‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Starring Naomi Watts Canceled By HBO
On Tuesday, HBO canceled the Game of Thrones prequel starring Naomi Watts. The pilot tentatively called The Long Night was filmed. GoT author George R. R. Martin and showrunner Jane Goldman were co-creating the new series. What do we know now?
Game Of Thrones Prequel Important To HBO
The Game of Thrones franchise has been very important to HBO. Since 2011, HBO has dominated viewership and awards with the series Game of Thrones. When they aired the Battle of Winterfell, it literally broke the internet.
When they announced that the series would end at eight seasons, HBO appeared to put many of its eggs in other GoT-related programming, including the Game of Thrones prequel. But that was not all.
TV Shows Ace has reported that His Dark Materials, the series based on the beloved Philip Pullman trilogy of the same name, will begin airing on November 3, in England, and in the rest of the world November 4. This is a collaboration between HBO and the BBC. This originally appeared to be a way to placate viewers until the Game of Thrones prequel was released. So the news that it was canceled has been a shock.
HBO cancels @GameOfThrones prequel starring Naomi Watts https://t.co/a2Lw5Igics
— James Hibberd (@JamesHibberd) October 29, 2019
HBO Canceled Game Of Thrones Prequel
HBO has canceled The Long Night prequel series starring Naomi Watts. This series was to take place thousands of years before GoT. According to Deadline, it was actually canceled weeks ago. They blame “lengthy post-production” and rumors around filming “issues” in Northern Ireland as the root cause of the cancellation. The original pilot was not well-received and they had to re-edit it.
This highly-promoted and anticipated series was to include “issues of race, power, intrigue and White Walkers.” Although HBO has not commented, show-runner Jane Goldman has been emailing cast and crew to let them know that the series has been canceled.
Could HBO Air Another Game Of Thrones Prequel?
Perhaps this is all a battle of the prequels. According to Deadline, another GoT prequel is “close to pilot order.” Unlike the Naomi Watts prequel, this will only take place 300 years prior to the GoT timeline.
There is also something much more familiar to GoT fans, as it is a prequel about the House Targaryen. This series will focus on the Targaryen Civil War and will likely move forward. George R.R. Martin is also involved in this Targaryen series, along with Colony co-creator, Ryan Condal. It looks like the pressure is now on this prequel to fill in the large GoT gap at HBO.
GoT fans, are you disappointed that HBO canceled the Game of Thrones prequel? Were you looking forward to this series? Or, did you think that it was time for HBO to move on from GoT? Be sure to check back with TV Shows Ace for the latest HBO news.
