‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Canceled By HBO, Network Still To Officially Confirm The Cancellation

Considering how successful the original series was for HBO, many fans were positive that the Game of Thrones prequel series was a sure thing, Apparently the network was not so confident that the series would be able to hold up against the first Game of Thrones series and has reportedly pulled the proverbial pin on the project.

According to Deadline, the Game of Thrones prequel series, headed by Naomi Watts, has not been greenlit by HBO. However, the outlet also offered the disclaimer that this news has not yet been officially confirmed by the network.

Deadline reports that HBO has been emailing cast and crew involved in the pilot episode to say they are not planning to go ahead with the prequel series set thousands of years prior to the events that unfolded in the original Game of Thrones series. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, filming of the pilot episode for the Game of Thrones prequel series concluded in July.

Since then, George R. R. Martin, the author of the book series on which HBO’s Game of Thrones is based, had previously suggested that the series could be greenlit from as early as September of this year. However, that date has come and gone without any official news from the network.

According to Deadline, the pilot episode of the Game of Thrones prequel series had been fraught with issues. Rumors circulated regarding filming problems in Northern Ireland as well as post-production problems. The original cut had reportedly been poorly received and re-editeding was required before the pilot was offered to HBO for consideration.

The original Game of Thrones series never experienced these issues because the pilot episode of the original series was so notoriously bad that it had to be re-shot. No footage from the original pilot episode has surfaced but once the second pilot was finished, HBO finally approved what they were shown. That means there could be hope for the prequel to end up going to series too.

While this bit of news no doubt devastated fans of the original series, viewers will just need to wait for official confirmation from HBO before they really start commiserating the loss of the prequel series.

In addition, this was not the only Game of Thrones series in development by HBO so there is still hope for a new TV series based in the same universe. Another prequel series approximately 300 years prior to when the original series too place is also reportedly in development and will be based on Martin’s Fire & Ice book which focuses on House Targaryen and their rise to power.