HBO Passes on Naomi Watts “Game of Thrones” Prequel Series

The pilot, which was filmed over the summer, will not be moving to series.

Josh Wigler and Lesley Goldberg of The Hollywood Reporter have some bad news for fans of Game of Thrones and of good television in general: HBO has passed on the Game of Thrones prequel pilot that was shot last summer.

The untitled prequel project was being developed by screenwriter Jane Goldman, perhaps best known for her work with Matthew Vaughn on the Kingsman and X-Men franchises. Starring Naomi Watts, the series was expected to have focused on the “Age of Heroes,” and according to The Hollywood Reporter, would have featured first-ever battle between man and White Walker.

The reasons behind HBO’s decision are unclear, but Wigler and Goldberg note that the premium cable network was unhappy with the final cut of the pilot, asking for several changes in edits before scraping the project entirely. Even so, it is expected that HBO and parent company WarnerMedia will continue to pursue Game of Thrones related projects—The Hollywood Reporter piece mentions that “expanding the world of Thrones remains a top priority” for the network.

Hat Tip to Collider

Published by Cody Schlottmann