As work gets underway on five Game Of Thrones spin-offs, we’ve rounded up all the possible avenues the shows could take.
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The world created by George R. R. Martin in which Game Of Thrones is set is an incredibly rich and detailed place, and has already spawned several spin off books which further explore the mythology and history of Westeros and beyond.
HBO have also recently announced that up to five spin-offs in the works, which will be set across the breath of the history of Westeros. With the first expected in 2020, a year after the eighth and final season of Game Of Thrones airs, we take a look at some potential story lines which fans would be desperate to see.
1. Bronn and The Hound
It’s highly unlikely actors such as Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke or Kit Harington would be interested in investing another decade of their careers playing characters that are going to have complete story arcs. However, there is a possibility of some well-loved secondary characters being given their own spin-offs, and the actors playing them would surely relish the opportunity to headline a HBO series.
If HBO go down this road, there are two clear contenders. I’m sure we would all be enthralled watching Bronn and The Hound hack, whore and hurl profanity across Westeros for another few years. Although the plot might be a bit thin, the warmth and goodwill most fans have for the pair would mean it would be popular.
2. The Starks
Everyone’s favourite Westerosi family could be granted their own spin-off. The series could show famous Starks throughout history, many of whom have been mentioned in passing over the past seven seasons.
Brandon (the Builder) Stark constructed The Wall and Winterfell; Brandon (the Breaker) defeated The Knight’s King after allying with the Freefolk beyond The Wall; Karlon Stark crushed a rebellion by The Boltons. Such a series would have the advantage of having bad guys fans already love to hate, and such familiarity would contribute to the show’s success – although it may be a touch samey.
3. Oberyn: Origins
There are several characters that fans would love to see receive a fleshed out backstory, such as Gregor Clegane or Brienne of Tarth. None match the appeal of Oberyn Martell however. Pedro Pascal’s memorable portrayal blew minds back in season four, thanks to his season-stealing performance. Who wouldn’t want to spend more time with the bisexual poison expert?
Additionally, the show’s foray into Dorne in season five is considered by many viewers to have been the weakest plot point across Game Of Thrones’ seven year run, so the opportunity to spend some more time there would enable the producers to put things right.
Returning to play Oberyn would be no headache for Pedro Pascal either, who revealed last month that he would do anything to return to the character.
4. The birth of the Targaryens
Originally the Targaryens came from Valyria in Essos, but migrated west when Daenerys Targaryen had visions of a cataclysm that would befall their home and the surrounding area. Known as The Doom of Valyria, this event caused a great loss of art and technology, including the method for creating Valyrian steel, in addition to the death of all other dragonlords.
Three hundred years before we picked up events in Game Of Thrones, The Targaryens, now led by Aegon The Conquerer, combined the Seven Kingdoms with the help of his infamous dragon, Balerian the Dread, fighting enemies such as Dorne in battle along the way. Such a show would provide Daenerys’ character with further backstory and scope, as well as no doubt being entertaining and action-packed.
5. The Blackfyre Rebellion
A Targaryen king, Aegon IV, had numerous bastards which he legitimised on his deathbed. This led to the birth of House Blackfyre – and a whole host of problems. For some eighty Westerosi years, there were outbreaks of civil war caused by five different Blackfyre rebellions.
A plotline such as this would continue the world building of George R. R. Martin, but would provide some links to Game Of Thrones – for example, one of the bastards of Aegon IV was Brynden Rivers, who amongst other things became The Three Eyed Raven.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, also known as the Dunk and Egg series, has been mooted as a contender. These stories take place amongst the backdrop of The Blackfyre rebellions, and Brynden Rivers appears along the way.
Looking at the material, it would need a lot of new stories to create a worthwhile show, however a miniseries cannot be entirely discounted – although HBO are being coy. Another possibility, the story of Robert Baratheon’s rebellion, has been canned by George R. R. Martin, who said we would know the full story by the end of Game Of Thrones making a spin-off pointless, besides the obvious thrill of seeing a young Ned Stark and friends strut their stuff.
You can catch-up on Game Of Thrones on Now TV.
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