HBO Eyeing Aegon the Conqueror Series, Possible Feature Film

[Westeros]

Variety has an exclusive scoop: HBO is actively considering a TV show about Aegon’s Conquest, which would take the Game of Thrones franchise back to the very beginning of the establishment of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros. Per Variety:

As the project is in its very early stages, no writer is currently attached, though sources say that the search is underway as HBO is keen to move forward and get it into development. Sources also say that there may be a feature component to the project, i.e. HBO and Warner Bros. would produce a feature film that would then lead into the potential series, though plans remain in flux at present.

The full story of Aegon’s Conquest was first told in The World of Ice and Fire, which was later expanded with more information about the aftermath in Fire & Blood.

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[RumHam]

Kinda seems like they should have just adapted the entire history, starting from this. Like what I understand The Crown is, where it skips time between seasons and changes cast and main characters. Rather than adapting it piecemeal starting with what they see as the most interesting period and then working backwards in terms of interestingness. 

But that's also just me wanting more and especially not wanting House of the Dragon to end where everyone figures it should end. 

[vorspiel]

and none for the starks thank god

[The Bard of Banefort]

I feel like this could only work as an adaptation if they’re willing to make significant changes to the source material. It’s basically just Aegon steamrolling through kingdom after kingdom, setting shit on fire. The only resistance is in Dorne, but that’s also the Targaryens at their most sociopathic. I like Aegon’s Conquest for the lore, but lore is not storytelling.

It looks like HBO wants to stick to adapting stories that have source material. But aren’t people going to get sick of the Targaryens after a while? Book fans complain all the time that George focuses too much on them. On TV, they all look the same and have the same names. There are two huge continents to explore, why not do so?

On the bright side, hopefully the potential for more spin-offs will inspire George to finish Fire and Blood.

[Annara Snow]

21 minutes ago, vorspiel said:

and none for the starks thank god

?

None what? You do know the Starks would be in this, too?

[Annara Snow]

6 minutes ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

I feel like this could only work as an adaptation if they’re willing to make significant changes to the source material. It’s basically just Aegon steamrolling through kingdom after kingdom, setting shit on fire. The only resistance is in Dorne, but that’s also the Targaryens at their most sociopathic. I like Aegon’s Conquest for the lore, but lore is not storytelling.

It looks like HBO wants to stick to adapting stories that have source material. But aren’t people going to get sick of the Targaryens after a while? Book fans complain all the time that George focuses too much on them. On TV, they all look the same and have the same names. There are two huge continents to explore, why not do so?

On the bright side, hopefully the potential for more spin-offs will inspire George to finish Fire and Blood.

The Conquest is the most boring premise for a TV show of all the Targaryen related ones. It would only work as a prelude to the crisis under Aenys and Maegor's usurpation, lots of drama there. By itself, it's just not an interesting story. Unless they were to focus on everyone else other than the Targaryens - show the various POVs of the Westerosi people from various kingdoms.. but I doubt that's what they want to do.

This reminds me of HBO greenlighting the failed Long Night prequel. Back then, a lot of people also realized it was a bad premise for a TV show, and that there were so many better ones to use for a prequel, but HBO execs were obviously thinking "Zombies, White Walkers! People will eat it up!" and now they're obviously thinking "More Targaryens with dragons! People wil eat it up!"

[The Bard of Banefort]

Now that I think about it, isn’t the concept of a story about independent kingdoms that are invaded by a neighboring force with nukes a bit. . . untimely? I think when George wrote it, he was probably coming at it from the perspective of an American Boomer and “preserve the Union” and all that, but I don’t think that would be what people got out of it now.

And maybe I’m completely off, but I don’t really think the dragons are the main reason why people watch these shows. They’re more of an added perk.

Edited April 4, 2023 by The Bard of Banefort

[Lord Varys]

The Conquest could work if we care about the people from the different kingdoms. Which means a season for buildup, introducing everyone and their schemes ... perhaps even start with the deaths of Aerion and Valaena and Aegon's stuff with the Volantenes and the marriages of the siblings.

And the war as such can be presented as not easily won. People die, there can be various setbacks, things could look worse than they turn out to be, etc.

What we have is a very brief overview - with neither character development nor an insight into the motivations and goals and feelings of the characters.

[Mithras]

This can only mean that GRRM is serious about that awful prophecy retcon. It seems there is no person in his circle telling him why it is such a bad idea.

