Sad News For Game Of Thrones Fans
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Winter has come, and it's sent an avalanche
down on the HBO production offices.
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In May of 2017, as Game of Thrones neared
its seventh and penultimate season on HBO,
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the network announced that it was exploring
the idea of expanding the world of dragons,
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White Walkers, and dudes whose maybe-girlfriends
are actually their aunts through multiple
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spin-off series.
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HBO set up five of these projects, all prequels
rather than straight-up spin-offs, according
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to Thrones author George R.R. Martin, and
recently handed a pilot order to one being
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run by Kingsman and Kick-Ass writer Jane Goldman.
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Franchise fans rejoiced at the news that at
least one of the spin-off series was in works.
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But now their merriment and revels must come
to an end.
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HBO president Casey Bloys had announced that
Goldman's project is the only Game of Thrones
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spin-off moving forward at HBO.
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The four others are as good as dead, sitting
dormant for the time being.
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Bloys dropped the bombshell during the Television
Critics Association on Wednesday, July 25th,
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telling those in attendance, "There are no
plans to make any others at this point."
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According to Bloys, it was HBO's intention
from the start to brainstorm a bevy of projects
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and then lock in just one series, allowing
creatives and executives to pour their passion
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into a single project rather than split their
energy amongst various productions.
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Bloys explained: "The reason we did multiple
scripts, in the development process, [is because
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we knew] out of five we'd be lucky to get
one we're excited about."
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At least for now, fans will simply have to
be satisfied with watching Goldman's series,
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said to follow Westeros' descent from the
Golden Age of Heroes into a dark era that
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will alter everything we know about the fictional
world's history, House Stark, and "the mysteries
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of the east."
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Will that be enough to quench their Thrones
thirst?
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We don't know yet, but we do know some more
details about Goldman's prequel series.
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After the Television Critics Association summer
session on Wednesday, Bloys sat down with
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Deadline to discuss the prequel in more detail.
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He revealed that the project will feature
an ensemble cast and highlight strong female
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characters.
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He also noted that, despite what some may
assume with a female showrunner like Goldman
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on board, the prequel that centers on Westeros'
fall from the Golden Age of Heroes won't have
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a female lead in the same way that Game of
Thrones has a male lead in Kit Harington's
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Jon Snow.
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Bloys explained: "There are very strong female
characters but it's an ensemble, there [are]
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men and women [...] Jane is a very good writer.
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We don't want to limit her to writing female
leads.
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There are a lot of very complicated leads
in [the pilot]."
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Game of Thrones is known for its complex female
characters, including Maisie Williams' sword-swinging
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Arya Stark, Lena Headey's power-hungry Cersei
Lannister, and Gwendoline Christie's strong-yet-sweet
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Brienne of Tarth, but the show has also sparked
controversy for its portrayal of some of its
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leading ladies.
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For years, viewers have criticized the way
showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have
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presented the series' women, calling for the
creatives to "stop punishing" them with public
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humiliation and physical and sexual violence.
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Bloys touched on the fact that the untitled
spin-off won't overwork itself trying to tie
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up any potential threads left loose by Game
of Thrones or answer all the questions fans
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of the series might have.
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Instead, it will make the most of being its
own entity, one that features all the same
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drama, tension, and shocks everyone loves
in Game of Thrones, while still standing separate
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from the original fantasy epic.
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Bloys elaborated: "Jane did not go into that
wanting to answer anything about Game of Thrones;
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it was the story that spoke to her.
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[...] It will feel very different because
it's 8,000 years before, it's a very different
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setting, a very different time in Westeros.
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It will feel different but still Game of Thrones."
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Overall, this newness shouldn't scare you
off, diehard Game of Thrones fans.
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Goldman actually created the spin-off series
with George R.R. Martin based on a story the
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two developed together, so you can rest assured
that the prequel is in capable hands.
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How exactly those hands will shape the project,
we can't predict, but we're hoping the end
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result is swell.
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