Game of Thronesremains one of modern memory’s most fascinating media events. Few shows reached its level of universal praise and ubiquity before becoming a laughingstock. The last season hurt audience engagement in the iconic fantasy realm of Westeros. HBO scrambled to save its most iconic franchise, leading to several planned spinoffs.Bloodmoonsurvived long enough to produce a pilot before the studio canceled it.
House of the Dragondidn’t elevate the franchise to the dizzying heights it once occupied, but it dug their good name out of the season eight slump. The adaptation ofFire and Bloodbrought many of the original series' best elements to the forefront again. Their first spinoff held the weight of the world. The franchise could have been done ifHouse of the Dragonhadn’t worked out. That paralyzing pressure could have prompted HBO to cancelBloodmoon.
What wasBloodmoonabout?
Bloodmoontakes place thousands of years before the events ofGame of Thrones. The series would have depicted thelegendary Age of Heroes. This distant period established the mythic stories most Noble Houses draw their lineage from. It was a golden era of conquest and victory. Humans came to Westeros during the Dawn Age. After generations of war with the indigenous Children of the Forest, they made peace and established settlements. The Age of Heroes would be distinct from previousGame of Thronesstories. It depicts epic battles against deities and monsters, tales of high fantasy, and several foundational myths of Westeros. The books barelydig into those narratives. As expected,Bloodmoonwouldn’t stay in the period of high adventure for long.
The Age of Heroes ends abruptly in the sudden terror of the Long Night. While the Children of the Forest fought humanity, they wielded their dark magic to transform a man into a twisted zombie. He was the first white walker. Some 2,000 years after humans signed the Pact with the locals, the white walkers invaded from the North. A freezing winter covered Westeros, snowing without end for a generation. Crops died in the fields as innocents froze in their homes. White walkers stormed the countryside, murdering anyone they encountered. Every human they killed rose as a wight, transforming victims into an endless undead army. Humanity and theChildren of the Forestallied and defeated the white walkers at the Battle of the Dawn. They constructed the Wall to keep them confined to the frozen North. It’s a period of horror and darkness that could have snuffed out all living things. It would have made a fascinating fantasy show.
Who was involved inBloodmoon?
Bloodmoongot further than most potential spinoffs. HBO announced a cast, several behind-the-scenes professionals, and produced a pilot. While some names inspired hope in the premise, others were less impressive. Here’s a list of some of the talent attached toBloodmoon:
Why didn’tBloodmooncome out?
Though HBO produced a pilot, fans never saw it. HBO executives responded negatively to the pilot, seemingly rejecting it outright. No sources have mentioned the issues withBloodmoon, but it was almost instantly killed. George R. R. Martin has never seen the pilot. HBO announced that it wouldn’t move forward withBloodmoon. The studio swiftly followed that by announcingHouse of the Dragon, ordered to series without a pilot. Without having seen the pilot, it’s impossible to speculate what went wrong. The limited details suggest substantial deviations from the books and a unique tone.
Theshowrunners ofGame of Thronesenjoyed a massive library of source material.Bloodmoonwould have been based on scant references and occasional backstory details to create a story. The spinoff had the weight of the world on its shoulders, leading HBO to gravitate toward a safer bet. Their gambit worked out, asHouse of the Dragonsaved the franchise. The world may never know what Goldman and Clarkson might have created in the Age of Heroes.
