Aegon’s Conquest – HBO Series or a Blockbuster Film?

George R.R. Martin is an author widely known for his series, A Song of Ice and Fire, which was later adapted for TV and became a global phenomenon. In this interview, he had plenty to talk about. Obviously, an update about the latest instalment in the famed series, The Winds of Winter, took precedence over the others. Understandably so. However, he still had further information on all things Game of Thrones. The sentiments over his rift with House of the Dragon showrunner, Ryan Condal, were expressed generously. He also talked about his involvement in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and how he has given Ira Parker the outlines to the rest of the Dunk and Egg novellas. Furthermore, he mentioned a possible Game of Thrones sequel likely to follow Arya Stark in Essos. 

The part of this interview we’re going to talk about in this article is — Aegon’s Conquest, another prequel that takes fans back 300 years before the start of Game of Thrones. The author told The Hollywood Reporter that they’re developing the story of Aegon’s Conquest with two paths in mind — an HBO drama series or a Dune-sized feature film. Exciting days ahead for Game of Thrones fans.

What is Aegon’s Conquest?

Aegon’s Conquest was the campaign in which Aegon I Targaryen conquered almost all of Westeros. With his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, and their dragons, Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar, they submitted nearly all formidable houses to them. Westeros had never seen such power before until Aegon and his sisters unleashed their behemoth dragons on it. Most houses bent the knee to save their lives, some burned alive in their castles and strongholds in resistance. Alas, Westeros was conquered (save Dorne) and House Targaryen started the dynasty that would last three centuries. 

Aegon’s Conquest as an HBO series

George R.R. Martin’s works have been adapted into three different TV shows over the years. The success of Game of Thrones back in the 2010s was unprecedented. House of the Dragon has proved to be a success for HBO breaking various streaming records. The third, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, releases this Sunday. If reviews are to be believed, it’s pretty damn good. 

Sticking with what they know best and developing Aegon’s Conquest seems to be the safer option. However, there are some complications. It is not the longest of campaigns from what we know of it. The Conquest would make for a shorter TV show than all other Game of Thrones projects, even the sweet and short A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

The ever-looming question remains whether they should make a 1 or 2 season show out of the Conquest… or should they go with the other option?

Aegon’s Conquest as a Feature Film

A feature-length film set in the world of George R.R. Martin’s brilliant novel series sounds too good to be true. Especially if it is like how George described it, “a Dune-sized feature film.” Even though, a blockbuster close to the sheer scale of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune would generally fit the Conquest better because of its length and its grandeur, which would require the biggest theatre screen for the optimal viewing experience, but it would be an undiscovered area for the franchise and an unsuccessful first rodeo at a feature-length film would prove costly to Warner Bros. and even to George R.R. Martin himself.

Thank you for reading our article about the development of Aegon’s Conquest as a TV series or a feature film. For more, stay tuned here at Feature First.