Game of Thrones’ final season may still be a few months away, but the show and its upcoming prequel series is already dominating the news.
Last week was an exciting one for fans of the show. First, there was an award-winning Super Bowl commercial for Bud Light, featuring a Westerosi twist. Then, we finally got our first glimpse of Season Eight in the form of some very ambiguous, yet tantalizing promotional photos.
It’s getting harder and harder to wait until the season premiere!
If you feel like you need some fresh merchandise before April 14th, you’re in luck. HBO has partnered once again with Funko to produce more adorable vinyl dolls of your favorite Thrones characters, this time seated on the Iron Throne. You can also now acquire #ForTheThrone t-shirts and Adidas sneakers in a range of Thrones-inspired styles.
When not promoting Season Eight, HBO’s programming president Casey Bloys continues to keep fans updated on the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series. Bloys recently told Entertainment Weekly that the show is set to begin filming early this summer.
While some fans wonder if the untitled prequel series will match Game of Thrones in terms of quality or popularity, it’s nice to know that Westeros won’t be gone for good after the finale of Season Eight.
HBO seems eager to retain Game of Thrones’ massive audience, but it’s also being cautious. Bloys stated that the prequel will not premiere until at least a year after Thrones ends. He also clarified that at least for now, HBO only has plans for the prequel series, and can’t promise any other shows set in Westeros.
Originally, HBO had explored five different proposals for a spin-off show before settling on a prequel starring Naomi Watts. It seems wise to take things slow and see how audiences will react to a new Game of Thrones-inspired show before committing to too many different ventures.
HBO has created a loyal and strongly-opinionated fan-base for Game of Thrones. The prequel needs to offer both a fresh take on Westeros and its inhabitants while still retaining the nuance and quality that fans expect from the original series. It’s a tall order, and it will be interesting to see how show-runner Jane Goldman creates a worthy successor to Game of Thrones.
If Goldman’s prequel series encounters some growing pains along the way, it’s in good company. The Huffington Post recently did some digging and found the script for the original, un-aired pilot of Season One of Game of Thrones. The unearthed script is a nice demonstration of how much hard work and revision has gone into making Thrones the show it is today.
Keep checking in with us for the latest Game of Thrones news.
