George R. R. Martin working on 'a lot' of new GoT spinoffs, teases development of each
It’s been a while since we’ve seen the world of Westeros on the small screen. Those who want to see more of the Game of Thrones universe, however, will be pleased to know that author George R. R. Martin — the creator of Game of Thrones — has just given an update on the many spinoff projects he’s currently involved with at HBO and HBO Max.
The new show closest to hitting our eyeballs is the Targaryan-focused House of the Dragon, which is set to premiere later this year. Martin shared on his blog today that the first season has wrapped in London and is now in post-production. “What I have seen, I have loved,” he said. “I am eager to see more.”
Martin also hinted that there were several live-action and animated GoT projects in the works, but that he couldn’t provide many details. “Some of the ideas we are working on are quite different in tone and approach than what has gone before, and that thrills me,” he teased. “The world of Westeros (and Essos, etc) is huge, and there is room in it for many types of stories, about a wide range of characters.”
There were some specific updates Martin gave, however, for shows we already knew were in production. The Sea Snake, the series about Corlys Velaryon, is currently in the script-writing phase, with Rome’s Bruno Heller currently writing the pilot.
Amanda Segel, the showrunner of the Nymeria series, Ten Thousand Ships, has also apparently “delivered a couple drafts," according to Martin, and is now “forging ahead.”
Martin’s most detailed update, however, was for the Dunk & Egg series, helmed by Steve Conrad. “My team and I have had some great sessions with Steve and his team, and we really hit it off,” Martin shared. “He’s determined to do a faithful adaptation of the stories, which is exactly what I want; these characters and stories are very precious to me. The first season will be an adaptation of the first novella, 'The Hedge Knight.' Contrary to what you may have read online, the show will not be called DUNK & EGG, which could be mistaken for a sitcom by viewers unfamiliar with the stories. We’re leaning toward A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS for the series title, though THE HEDGE KNIGHT has its partisans as well.”
Martin also confirmed there were projects on the animated front, and that the news a few months ago that one of the shows would be set in Yi Ti was correct. “Our working title is THE GOLDEN EMPIRE, and we have a great young writer on that one too, and I think the art and animation is just going to be beautiful,” Martin said.
And as for The Winds of Winter, the next book in The Song of Ice and Fire series, Martin said that he’s still plugging away at it. “I made a lot of progress on WINDS in 2020, and less in 2021,” he shared, “but ‘less’ is not ‘none.’”
