Game of Thrones Arya Stark spin-off ruled out by HBO
A sequel in the west of Westeros isn’t on the cards – but there are still three prequels in the mix (contains season eight finale spoilers)
The Game of Thrones finale, which ended with Maisie Williams’ Arya Stark heading west of Westeros, led many fans of the show to speculate that the character might get her own spin-off sequel.
However, that possibility has now been ruled out by HBO.
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Game of Thrones’ final episode saw Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) become the ruler of what remains of the Six Kingdoms and Arya travelling to the west of Westeros.
While many fans have speculated that a future series could follow Arya's journey, HBO programming president Casey Bloys has said there won’t be a spin-off featuring the character as the broadcaster wants to “not try and redo the same show”.
When asked whether HBO has considered exploring an Arya sequel, Bloys’ response was definitive.
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“Nope, nope, nope, no,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Part of it is, I do want this show – this Game of Thrones, Dan and David's show – to be its own thing. I don't want to take characters from this world that they did beautifully and put them off into another world with someone else creating it. I want to let it be the artistic piece they've got. That's one of the reasons why I'm not trying to do the same show over.
“George [RR Martin, the author of the books] has a massive, massive world; there are so many ways in. That's why we're trying to do things that feel distinct – and to not try and redo the same show. That's probably one of the reasons why, right now, a sequel or picking up any of the other characters doesn't make sense for us.”
Bloys added that he “understands where” the hope for an Arya series comes from.
“I totally get it,” he told Deadline. “But in terms of wanting to be careful not overdoing it or not killing the goose that lays the golden egg, Dan and David’s show as it stands in eight seasons, I want to leave it as it’s own work of art and not have shows directly, having Arya do that.
“I think it’s best to try the prequels in other areas of George’s massive universe – just feels like the right thing to do, let the show stand on its own.”
For fans craving more Game of Throne after the show’s finale, there are indeed still three prequels in the mix.
HBO has ordered a pilot for a new project set thousands of years before the events of the main series, starring John Simm and Naomi Watts.
The pilot will go into production in June 2019.
