HBO Axes ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Series With Naomi Watts

I know it may seem like this news and last night’s story about David Benioff and D.B. Weiss leaving their planned Star Wars trilogy are connected, but they really aren’t. At least not in any way that I can see. That said, let’s just jump right into the news that HBO has scrapped the Game of Thrones prequel that was to star Naomi Watts.

This would be the prequel spinoff that was the furthest along, with Jane Goldman (X-Men: First Class) as writer, co-creator with George R.R. Martin, and exec-producer. She notified the cast today that HBO was not moving forward on the show, which was to take place thousands of years before events seen in the wildly popular original TV series. The pilot episode had already been shot by director SJ Clarkson, and though there was talk of a length and complicated post-production, nothing hinted at an outright cancellation.

The one remaining Game of Thrones spinoff is from Ryan Condal and tracks the fall of House Targaryen. It could meet with a similar fate if HBO doesn’t feel the pilot passes muster and considering this whole endeavor began with four or five potential shows, I’m not convinced HBO still wants more Game of Thrones right now. [Deadline]

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Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.