[Farerb]

I don't know how much people would have patience getting one piece of Targaryen history after another. I know there are people who want to have a show about Jaehaerys' family drama but that would just bore people in my opinion. Aegon's conquest is not that interesting beyond a background exposition too in my opinion.

[Vaegon Stargaryen]

I'd really love to see another Targaryen series but there isn't much story the tell in the Conquest side of the Targaryen history except the Dornish conquests stories.

However, I think HBO should make an adaptation of the first Blackfyre rebellion or better still Robert's rebellion.

 

 

[Thomaerys Velaryon]

They haven't attached anyone to this project yet, clearly we are at a very start of developpement. What we can be confidently sure about with this talk of a movie/series is that HBO is open to pretty much anything to milk the Ice and Fire world.

I agree with most of you making a show on the Conquest is a bad idea, most of the characters are not fleshed out enough or are bearly character at all in Fire & Blood. It would require a lot of work especially for Aegon.

If I were to adapt this era to screen, I would make a Conquest movie and ending it with Balerion forging the Iron Throne and Aegon looking at Dorne on a map. Then a 3 seasons series about Aegon and his sons's reigns (probably with shorter episodes, I don't think such a show need 10 episodes per season). Season 1: First Dornish War, season 2: Aenys's reign, and season 3: Maegor's reign and ending with young Jaehaerys being crowned.

[Luca]

Aegon conquest could work as a movie, and the series could be Dorne / Aenys / Maegor

[Caligula_K3]

Oh good. More Targaryens. Just what I wanted.

And as others in this thread have put it... Out of all the Targaryen show ideas, this one is probably the least exciting. Aegon has the superweapons, Aegon burns lots of people, Aegon wins. Yaaaay.

Now, a fall of Valyria show could be cool. At least there's something different there, and look, HBO, you could even have Targaryen main characters!

[The Bard of Banefort]

I’m still trying to figure out how they can even afford all these dragon scenes. That has to be crazy expensive.

[Mystical]

Enough with the Aryens already. Thousands of years of unexplored history in Westeros yet we are stuck in the same 300 year time period (if Dunk&Egg happens) over and over. Why not pick another time (like Andal invasion) which would give creative freedom due to lack of history? Heck give me a mini series (like 6 1h episodes) about some of the strange places on the planet.

[SeanF]

Aegon’s Conquest is too one sided.

[Quaithe from Asshai]

If this show/movie happens, it will be in a few years. If you consider this along with HBO eyeing to greenlit season 3 HoTD (so they have something for 2025 or 2026) I think this might be an indication the other shows are dead.

[The Dragon Demands]

They might not be doing it the way we would, but it should start with the Conquest and end with the fall of Maegor - the through-line is that Visenya lives to be very old, near the end of Maegor's reign.

Given GRRM said "Sons of the Dragon would be 3 books if I fully narrativized it", I think we're looking at a 5 "Act" structure:

• Season 1 - The Targaaryen Conquest
• Season 2 - First Dornish War
• Season 3 - The weak reign of King Aenys
• Season 4 - The Rise of Maegor
• Season 5 - the Fall of Maegor

"Season 1" or "Act 1" here has the least source material by word count, and is very action heavy...so...yeah, I can see that working as a big budget movie on the scale of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Telling the whole thing in 3 hours (hopefully not less). Reasonable men might differ on this but...the idea has merit. 

EDIT: Thomaerys Velaryon said basically the same thing a few posts up in the thread, the difference is that he said Maegor should be a single season. I cite that GRRM said 'Sons of the Dragon is 3 books worth of story" that it has 3 "Act breaks" in it.

...MAYBE have Maegor's reign be one of those super-sized final seasons that gets split in half to functionally make two smaller seasons, like final seasons of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Mad Men, etc.

Edited April 4, 2023 by The Dragon Demands

[The Dragon Demands]

3 hours ago, Mystical said:

Enough with the Aryens already. Thousands of years of unexplored history in Westeros yet we are stuck in the same 300 year time period (if Dunk&Egg happens) over and over. Why not pick another time (like Andal invasion) which would give creative freedom due to lack of history? Heck give me a mini series (like 6 1h episodes) about some of the strange places on the planet.

That sounds like Stark talk. I don't like it.

Fire & Blood alone move the wheels of history!