HBO Max Exploring Animated Series

[Westeros]

Following on recent news that HBO is taking pitches for prequels to Game of Thrones, The Hollywood Reporter has now revealed that another aspect of the process of turning Game of Thrones to new material is exploring creating an “adult-leaning” animated series. Per the article:

“Meetings with writers for the adult-leaning project, which would be similar in tone to HBO’s Emmy-winning flagship, are already under way. No deals have been made and there’s still a possibility that the animated series never comes to fruition.

“Reps for HBO Max declined comment.

“The animated idea is part of a larger strategy to expand the world of creator George R.R. Martin’s fantasy drama. Sources say development executives at HBO — led by drama head Francesca Orsi and her group — are working directly with Martin on building out the sprawling Game of Thrones world. (Martin remains under a rich overall deal with the cabler.)”

Funnily enough, we brought up the possibility—or likelihood, really—that HBO and HBO Max would be looking to expand the world into different forms beyond just a standard hour-long, multi-episode series, much as Disney and Paramount have done with Star Wars, Marvel, and Star Trek. In fact, the THR report notes that HBO was looking in this direction long before Disney announced its massive expansion of Star Wars series.

 

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[$erPounce]

Another project that is Game of Thrones related?

Well, I hope they take the opportunity to be faithful to the books with this potential "remake". If they adapt the books A Feast of Crows and A Dance with Dragons (with all those storylines and political-magical elements removed in Game of Thrones)... that would be fantastic!

Take that chance! After all, I don't see the point in watching an exact clone of Game of Thrones.

[Ran]

To be clear, this would be some other prequel. Like turning "Sons of the Dragon" into an animated series, or Aegon's Conquest, or something such.

[The Dragon Demands]

Okay, the entire selling point of both Dunk & Egg AND Robert's Rebellion is that they're relatively low-budget (no dragons, no exotic locations).  Robert's Rebellion is a slightly larger scale, but with more "familiar faces" - the kind of thing you want live-action actors to suck people in to the fictional universe.  

So I don't think this is about those two, but a third separate idea.

Option 1 - It's some sort of major ongoing narrative show.

Option 2 - It's an anthology series, sort of like a high budget version of the popular "Histories & Lore" motion comics (popular because Benioff and Weiss didn't write them  and they're basically just visualizing info from the World book).
 

So my guess is a higher concept version of the "Histories and Lore"....or perhaps, a loose adaptation of "the Andal Invasion" and "Long Night"....but  that overlaps, really, because that's essentially what the Histories and Lore already DID.  Sort of imagine an anthology season on "The Andal Invasions" which both adapts the World book, AND rounds it out with a bit more actual dialogue and info.  But as relatively short animated vignettes.  I can see that working.  THIS is the right way to do stories about the Long Night and Andal Invasions.

The other option is that they realized the Valyria prequel pitch would be so expensive that it would be easier to adapt in animated format.  I honestly don't have a preference, if they think that's the only way to show the scope of something.  

[Lord Varys]

For what it is worth, I'd enjoy kind of ASoIaF animated content ... mostly because I enjoy animated stuff, though.

Content-wise they could do anything with this, although conventionally animation means lighter content, thus possibly some completely new stuff.

Other FaB content would better work as a live action show - Jaehaerys and Alysanne could work as a fantasy version of The Crown, for instance, focusing on their marriage and their children the way that show does.

Aenys and Maegor also feel too brutal for a conventional animated show - that they try to something like the animated Harley Quinn show isn't all that likely.

[The Dragon Demands]

Oh i think it's all but assured we'll get Jaehaerys and Alysanne FaB content as the next wave of animated Histories and Lore packaged with House of the Dragon season one.  

[The Bard of Banefort]

I love animation, and I think that HBO creating animated shows for adults could definitely inspire more companies to do the same, which is very exciting.

The Valyrian prequel seems like the most likely pitch to me, since it would require an insane amount of CGI for a live-action show. 

[Rose of Red Lake]

They might want to invest in some feel good stories that don't end in people burning themselves up or burning their family members alive. It would be nice to have a story for once that isn't too heavy handed. The Mandelorian is popular because Baby Yoda is cute - that's it.

[The Dragon Demands]

Oh....shit.....

HBO just announced THREE other prequels they're considering. BY NAME:

• The 9 Voyages of Corlys Velaryon the Sea Snake. Titled "9 Voyages".  With Rome's Bruno Heller as executive producer.
• Nymeria & the 10,000 ships of the Rhoynar. Titled "10,000 Ships". 
• "Flea Bottom" - no other description. Something like "Flea Bottom: Life on the Street"?  They already did that with SVU!

