Maybe it's because the last season of Game of Thrones was so universally beloved, or maybe just because they've run out of ideas, today THR reported that "an animated Game of Thrones drama is in the early stages of development at HBO Max."
It's clear that HBO Max is hungry for content to compete with streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, and others, and apparently sees Martin's world of Westeros as one possible avenue of expansion.
There's been a number of GoT companion series under active development immediately before, and directly after, the close of Game of Thrones season 8 but only one, however, is currently in production: House of the Dragon, a prequel focused on the Targaryen dynasty and their dance with dragons. The prequel show is expected to premiere on HBO Max sometime in 2022.
Whether or not the animated series comes to fruition remains to be seen, but looking a rehabilitation of franchises past is worthwhile: Lucasfilm/Disney did generate significant goodwill amongst fans and critics alike for its animated series Clone Wars.
In some ways the GoT universe is in a similar position as Lucasfilm was prior to Clone Wars: a much anticipated finale was seen as a disappointment and questions about the franchise's viability was questioned.
It would be fitting if an animated series did for Game of Thrones, what it once did for Star Wars.
For now this is just exploration. Nothing's been greenlit, all we can do is include it in the realm of what's possible, then wait and see.
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Image from Dispatch Publicist