect, our approach creatively probably is the more prudent one," he said. "And I think one of the benefits also that we have at HBO / HBO Max / Warner Bros. Discovery, if you think about some of the shows, it’s not just Game of Thrones. It’s funny, when A Knight of Seven Kingdoms comes out there’s language around 'another Game of Thrones spinoff.' And I like to remind people, this is [only] the second one."
"And I think part of it is because a lot of what gets written about is development and some people will talk about development like it is actually [in production]," he added. "So I’ve had to remind people, there’s been House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — and that’s it, regardless of what else gets written about.”
It should be noted that there have been rumors over the years of many other Game of Thrones-related series. That includes a Jon Snow show starring Kit Harington, several animated series, and an adaptation of Aegon's Conquest, just to name a few.
However, Bloys makes the great point that quality should beat quantity for future Game of Thrones material.
Why Game of Thrones is better off not being a mega-franchise
Look at various streamers and you can see how they enjoy pushing some specific franchises. HBO themselves have utilized numerous DC Comics projects like Peacemaker and The Penguin. Disney+ has the Marvel and Star Wars shows, while Paramount+ has Star Trek and the various Taylor Sheridan series.
However, Marvel fans have complained that Disney+ puts far too many of those shows out, overwhelming fans rather than making each feel special. It’s much the same with Star Trek and how streamers seem obsessed with franchises just to fill content.
Bloys pointed out that HBO Max may have shows tied to popular IP, but their goals are far larger than just one franchise.
“We didn’t do five Game of Thrones spinoffs because we’ve got DC and we just did It: Welcome to Derry and they’re working on a second season," he said. "We've got other places to go. We’re developing a Crazy Rich Asians series. So we’re not locked into just one world or one universe. But I think logically, if you think about it, if you overdo anything, if you give to people too much of anything, kind of by definition it becomes less special. So I think it’s something you have to be careful about.”
Currently, the future of HBO Max is in question with the Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros merger and rumors Max may be folded into Paramount+. That may throw off any plans for GOT projects moving forward. Yet Bloys is right that not saturating the market makes Game of Thrones and its spinoffs more unique, and new shows set in Westeros more of an event. Hopefully, that continues to keep this franchise from being watered down too much.
Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are all streaming on HBO Max.