....at least one of these might be one of the animated projects they were considering, though the Corlys Velaryon one is apparently live-action. Unclear if it's a full series. Probably want to show the international audience what Yi Ti is like.

I don't understand it...I've been checking the online copyright databases on a daily basis and none of this came up. 

@Ran

https://deadline.com/2021/03/game-of-thrones-prequels-sea-snake-9-voyages-flea-bottom-10000-ships-bruno-heller-1234717042/

[Lord Varys]

4 hours ago, The Dragon Demands said:

Oh....shit.....

HBO just announced THREE other prequels they're considering. BY NAME:

• The 9 Voyages of Corlys Velaryon the Sea Snake. Titled "9 Voyages".  With Rome's Bruno Heller as executive producer.
• Nymeria & the 10,000 ships of the Rhoynar. Titled "10,000 Ships". 
• "Flea Bottom" - no other description. Something like "Flea Bottom: Life on the Street"?  They already did that with SVU!

....at least one of these might be one of the animated projects they were considering, though the Corlys Velaryon one is apparently live-action. Unclear if it's a full series. Probably want to show the international audience what Yi Ti is like.

I don't understand it...I've been checking the online copyright databases on a daily basis and none of this came up. 

@Ran

https://deadline.com/2021/03/game-of-thrones-prequels-sea-snake-9-voyages-flea-bottom-10000-ships-bruno-heller-1234717042/

Well, then, that does sound great.

Especially the Corlys thing. Man, that's going to be great! This thing cannot be big enough.

And the 10,000 ships could be one of those animated things ... or real action. Hell, we are going to see Valyria and the dragonlords in some fashion!

That 'Flea Bottom' thing could turn out to be a show covering Dunk's childhood, preparing the Dunk & Egg stuff ... or, if they keep within FaB territory, some kind of new story about commoners set during the reign of Jaehaerys I.

[The Dragon Demands]

Shit, the leaks about the Doom of Valyria show basically apply to early Valyria (as it was mostly about factions/social structure)....but that would only be at the beginning. (shrug) but that's far from my mind now.

I'm geeking out over an animated Battle of Volantis that could do it justice, a quarter million strong Rhoynar army with water wizards vs 300 dragons!  And we'll see Yi Ti! And Sothoryos!  

AND THEY'LL GIVE DORNE JUSTICE!  Elio said the TV show had destroyed any hope of this.

Another thought is that maybe "Flea Bottom" is a tie-in to how Daemon would be forming the Gold Cloaks during the Rogue Prince era.  Like a spinoff following some of his side-characters in HotD Season 1.

[Lord Varys]

13 minutes ago, The Dragon Demands said:

Shit, the leaks about the Doom of Valyria show basically apply to early Valyria (as it was mostly about factions/social structure)....but that would only be at the beginning. (shrug) but that's far from my mind now.

Well, in a Nymeria show we should get some scenes taking place in the topless towers when the news about things at the Rhoyne arrive there ... and when various factions bicker whether one should do something about that, when, how, etc.

A good approach there could be to have two or more Valyrian factions - one Rhoynar-friendly/not annihilatory and then another faction insisting that they have to be destroyed completely - sort of like in Spartacus with Crassus and Gracchus.

13 minutes ago, The Dragon Demands said:

I'm geeking out over an animated Battle of Volantis that could do it justice, a quarter million strong Rhoynar army with water wizards vs 300 dragons!

If done properly that would be indeed be a sight to behold.

But my main interest is with the Corlys show. That could be a great thing if they do it right, focusing on the journey of just this guy, how he started as a boy/youth, how he wants to see everything, where he goes, who he travels with, who he meets, etc. There is literally endless potential there, and it shouldn't be that political but rather a personal voyage, something that has little to nothing to do with established ASoIaF content so far.

And it could end with the grand wedding of Corlys and Rhaenys in 90 AC.

And thinking about that - that show would then also give us Jaehaerys I and Alysanne in some fashion, since there is no chance that they don't show up at all.

13 minutes ago, The Dragon Demands said:

AND THEY'LL GIVE DORNE JUSTICE!  Elio said the TV show had destroyed any hope of this.

Of course. The proper way to enjoy this stuff implies you completely ignore/forget GoT and everything they did there - especially in relation to Dorne.

13 minutes ago, The Dragon Demands said:

Another thought is that maybe "Flea Bottom" is a tie-in to how Daemon would be forming the Gold Cloaks during the Rogue Prince era.  Like a spinoff following some of his side-characters in HotD Season 1.

