Fantasy Series That Could Be the Next ‘Game of Thrones’
Although fan reaction to its final season was, shall we say, less than stellar, there’s no denying that HBO’s “Game of Thrones” dominated the pop culture conversation until the very end, and now that it’s over we’re all left with a Drogon-sized hole in our TV viewing schedule.
Luckily for us, there are plenty of new series in the works hoping to jump on the fantasy bandwagon, and with so many to choose from it’s possible that one of them just might be the next “Game of Thrones.”
Dune
The interplanetary setting of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” may be more science fiction than fantasy, but its military and political maneuvering between rival families will surely appeal to “Game of Thrones” fans.
The novel has seen previous attempts at adaptation with varying degrees of success, but a new film franchise beginning in 2020 might be the most promising yet.
Denis Villeneuve, known for sci-fi hits “Arrival” and “Blade Runner 2049” is set to direct, with an all-star cast including Oscar Isaac and Timothée Chalamet as father-son duo Leto and Paul Atreides, as well as Zendaya and “Thrones” favorite Jason Momoa.
‘Game of Thrones’ Age of Heroes Spin-off
Let’s start with the shows with the most literal claim to being the next “Game of Thrones”: HBO’s planned spin-offs.
Furthest along in its development is a show set thousands of years before the events of “Game of Thrones” during the Age of Heroes that may feature legendary characters like Bran the Builder and Lann the Clever, progenitors of the Stark and Lannister lines.
The series is helmed by writer Jane Goldman, known for her work on the X-Men franchise, and Naomi Watts is set to star. No title has been revealed, but George R. R.
Martin’s preferred title “The Long Night” has fans hopeful that we’ll learn more about the mysterious origins of the White Walkers and the Night King.
The Dark Tower
Stephen King adaptations are more popular than ever, and perhaps none is more hotly anticipated than the upcoming Amazon series based on “The Dark Tower,” following gunslinger Roland Deschain’s clash with the Man in Black on his quest through the Western-style Mid-World.
Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey weren’t enough to save a 2017 film adaptation, but here’s hoping that the TV format will give the story more room to breathe and explore some of the weirder elements of King’s eight-book series.
Bonus points for “Thrones” fans: Jerome Flynn, aka Bronn, has recently joined the cast.
‘Game of Thrones’ Fire and Blood Spin-off
In recent weeks, HBO announced a second “Game of Thrones” spin-off written by Ryan Condal and based on Martin’s 2018 book “Fire and Blood,” a fictional history of the Targaryen kings.
No cast or plot details have yet been revealed, but “Fire and Blood” features a few tantalizingly screen-worthy events, including Aegon I’s conquest of Westeros on the back of his dragon Balerion the Black Dread, and the gruesome, deceit-filled Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.