HBO chief gives updates on Game of Thrones finale, prequel premiere

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Lately, there's been some confusion circling the seven kingdoms and beyond about the Jane Goldman-scripted GAME OF THRONES prequel, though HBO chief Casey Boys has recently come forward with an update for those looking forward to the mysterious show. A few weeks ago, there were reports that production on the pilot was in motion beginning in October in Belfast at The Paint Hall in the city’s Titanic Quarters. This information has since been proven false, as Bloys revealed that HBO was still in process of choosing the right script at the time, with Goldman's ultimately taking the top prize. “That was the one we’re excited about” said Bloys. Meanwhile, the four other scripts have been scrapped. No soup for them, it would seem.

While attending TCA, Bloys also stated that the final season of GAME OF THRONES will premiere during the first half of 2019. “I’m not going to say what to expect (in the final season) through it’s pretty great,” Bloys teased. “Sometime in 2019…first half.”

Created by writer Jane Goldman (STARDUST, THE WOMAN IN BLACK) and novelist who loves to kill your favorite characters, George R.R. Martin, the pilot for the prequel, which was given the go-ahead in June, will take place thousands of years before the events of GAME OF THRONES. It's also been noted that none of the characters from the award-winning HBO series will appear in the prequel (duh). So far, the upcoming prequel series is being described as “the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend… it’s not the story we think we know.”

While teasing fans about the project on a blog post, Martin dangled a delicious piece of Hot Pie's bread in front of fans by adding, “This one really puts the pre in prequel, since it is set not ninety years before Game of Thrones (like Dunk & Egg), or a few hundred years, but rather ten thousand years (well, assuming the oral histories of the First Men are accurate, but there are maesters at the Citadel who insist it has only been half that long).  We’re very early in the process, of course, with the pilot order just in.”

What do you all think of Goldman and Martin's plan for a GAME OF THRONES prequel? Are you excited to witness the horrific history of the White Walkers? What manner of beasts and monsters do you think roamed the land thousands of years before the war for the Iron Throne? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

GAME OF THRONES Season 8 is expected to debut during the first half of 2019.