That could work as well - a show taking place during the reign of Viserys I focusing on commoners could also work.

There is also a chance to intersect that directly with HotD (or the Nine Voyages, if it takes place earlier) - sort of mirroring the big stories on a smaller scale - say, folks having to deal with organized crime, corrupt officials, etc. - and then Daemon and other folks from HotD could have guest appearances and stuff.

[Daeron the Daring]

Considering that the 9 Great Voyages and Flea Bottom have to take place in the Targaryen era, I'd say Nymeria's story will be the animated one, simply because we've got live-action actors for the role.The Flea Bottom one I also can't imagine being interesting if not about Daemon. There's just nothing else that this one could be about, and that tells me it won't be the animated one.

[The Dragon Demands]

7 hours ago, Lord Varys said:

A good approach there could be to have two or more Valyrian factions - one Rhoynar-friendly/not annihilatory and then another faction insisting that they have to be destroyed completely - sort of like in Spartacus with Crassus and Gracchus.

Sort of like....we'd see a common Valyrian soldier or general perform so well in battle against the Rhoynar that there's a scene where they reward him with a dragon egg, conquered lands along the Rhoyne, and a couple hundred slaves.  That's how they started out, all the New Men who got elevated in the wars of conquest. Like the Gracchi. Skip to 600 years later, and all the "noob" dragonlords are strong enough to challenge the older ones.  I.e. I think they might show that the lowly ancestor of the Targaryens was just a footsoldier who was first over the walls when Old Ghis fell, and was rewarded with a dragon egg.

But that's a long ways off.

Quote

There is also a chance to intersect that directly with HotD (or the Nine Voyages, if it takes place earlier) - sort of mirroring the big stories on a smaller scale - say, folks having to deal with organized crime, corrupt officials, etc. - and then Daemon and other folks from HotD could have guest appearances and stuff.

Exactly. I think Nymeria was the animated project due to its budget....while "9 Voyages of Corlys" and "Daemon's Gold Cloaks in Flea Bottom in the early reign of Viserys I" would both be tie-in projects to House of the Dragon. Not a full series, but a series of ongoing specials/miniseries.

I seriously think Corlys Velaryon's voyages is the best way to open up the franchise to the Further East, to appeal to the China/Japan/India market. This is what they should be doing.

Did you know that China and India were the top countries for illegal downloads of Game of Thrones Season 8? And that India was the number four country worldwide discussing Season 8 on Instagram?  And the reverse of that, the show was NEVER popular in Japan - something about they don't have a good streaming HBO package deal there. 

So this might be a decision to open up the franchise to the international market - which is what I would do.

[The Dragon Demands]

.....I just asked the HotD Corlys Velaryon actor via Twitter, Steve Toussaint, if he's attached to the Corlys prequel (he liked my casting reaction video), and he said he's not. But that makes sense; the actor is 55, and this is "the adventures of Young Corlys" in his 20s.

 

[Lord Varys]

8 hours ago, Daeron the Daring said:

Considering that the 9 Great Voyages and Flea Bottom have to take place in the Targaryen era, I'd say Nymeria's story will be the animated one, simply because we've got live-action actors for the role.The Flea Bottom one I also can't imagine being interesting if not about Daemon. There's just nothing else that this one could be about, and that tells me it won't be the animated one.

As I said, it could also be about a young Dunk stuck in Flea Bottom before Ser Arlan shows up. And, in general, this is the kind of show that would come up with its own plot, anyway, only connected to the big picture via the era it is set in, i.e. during the reign of Jaehaerys I, Viserys I, or a later Targaryen king.

Daemon doesn't serve that long as commander of the Watch, so a series with him in that office couldn't be the basis for an entire show ... unless they change things around. He is the commander for a 1-2 years after he removed from the Small Council until Viserys I installs Rhaenyra as Heir Apparent, and then again for a couple of months after he returns from the Stepstones in 111 AC. And that's it.

In light of all that it is actually not very convincing that twenty years later there are still Daemon fanboys in the Watch. How old would those men have to be when they already served with him in 104-105 and 111 AC? And how close can they be to a man who lived in the Vale, on the Stepstones, Driftmark, and Dragonstone for the better part of three decades? That is all not that well thought out.

