'Game of Thrones' prequel pilot not picked up by HBO

Source: HBO

The much anticipated "Game of Thrones" prequel staring Naomi Watts will not be coming to HBO.

According to a report from Variety, HBO passed on the pilot for the series, which was set thousands of years before the events of the original.

The pilot was one of several "Game of Thrones" projects that HBO had put into development before the David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' show ended. However, none of the other projects appear to be moving forward either.

One report in September suggested that HBO was nearing a pilot commitment for a project based on George R. R. Martin's companion book "Fire & Blood," which tells the stories of the Targaryen kings who had long ruled Westeros.

Representatives for HBO declined to comment.

The news comes just months after "Game of Thrones" aired its critically-panned final season.

HBO has always been known for its heavily curated content. Shows like "Vinyl" and "Hung" got the ax despite millions of dollars worth of investment and critical acclaim because they were not as strongly received by viewers as other shows.

The premium cable service has put much of its production power behind new shows like "Watchmen," which debuted earlier this month to favorable reviews from critics, as well as new seasons of "Westworld," "Barry" and "Last Week Tonight."

Currently in production is "Lovecraft Country," a show from the minds of Jordan Peele ("Us") and J.J. Abrams ("Lost"), based on Matt Ruff's novel of the same name.

"Lovecraft Country" is a horror drama that follows Atticus Black, his uncle George and Letitia Dandridge as they travel across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of Black's father. On their trek, the three must overcome racist terrors, but also monsters ripped straight from the pages of H.P. Lovecraft's prose.

The show, which is still in production, is expected to be marketed heavily by HBO next year.

Read the full report from Variety.

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