There's been chatter about a Game of Thrones movie for a couple of years, but ahead of Warner Bros. Discovery's merger with Paramount Skydance, the project is seemingly taking shape.
According to Page Six (via SFFGazette.com), a Game of Thrones movie is in development, with House of Cards showrunner and Andor writer Beau Willimon penning the screenplay. The Hollywood trades have since confirmed that the feature is officially moving forward.
With a lot of uncertainty surrounding how Warner Bros. and HBO will spend the next couple of years as this merger begins taking shape, there's always a risk that a Game of Thrones movie will get lost in the shuffle. However, the company will need to continue as if it's business as usual, especially if regulatory hurdles bring a premature end to the $111 billion deal.
According to the site, "Sources tell P6H that WBD's leadership team was pumped on Willimon's draft, and that the storyline may center on Aegon I."
Also known as Aegon the Conqueror and Aegon the Dragon, Aegon I was the first Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and King on the Iron Throne, having conquered six of the Seven Kingdoms during the Conquest. The dragonlord was the founder of the ruling Targaryen dynasty of Westeros, and his story plays out roughly 300 years before the first episode of Game of Thrones.
The Iron Throne was also forged at his order, meaning this movie would serve as an origin story of sorts for the franchise as a whole. After all, both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have revolved around the battle to decide who should sit upon it.
It's also a story that should lend itself well to epic action and plenty of dragons. As one source put it, "All of 'Game of Thrones' stems back to him, and you’ve never seen him on any of the shows."
The potential for a great movie—and multiple sequels—is definitely there, and HBO boss Casey Bloys first teased plans for the big screen take on Westeros at the end of 2024.
"They’re going to develop idea," he said. "We’ll see if it’s good. We’ll read the scripts along with them. I think it could be fun and interesting. I mean, that’s the point of development, you see is there a story that’s worthy of being in theaters and a big spectacle? I think it would be fun."
Hopefully, we'll have more to share on this one soon, and Warner Bros. will no doubt be keeping a close eye on how The Mandalorian and Grogu fares this May (seeing as it's a theatrical follow-up to another hit series).
Stay tuned for more on this Game of Thrones movie as we have it.