Every studio is looking for the next major franchise these days. With Disney’s utter domination with series likeStar Warsand the Marvel Cinematic Universe, everybody else is scrambling to recreate the same kind of success with their own franchises and properties. Whether it be theMonsterVerse of characters like Godzillaand King Kong, or Marvel’s chief comic-book competitor DC, there have been other series to find success with the “cinematic universe” model, but there has yet to be any to really achieve the same consistent success as the likes of Disney’s cornerstone franchises. The concept of an interwoven universe of characters that jumps between films and TV is enticing, but it’s one that many different franchises have failed to succeed with.
One series that seems primed to attempt to expand its horizons into an interconnected universe is the world of Westeros fromGame of Thrones. The immense popularity ofGame of Thronesin the 2010s cannot be overstated. The show was an international sensation, and it posted some of the biggest ratings for any television series in history. With that kind of success, it’s easy to see why HBO and Warner Bros. would want to continue the series in some form. But, withHouse of the Dragonpremiering this year and many other different spin-offs shows in development, is there such a thing as too muchGame of Thronesat once?
Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon
Game of Thronescertainly didn’t end on the best of notes. Many fans of the series were immenselydisappointed with the final season(or two) of the show. With the shortened episode count and rushed storylines, what was once considered the best show on television quickly devolved into something that was widely criticized and divisive. AfterGame of Thronesconcluded, there was a lot of talk about whether or not people would still be interested in any potential spin-offs. Many speculated that the final seasons of the series had dropped off so steeply in quality that viewers would not return for any future stories in Westeros.Game of Thronescertainly experienced a loss of momentum after its final season, but it was still to be seen if the brand was truly tainted forever.
Despite all of this, HBO was determined to revisit Westeros again. The first follow-up series to take form was a prequel series titledBloodmoon(alternativelyThe Long Night). The series was set during the Age of Heroes, approximately 10,000 years before the events ofGame of Thrones. It would have explored the first coming of the White Walkers into Westeros and the invasion of Westeros by the Andals from Essos. Tonally, it likely would have been very similar to the stories of Jon Snow and the Night’s Watch in the original series.Bloodmoonhad a cast that included the likes of Naomi Watts, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Naomi Ackie. A pilot episode of the series was produced, but HBO ultimately decided not to move forward with the series because it didn’t live up to the expectations set for it.
However, then cameHouse of the Dragon, the firstGame of Thronesspin-off series to actually be released. While the prequel series isn’t quite as widely beloved as the earlier seasons ofGame of Thrones, it has come pretty close to replicating that success. The show is one of the breakout television hits of 2022. It started off on a high note with its premiere in August and then continued to build week-to-week until it eventually delivered one of the best,and most-viewed, season finales of the year. Not only did it get people talking, it also brought in plenty of new viewers to the series, which helped boost its ratings to similar heights as its predecessor. Any thought that people wouldn’t be interested in returning to Westeros was long gone, and now the second season ofHouse of the Dragonis one of the most hotly anticipated television events of the next couple of years.
Related:5 Parallels Between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones
Other Upcoming Spin-Offs
The success ofHouse of the Dragonhas proven that people are still interested in Westeros and theGame of Thronesbrand. However, the show is far from the only basket that HBO has put its dragon eggs. There is a slew of other differentGame of Thronesprequels and spin-offs in various stages of development. Some of them are directly tied to the core series orHouse of the Dragon, while others tell entirely separate stories at unexplored points in time. While none of these series have entered production or been given a release date, it’s clear that HBO envisions theGame of Thronesfranchise being upheld by multiple pillar series at the same time.
One of the most buzzed-about shows is one centered on the fan-favorite character Jon Snow, played by Kit Harington. The series, tentatively titledSnow, would serve as a sequel series of sorts to the originalGame of Thrones. It would follow Harington’s Snow in the events after the series finale, as he travels North of The Wall and begins his new life and adventures as the King Beyond the Wall. Harington is directly involved in the development of the series, andA Song of Ice and FireauthorGeorge R. R. Martin has confirmed his involvementas well. Fan reaction to the series' announcement has been mixed, but returning toGame of Thronesin that direct fashion would certainly bring a lot of attention to the new show.
Another series that has gotten people talking isThe Sea Snake, which would serve as a prequel toHouse of the Dragoncentered on the character Corlys Velaryon, played by Steve Toussaint. In addition to that, there is also the series10,000 Ships, which would tell the story of Princess Nymeria of Dorne throughout her sea-faring adventures and the founding of the Southern Westerosi kingdom.The Tales of Dunk and Eggis another series in development that would adapt several short stories Martin wrote about a young Aegon V Targaryen (known as “Egg”), the father of the Mad King and grandfather of Daenerys Targaryen. There are also several animated series in the works, one beingThe Golden Empire, which would explore the Yi Ti dynasty of Essos.
Related:Jon Snow: The Pros and Cons of the New Game of Thrones Spin-off
Multiple Shows at Once?
With at leastthree more seasons left inHouse of the Dragon, it’s easy to see that if HBO is already developing all of these different spin-off shows, they are going to start doubling up on Westeros television sooner or later. While it will likely never get to the point where multiple shows are airing in the same week (evenStar Warsand the MCU avoid that), it’s more than feasible that multipleGame of Thrones-related shows will be in production and airing in the same time frame. For example, ifSnowdoes manage to get off the ground in the next year or two, its first season would likely release around the same time as the third season ofHouse of the Dragon. While there is certainly plenty of time in the year to release a couple of shows, with one running in the spring/summer and the other in the fall/winter, it’s also possible that HBO could end up running more than twoGame of Thronesshows at a time, with the likes ofThe Sea Snake,10,000 ShipsandThe Golden Empireall in different stages of development.
This could work from a story perspective forGame of Thrones, as there are many different peoples, places and times yet to be explored in the world of Ice and Fire. However, that doesn’t mean everything will be smooth sailing. There are plenty of causes for concern when it comes to expanding theGame of Thronesfranchise so dramatically and so quickly. One of the most plain to see is that audiences have never had to balance differentGame of Thronesshows at the same time. While there are plenty of characters and times to explore in Westeros and Essos, that doesn’t mean it should be done simultaneously. As excellent asHouse of the Dragonis, it does feel and look almost exactly like the originalGame of Thronesseries. By releasing a series likeSnoworThe Sea Snakein the same year asHouse of the Dragon, it risks confusing audiences with too many stories that essentially feel like the same thing.
While everyone wants to replicate the success of franchises likeStar Warsand the MCU, even those series are beginning to suffer from overexposure. There are so many new shows and films from those franchises being released every year that they’ve started to see a down-tick in interest from project to project. People have become more than willing to skip the latest entry in the MCU. In order to sustain that level of output, each new entry needs to have its own distinct voice and tone to make it stand out from the pack. Thankfully,Star Warsseems to have recognized this withAndor,and Marvel is slowly getting there with the likes ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessandShe-Hulk(not that either of those were great, but they certainly had their own personality).
With justGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon, the Westeros-based franchise has yet to prove that it can tackle different tones and stories. It can certainly tell one kind of story extremely well, but if that story begins to be doubled or tripled up on itself, then the whole thing risks collapse. So, with that, as tempting as it could be to makeGame of Thronesinto the next cinematic/streaming universe, it might be better for the long-term health of the franchise to pump the breaks and take things one story at a time.
