HBO's decision to follow 'Game of Thrones' with a prequel instead of a movie defies prestige TV trends
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
There is only one marketing blitz that matters, and it is here. “Game of Thrones” season eight news has dominated the entertainment industry this month, sparked by a behind-the-scenes look at the making of TV’s most expensive show ever in history. HBO has also started dropping hints about the upcoming and still-untitled spinoff series, including casting announcements , and hints of more prequels potentially in the pipeline . But remarkably, HBO remains committed to keeping “Game of Thrones” and its offshoots on the small screen even as similar hits are moving to movie-style lengths and budgets, if not the movie houses themselves.
Adapting the best of so-called prestige TV for the big screen is a big trend in the current market. Only a couple of days after “Game of Thrones” kicked off its marketing for the final season, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” — long considered a rival — revealed that main character Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln) was being written out of the show after nine seasons so he could star in a planned “Walking Dead” trio of films . This trilogy will air on AMC, however, keeping eyeballs at home where the network believes they belong while still offering the look and feel of a blockbuster.
Literally the day after AMC's statement, HBO announced the movie spinoff for “Deadwood” — the critically acclaimed show that ran from 2004 to 2006 — had begun production. Two days later, AMC confirmed it was also beginning production on the “Breaking Bad” movie , a direct sequel of the show that ended in 2014. Meanwhile PBS staples like “ Downton Abbey ” and “ Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries ” have feature films coming out in 2019.
Meanwhile, Netflix and Amazon are blurring entertainment lines with projects like “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” — which dropped on Netflix on November 16, after debuting in theaters on November 8. "Buster Scruggs" was originally pitched as a TV series but was later redone and re-budgeted as a movie because it was deemed "too big" for the small screen.
HBO had its own “Buster Scruggs” opportunity with “Game of Thrones.” Rumors floated around for years that the series would ultimately end with a movie adaptation. At the time, the idea was mostly attributed to author George R.R. Martin and not taken very seriously. But buried in the flurry of season eight hype this month was a story from Entertainment Weekly revealing that this idea had indeed been considered by showrunners as early as season three.
According to Entertainment Weekly, HBO was so pleased with the ratings from season two that it was ready to greenlit the series through season seven, or the end of Martin's books. But the showrunners had big plans for the series' conclusion — even bigger than what they'd originally sold to HBO. It was the ultimate "six seasons and a movie," or in this case a trilogy of movies. In order to realize their vision, the producers assumed they would need to secure a movie-sized budget and team.
That plan came crashing down, however, when HBO said no. According to the EW report , the idea of moving the show to the cineplex didn’t jive with the channel's subscription-based business plan. Plus, the idea that TV and movies might be interchangeable had not yet taken hold. Remember, in 2012 Netflix was still mostly just a way to rent movies (through the mail) and Amazon was a place that used to sell books but now also sold household items. Instead, HBO’s executives told the showrunners they would have to grow the production, year by year, into a TV series big enough to support a summer blockbuster ending — and prove it was worthy of one.
To their credit, the showrunners listened. One of the reasons “Game of Thrones” gets so much press and creates so much excitement is that every year the show manages to get bigger and lusher. Each of the last four seasons has tried to top the one before in terms of shock value and battle drama. One can argue the effectiveness of the former, but no one argues the latter. As long-time chronicler of the show James Hibbard said recently , the show has become something that stands apart from everything else: “Not to quote HBO, but it’s really not TV. It’s also really not a film, either. It’s its own really ambitious piece.”
And from the looks of it, HBO hopes to continue this trend. The “Game of Thrones” prequel is itself unusual — there was no similar continuation for “Oz.” There was no “Meadow's Family” that came along after “The Sopranos.” “Rome” was not followed by “Gaul” (in three parts or otherwise). But with this epic story, HBO aims to prove TV can step up and compete with blockbusters without actually becoming them. That’s why the prequel is such a high stakes gamble: It needs to prove that the first "Game of Thrones" series was not a fluke, and that other TV shows, when grown properly, can follow on this heretofore untrod path.
“Game of Thrones” is like nothing else on television, and production gods (old and new) willing, the prequel will be too.
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I have been looking forward to the final season of GOT, but I am wondering how good a prequel would be.
What was prequel? Charcoal or chisel and mallet?
Sorry, couldn't help myself...
I'm looking forward to it, too, since it doesn't look like "Winds of Winter" is ever going to get published.....
Yeah, kind of bummed about that.
It has been so long, I will have to re-watch the last season before I start a new one.
I would start from season 1. In fact I already started that for me a few weeks ago. I will have all the details fresh in my mind for the final season.
OK so all you have to remember is there is a white walker dragon now and he has melted down the wall and all the white walkers are coming through.. also they know how to kill them with obsidian, but do they have enough and can they get it out to everyone in time. And there is an unholy alliance between all the kingdoms. Everyone has bent a knee to Daenerys Targaryen, even Cersei.
Now that is dedication!
See, I didn't remember them bending a knee to her. I remember the dragon and the sisters talking on the wall.
I should do that. There is always something I miss anyway.