1 hour ago, The Dragon Demands said:

Sort of like....we'd see a common Valyrian soldier or general perform so well in battle against the Rhoynar that there's a scene where they reward him with a dragon egg, conquered lands along the Rhoyne, and a couple hundred slaves.  That's how they started out, all the New Men who got elevated in the wars of conquest. Like the Gracchi. Skip to 600 years later, and all the "noob" dragonlords are strong enough to challenge the older ones.  I.e. I think they might show that the lowly ancestor of the Targaryens was just a footsoldier who was first over the walls when Old Ghis fell, and was rewarded with a dragon egg.

But that's a long ways off.

You could also do something like that, of course ... but I meant more that the Rhoynar show could show different dragonlord factions during that war, especially with those dragonlords who originally allied with the Volantenes and helped them (or pushed them) against the Rhoynar, and other factions in Valyria who didn't want an escalation and/or tried to stop the war.

And something similar one could also see for the Rhoynar and Volantenes.

1 hour ago, The Dragon Demands said:

Exactly. I think Nymeria was the animated project due to its budget....while "9 Voyages of Corlys" and "Daemon's Gold Cloaks in Flea Bottom in the early reign of Viserys I" would both be tie-in projects to House of the Dragon. Not a full series, but a series of ongoing specials/miniseries.

I seriously think Corlys Velaryon's voyages is the best way to open up the franchise to the Further East, to appeal to the China/Japan/India market. This is what they should be doing.

I don't think the Corlys thing is just going to be a miniseries. That would be too short. It's nine great voyages, and to just have one episode per voyage wouldn't be that that great.

[Corvinus85]

16 hours ago, The Dragon Demands said:

Oh....shit.....

HBO just announced THREE other prequels they're considering. BY NAME:

• The 9 Voyages of Corlys Velaryon the Sea Snake. Titled "9 Voyages".  With Rome's Bruno Heller as executive producer.
• Nymeria & the 10,000 ships of the Rhoynar. Titled "10,000 Ships". 
• "Flea Bottom" - no other description. Something like "Flea Bottom: Life on the Street"?  They already did that with SVU!

....at least one of these might be one of the animated projects they were considering, though the Corlys Velaryon one is apparently live-action. Unclear if it's a full series. Probably want to show the international audience what Yi Ti is like.

I don't understand it...I've been checking the online copyright databases on a daily basis and none of this came up. 

@Ran

https://deadline.com/2021/03/game-of-thrones-prequels-sea-snake-9-voyages-flea-bottom-10000-ships-bruno-heller-1234717042/

I have a more subdued reaction to all this. But that is because I simply don't trust HBO that much anymore.

Corlys show - if the title is not "The Sea Snake" there is no point.  It could be fun, if it is a big budget Adventures of Sinbad type story. It could last a few seasons, each season covering 2-3 voyages, and throw in a war or two with Stepstones pirates and the Triarchy. They shouldn't shy away from sorcery stuff, and attempting to explore some of the mysteries set up in The World of Ice and Fire.

Nymeria show - this is for the book fans. I feel that the Dornish screw up in GoT would make this a hard sell for the larger audience, especially if animated. GoT provided no meaningful connection between Dorne and the main plot and main backgrounds of the story. They came close with Oberyn in season 4, but that was it. The question is, should the show be about the plight of a people, or the formation of a kingdom, or both? Because they could provide a Westerosi angle by showing House Martell's struggles against the other Andal houses at the same time with Nymeria's journey. Depending on these story choices, there might be several choices for the title.

I am lukewarm about calling it "10,000 Ships". If it is mainly about Nymeria, call it that, "Nymeria". "The Sun and the Spear" could be a title. But the most fitting would be House Martell's words, "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" which are mentioned in GoT.

Flea Bottom show - don't care much about this one, even if it has Dunk in it. Never been that much interested about Flea Bottom, but if it is meant to be a Rome-style show, then call it "King's Landing" and have characters from all levels of society. Maybe it could work. But if you want to do a show about "life on the street", I would prefer the setting be Braavos. Dorne isn't the only one that needs justice, the Faceless Men were a joke, too, in GoT.

[The Dragon Demands]

We need to have a frank talk with HBO’s marketing guy.

[The Bard of Banefort]

This is just. . . way too much. How many shows have they announced now? And what makes them think that the GOT fan base will come back for the spin offs, especially considering how huge the backlash to season 8 was? They’re making a spin-off for a character we haven’t even seen yet. For all we know, the audience might not even take to Corlys.

Interestingly, the one topic they’re not touching—Aegon IV—is one that I think would do really well. Alas. 

[The Dragon Demands]

@The Bard of Banefort

You want me to just give up on hope? Like Brooks did?