HBO Plotting A New Game Of Thrones Prequel About Aegon The Conqueror, Could Begin With A Film
There may be even more incest and dragons coming to our screens in the near(ish) future. It appears HBO and Warner Bros. want to keep turning the clock back on Westeros; after showing us the beginning of the fall of House Targaryen in the surprisingly excellent "House of the Dragon," another prequel based on George R.R. Martin's books could explore how the family first came to (and conquered) Westeros.
That's right! Variety reports that HBO is in very early stages of producing a prequel about Aegon I Targaryen, also known as Aegon the Conqueror (ancestor of all the other Aegons you keep mixing up). By early stages we mean the project "is being actively discussed," which is about as much a guarantee of it definitely happening as all the "Star Wars" movies that get announced and unceremoniously canceled.
Because this project is as close to being made as any of the other "Game of Thrones" spin-offs that were announced but have yet to materialize, there is neither a writer nor a director attached to the project, let alone any actors. Variety also reports that there may be a "feature component" to it, meaning would produce a feature film with its sister company, Warner Bros. Pictures, which would then lead into the series. However, plans remain "in flux."
Fire and blood
Now, Aegon the Conqueror is both a fascinating and a stupidly boring figure upon whom to base an entire show. Sure, he is the founder of the Targaryen dynasty, responsible for the creation of the Seven Kingdoms as we know them, as well as the forging of the Iron Throne. That being said, his story is largely just one of Aegon and his two sister-wives rampaged across Westeros burning anyone who dared to defy them until all the kingdoms had bowed their heads. (Well, not every kingdom — shout out to the unbowed, unbent, and unbroken Yellow Toad of Dorne.)
The idea of a feature film with a big budget for VFX does sound enticing since even "House of the Dragon" (which has the word dragon in its title) barely featured the flying beasts, but is that enough to carry a whole feature, let alone a series? This franchise has become extremely popular not because of its action — since there is not that much of it, all things considered — but because of the character drama and political maneuvering. A story that is mostly all about battles, and one with a lot of incest, may be too much for audiences.