Especially with this series! The details are amazing and I guarantee that watching earlier episodes with your current context will be very interesting (and revealing).
Fascination would be my word.
Well, while you are waiting, if you have Netflix or Amazon Prime, you should watch "The Last Kingdom". It's a more realistic version of GoT but about the Viking invasion in England. It's addicting and the character Uhtred son of Uhtred is da bomb. Best part, the madness you see, was actually basically true.
I wouldn't mind seeing a prequel of how Robert took the thrown that would encompass the end of the age of dragons. It is pretty well laid out in the books; but flushing it out would make for a very nice series.
Well there is also the back story of how Daenerys' father ruled. He was supposed to be horrible and cruel.
He was insane. He had Ned's father and brother burned to death
In full armor.
I wish he'd finish the books soon!!!!!!!!
I can't wait for April but when it's all over it's going to suck!!!!!
Agreed
I'd love to see when the Aegon, Rhaenys and Visenya took over Westeros. Love to see Balerion the Black Dread in action and the demise of Harrenhal.
YES!
I would like to see young Ned and Robert in action
YES!
Bran has already given us plenty of glimpses into what will likely be in the prequel.
But, alas, GoT will not be the same without the Tyrion character.
I have to agree with you there. I love Tyrion. He is my favorite character by far.
Yeah, mine too - and by far as well.
Did he get killed off? I can't remember.
No, absolutely not. But the prequel will be set before Tyrion was born (or as a young child). So the character we love will not be there.
>whew< thanks. I'll probably need to watch the whole series again before the new season.
I recommend that. I am watching the entire series (all seven seasons) right now (slowly but surely).
We have been main lining GOT for the last 4 days. My mother in law has all the DVDs. Now I know what all the hubbub was about.
I had avoided getting caught up in the GoT series for years. Two summers ago, at the end of season 7, I went to visit my mom at my sister's house when she was in town from Texas. My sister is a huge fan of GoT. HBO was running a back to back GoT marathon and my sister convinced my mom and myself to watch season 1 to see if we liked it. Needless to say, I was unprepared to see what basically turned out to be soft porn with my mom in the same room and it made me very uncomfortable, which my sister found hilarious. Fortunately for me, the violence was much more graphic than the sex, but sitting in the same room with my mother and sister while some guy was putting the wood to his own sister, and the other assorted sexual escapades presented, was more than a little disturbing.
My wife wanted to see 50 Shades and had my sister over for it. I thought I was going to feel uncomfortable, but I was so bored I fell asleep and started snoring, apparently mid spank scene. But yes, I could understand how GOT could make you uncomfortable.
My daughters who are 24 won't watch anything with me that has any nudity in it. They say it's freaky. I have to laugh since I was not that way at all.
You watched nudity with your mom?
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I have never really gotten into Game Of Thrones, although I like to read about people discussing it.
I went to see "The Kentucky Fried Movie", and "Where's Papa" with my mom. She drew the line at "Midnight Cowboy", LOL.
I don't remember those movies that well.
At least it wasn't Boogie Nights.
My mom insisted on accompanying me to go see Bonnie and Clyde back in the 60's when I was a kid and everyone went to the "show" on friday nights. Luckily for my reputation, we moved out of town the next year.
I just finished the third season. What the actual fuck! All of the Stark elders wiped out! HOLY CRAP!. Didn't even get a hint until the very end. WOW.
I'll be on my way to my mother in law's for the rest of the seasons on Monday.
Yeah that is one of the darkest aspects of GoT. But things do improve for the Starks.
Don't say another word!
I am taking my tracking off of this thread.
I'll let my imagination go wild until Monday...
That is all I was planning to tell you.
The Red Wedding????
I thought the internetz were going to blow up when that happened. People who read the books knew it was coming but those that didn't.....
My least favorite part of the story.
It blew me away that's for sure
End of Season 5. They KILLED Jon Snow! Still in shock.
Quite a roller coaster is it not?
The ride is far from over.
No hints though.
My wife has called for the murder of quite a few characters and only one of them has been killed. She has a special hate for Cersei, her walk of shame still hasn't warmed us toward her...I have a feeling that she will get revenge...
I was happy that Brienne got to take out Stanniis but alas the Red Bitch still lives.
I have found George R. R. Martin to be deceptive as hell. He really has a knack for shocking readers with his story lines. 'Good' characters are eliminated while many tyrants remain. But sometimes we do see a fitting end to the worst characters. Joffrey's demise is a case in point.
I laughed and laughed and laughed when that little bastard got his just desserts in the book.
And then I laughed and laughed some more when I saw it on the small screen.
I still haven't gotten over Ned's demise
Patience, young Padawan.
Yeah, that was the first major shocker. One of the reasons Joffrey was so hated.
If Joffrey had lived he logically would have become a cowardly version of Ramsay Bolton. Joffrey had the potential for Ramsay's sadistic cruelty but unlike Ramsay, Joffrey was a sniveling wimp with a big mouth and a fantasized ego. This is not, however, an endorsement of Ramsay. (Nuf sed)
Ice Spiders.....from Old Nan's story to Bran: