Almost five years after a canceled Game of Thrones spinoff starring Naomi Watts entered development, the first images from the project have been released. Flora Moody, who served as the hair and makeup designer for the series, posted a look at the show through her social media accounts, giving audiences their first look at the story that was never released. Watts can be seen in some of the outfits she was supposed to wear during the series, with the images establishing the tone of the story that never took place. Since Game of Thrones came to an end, HBO has tried to launch a wide variety of spinoffs and prequels, with only one major success airing on television.
House of the Dragon has been the only successful Game of Thrones spinoff HBO has been able to launch since the series created for television by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss came to an end in 2019. After a controversial finale brought the epic story to a close, the network has been eager to keep the brand relevant in pop culture, but due to the enormous amount of success for the original series, this has proven to be a difficult task. The prequel starring Watts was supposed to take place thousands of years before Game of Thrones, just like House of the Dragon takes audiences to a different time of Westeros’ history.
Even though Naomi Watts didn’t get to star in her own Game of Thrones spinoff, the actress has kept herself very busy since filming material for the unreleased story. Watts starred in and produced The Desperate Hour, a thriller about a woman trying to save her child after the authorities send her town into a lockdown due to an active shooter incident. The actress also led the cast of The Watcher, a mystery series that follows a married couple after they move into what was supposed to be their ideal home. Unfortunately for them, an unpredictable stalker doesn’t allow them to enjoy their new life together.
Westeros’ Struggle to Expand
There’s no denying that House of the Dragon is a certified success for HBO, with the highly anticipated second season of the prequel hitting the airwaves later this year. But even if the series starring Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith was a hit, the same can’t be said for the rest of the Game of Thrones spinoffs the network has announced over the years. Shows such as a sequel featuring the return of Kit Harington in the role of Jon Snow have previously been announced by HBO, but House of the Dragon has been the only one that was actually filmed and released. Time will tell if Westeros’ struggles to expand will continue, or if HBO will find yet another gold mine from the mind of George R. R. Martin.
via Collider