The Best Story For Game Of Thrones’ Movie Is Already In The Works… As A TV Show

A Game of Thrones movie is in development at Warner Bros., and they may have already found the perfect project. HBO was exploring potential spinoffs even before Game of Thrones’ ending back in 2019, and it’s only just getting started. So far, one show has made it to air (House of the Dragon), and another will debut in 2025 (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), but there’s a lot more to come.

Among the Game of Thrones spinoffs in the works are a show about Aegon’s Conquest, and one about Corlys Velaryon’s great voyages around the known world. With the original show itself acclaimed for its cinematic spectacle, it isn’t surprising there are now reports of a Game of Thrones movie; indeed, Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss even wanted to end the show with a trilogy of movies at one point. Westeros would presumably lend itself well to a big screen epic, and one of those spinoffs would be a particularly apt choice for a movie.

Why Aegon’s Conquest Would Be Better As A Movie, Not A TV Show

The Story Is Better Suited To The Big Screen

The Conquest itself is a relatively straightforward storyline: Aegon, alongside his sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya, decides to conquer the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Although the other kingdoms are powerful in their own right, the Targaryens have three huge dragons at their disposal, which makes them pretty much unbeatable. Thus, they move through Westeros, allied with some houses and either forcing others to bend the knee, or outright destroying them.

The problem with that is there’s a lack of stakes and suspense. Not just because we know Aegon the Conqueror is victorious, but because he’s so much more powerful. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad story by any means, but since a lot of it is just Aegon winning, then I’m not sure if there’s as much value in doing the actual Conquest as, say, a 10-episode season of TV, let alone something longer. In contrast, as a 2.5-hour movie – with the budget of an entire season behind it – then it could be spectacular.

It could start with Aegon’s song of ice and fire prophecy, and then have a few major action set pieces, such as the Field of Fire or the burning of Harrenhal. The former is one of the most brutal events in House Targaryen’s history, as all three dragons descend upon the battlefield, leading to the submission of the Lannisters and the extinction of House Gardener. With a budget of, say, $150-200m, they could be among the most jaw-dropping dragon scenes ever put on the big screen, and honestly, I’m drooling a little bit just thinking of it in IMAX, especially if Ramin Djawadi returns to do the score.

With a more streamlined narrative, a movie could split its focus and work on a couple of levels. With the development of Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys, we can get something that feels like a historical epic… only with fantasy thrown into the mix. But it would also be fascinating to see the POV of the people being conquered, showing it like a disaster movie or a true horror of war scenario as they face the unfathomable might and fury of the dragons. That would give it a thematic richness, and a tight, compelling story, to go with the visual splendor.

An Aegon’s Conquest TV Show Should Could Still Work After A Movie

The Movie Could Set It Up Nicely

An Aegon’s Conquest movie wouldn’t even need to rule out there being a TV show afterward. The film could end with Aegon being crowned, Balerion melting down swords, and the Iron Throne being created, which feels worthy of a movie-level event. Indeed, when the Aegon’s Conquest spinoff was reported, it was mentioned there could be a feature film alongside a TV show, so there’s certainly potential for this idea, and the writer attached, Mattson Tomlin, has big screen experience with The Batman.

The most interesting parts of the story come after Aegon is crowned. Notably, he doesn’t conquer Dorne, and the First Dornish War is something that could actually form the backbone of a TV show after a movie. That would also have the benefit of finally doing Dorne justice, after Game of Thrones made a mess of its own Dorne storyline, and give the conflict a bit more meat on the bones, since it’s where Aegon’s attempts to take over Westeros actually falter.

From there, it could continue on with the matter of the remainder of Aegon’s rule, and then even his death and line of succession, telling the stories of his sons, Aenys and Maegor. That could allow for a deeper exploration of key parts of the Targaryen dynasty, while having the Conquest itself stand alone as an incredible cinematic event.

Aegon’s Conquest Could Be A Major Hit As A Movie

It Would Surely Have Mass Appeal

A Game of Thrones movie is an intriguing prospect, but for Warner Bros. it also needs to be something that could justify and earn back the budget it would likely require. While it’s possible to do it on a smaller scale, if Thrones is going to the big screen, then surely the whole point is making something epic, which means at least $100m, but more likely in the $150-200m range. And if that’s the case, then, while the franchise is popular, I think there are only a few options that would have enough mainstream appeal:

1. A Game of Thrones continuation, with the main cast returning.
2. Robert’s Rebellion, featuring young versions of Ned Stark, Robert Baratheon, Jaime Lannister, et al.
3. A Targaryen story that has epic dragon action.

The first option seems unlikely and risky to the show’s legacy, even after Game of Thrones season 8’s backlash. The second is possible, but would probably need more than one movie to work. The third is where the franchise interest already seems to lie – see: the success of House of the Dragon – and, with that, Aegon’s Conquest is the obvious story to tell.

It could not only work as a movie story-wise, but selling it as one of the most important stories of Westeros’ history, the Targaryen story, and plenty of dragons, would be a huge draw, making this a no-brainer if a Game of Thrones movie really is going to happen.