Game of Thrones: Pilot for cancelled spin-off cost HBO over $30m, says former executive
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A pilot for an aborted Game of Thrones spin-off cost HBO more than $30m (£22.5m), claims former executive Bob Greenblatt.
Greenblatt is the former chairman of WarnerMedia entertainment, which is the parent company of HBO (now HBO Max).
A new book by journalist James Andrew Miller, entitled Tinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Fronteirs, features an interview with Greenblatt, in which he discussed the spin-off.
With Game of Thrones coming to an end in 2018, HBO began developing several prospective spin-offs for their epic fantasy hit.
According to the book, Greenblatt entered the decision-making process after showrunner Jane Goldman’s prospective Thrones pilot had already entered production.
“They had spent over $30m on a Game of Thrones prequel pilot that was in production when I got there,” he said, (per Insider). “And when I saw a cut of it in a few months after I arrived, I said to [HBO’s chief content officer Casey Bloys], ‘This just doesn’t work and I don’t think it delivers on the promise of the original series.’ And he didn’t disagree, which actually was a relief.”
“So we unfortunately decided to pull the plug on it,” he continued. “There was enormous pressure to get it right and I don’t think that would have worked.”
While the project, which was reportedly set thousands of years before the events of Thrones, was abandoned, the network is looking to develop a number of other spin-offs, including House of the Dragon, which arrives on HBO Max next year.
“I’m the one who encouraged Casey to greenlight [House of the Dragon] to series,” Greenblatt said. “I said, ‘Let’s not risk $30m on a pilot.’ So I said, ‘Let’s not make a pilot. Let’s get a great series that we feel good about, and just make it. Or not.”
The Independent has contacted HBO Max for comment.
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