Ten Thousand Ships is a Game of Thrones spinoff series that was being developed by Brian Helgeland, who previously worked on projects such as L.A Confidential, A Knight’s Tale, Man on Fire, and Mystic River.
HBO initially passed on the project, but it looks like Ten Thousand Ships is back in play! The news comes from George R.R. Martin in a recent blog post, where he also revealed that Eboni Booth is writing the pilot episode.
Martin wrote: “[Booth’s] an amazingly talented young playwright, and a joy to work with; when not writing and producing her prize-winning plays on- and off-Broadway, she has been kept busy by me and HBO, working on a new pilot for ‘TEN THOUSAND SHIPS,’ a ‘GAME OF THRONES’ spinoff about Nymeria and the Rhoynar.
He continued: “We’re all very excited about this one … though we’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to pay for ten thousand ships, three hundred dragons, and those giant turtles.”
This is a story that I was actually excited about seeing get made, so it’s awesome to learn that it’s still being developed!
Helgeland previously offered up some details on the project explaining why is was initially shut down. He said: “It came out great, but I think they felt the period of my show was too far removed from the pillars of the original. That’s why it hasn’t been picked up yet, but nothing is ever dead..”
He also shared: “My script was based on Queen Nymeria and this little blurb about her that was in a Westeros encyclopedia.”
When talking about the story, he revealed: “Essentially, it was the story of Moses but swapping him out for Nymeria. Her country gets ruined and her people are forced to live on the water, which is why the show was called Ten Thousand Ships.”
He continued: “They end up having to leave and find a new home like the Israelites leaving Egypt. She’s leading all these people, trying to hold everyone together but things are always in danger of falling apart as they travel around a fictionalized version of the Mediterranean, looking for a new home to settle in.”
The creator of the shared the following details: “Their life was nomadic. Living in a raft city that was bound together, this big floating city. Sometimes, the characters would come ashore, but they ultimately get driven off the land as they search for a home, their version of the promised land.”
This is going to be a great and exciting addition to the Game of Thrones franchise!
