HBO chief talks potential air date of Game of Thrones prequel
By Corey Smith
Game of Thrones is coming to an end, but HBO has plans for a potential prequel series. Learn when it might air!
And it stars Ed Sheeran! Only kidding. Details still remain sparse on HBO’s planned Game of Thrones prequel, but replacing its flagship show is a priority for the network. While attending the Television Critics Association’s press tour, HBO chief Casey Bloys commented on the network’s plans for a prequel series, and when it might air,
"The No. 1 priority in all of this is the final season of Game of Thrones,. I don’t want to do anything with a spin-off or anything that detracts or distracts from that. That season will happen and my guess is it would be at least a year before you saw anything else. What I don’t want is the attention to be drawn from the final season, which I think is going to be epic and amazing and somehow have the distraction of a new Game of Thrones airing right after that. It’s best to separate it and that’s what we’ll do."
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With ratings through the roof for the first two episodes of season 7, it might seem far fetched that anything, including a prequel, could distract fans from Game of Thrones, but we do see Bloy’s point. Airing at least a year after the conclusion of the current series would be a significant buffer, but timing it correctly could prove difficult. Season 8 of Game of Thrones currently has no air date, and could potentially begin filming later this year, or in 2018.
Author George R.R. Martin is involved with all four potential prequel projects, although the degree to which he is involved remains unclear. HBO is said to be deciding between one of the four, but all will be fair enough in Westeros’ past that no current characters will appear. Not even Ed Sheeran.
Ed Sheeran as Ed – Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
We also know that none of the prequel series will focus on Robert’s Rebellion or the adventures of Dunk and Egg. Chronologically those are the two potential series closest to the current show, which falls in line with Bloys comments that no current characters will appear in the prequel series.
Next: Heroes and Zeros from Game of Thrones 702, “Stormborn”
Until then, Game of Thrones returns Sunday, with “The Queen’s Justice” at 9 PM EST.