Following the backlash surrounding House of the Dragon Season 2, things are looking more positive for one upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff. HBO is continuing to explore ways to expand the Westeros franchise after Game of Thrones‘ ending. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is expected to debut in early 2026, before House of the Dragon Season 3 premieres later that same year, but that’s not the end of the network’s plans.
Videos by ComicBook.com
There are various other spinoffs in the works, ranging from an Aegon’s Conquest show to 10,000 Ships (about Princess Nymeria leading the Rhoynar to Dorne), and perhaps even a Game of Thrones movie. HBO has so far been undeterred by the response to House of the Dragon Season 2, which faced criticism for its pacing, cliffhanger ending, and several book changes. Thankfully, some of the future shows are well-positioned to avoid those same problems, including what might be the biggest Game of Thrones spinoff: Aegon’s Conquest.
Aegon’s Conquest Seems Likely To Avoid House Of The Dragon’s Problems
Though not officially ordered to series, there’s reason to be optimistic about the Aegon’s Conquest series, which will show how the Targaryens came to power in Westeros under King Aegon I. The show is being developed by Mattson Tomlin, co-writer of The Batman and its sequel, and he recently confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that author George R.R. Martin is involved in the show. The exact extent of that is unknown – certainly don’t expect Martin to write any of it – but he’ll presumably be a consultant for Tomlin, and advising on the story.
This bodes well, given it comes after Martin’s criticism of House of the Dragon, which he made public on his Not A Blog site before then deleting the post. The author had issues with changes the show made to the story, in particular surrounding the Blood and Cheese plot line (and what he dubbed the “toxic” butterfly effects it’d have). It pointed to a relationship that had soured, so that he’s still involved with the Aegon’s Conquest series is an encouraging sign for it being accurate to the story and bringing the Conquest to life in the way fans hope.
Of course, similar was said about House of the Dragon itself, with Martin speaking positively about the series in its earlier days, and even some of Season 2, before his critique showed that there were some clear differences of opinion. But with Martin’s continuing involvement in Aegon’s Conquest – and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which he’s already praised – then hopefully things can be different this time, and the show can get the right balance of fidelity to the source material with necessary additions and changes for the TV screen.
One House Of The Dragon Change Will Impact Aegon’s Conquest
House of the Dragon has made several changes not only to Martin’s Fire & Blood, but wider Game of Thrones lore. One of the biggest retcons is Aegon the Conqueror’s A Song of Ice and Fire dream, with the prequel revealing that he was driven not by ambition or power, but rather because he foresaw a coming winter that would cast the world into darkness, and only a Targaryen ruling Westeros could defeat it.
This doesn’t just recontextualize Game of Thrones Season 8 and the battle against the White Walkers, but much more so an Aegon’s Conquest show. Presumably, Tomlin’s series will have to include this change, likely with a direct visualization of the dream itself. Not doing so would be odd for HBO’s Game of Thrones franchise, making things feel disjointed. However, while Martin has been against some changes, this is one that actually came from him.
Martin first talked about Aegon conquering Westeros because of the White Walkers back in 2018, and House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal confirmed to Insider that’s where the idea originated, saying: “That was the detail that George actually gave us early in the story break – the idea that Aegon the Conqueror was himself a dreamer and that’s what motivated the conquest. Which he mentioned casually in conversation, as he often does with huge pieces of information like that.”
Aegon’s Conquest Could Be The Biggest Game Of Thrones Spinoff
Aegon’s Conquest isn’t free from challenges, even with Martin onboard. The story is relatively straightforward, because Aegon, his sister-wives, and their trio of dragons are so unstoppable to most of Westeros. At the same time, though, it has all the ingredients to be a major success – family drama, politics, and lots of dragon-fuelled action. The potential sequences of Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar blazing a trail of fire and fury across Westeros should make for epic TV, and that could help it become one of the franchise’s biggest shows, and perhaps the biggest spinoff. This is the Targaryen story, after all, and it should be a home run for HBO.
All episodes of Game of Thrones, along with House of the Dragon Seasons 1 and 2, are streaming on HBO Max.
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics -
Image Courtesy of DC Comics
