Scramble begins to fill void left by ‘Game of Thrones.’
The cultural phenomenon that was “Game of Thrones,” which aired its series finale this past Sunday, has left what appears to be the cultural equivalent of a giant crater. “Game of Thrones” could have been the last consensus television show, a final piece of Sunday football-esque dominance in an evermore fractured entertainment paradigm.
Well, not if a few upcoming television series have anything to say about the matter. HBO’s fantasy series might be an impossible act to follow, but several studios — including HBO itself — aim to prove that claim wrong. Countless highly ambitious shows are in the works, which might harness our collective fascination with epic fantasy dramas enough to create the next “Game of Thrones.” (And we’re not including the “Game of Thrones” spinoffs that are in the pipeline.) Could these upcoming shows claim the now-empty Iron Throne?
‘His Dark Materials’ — HBO
Philip Pullman’s fantasy series is a valuable intellectual property, with a trilogy of books that spans multiple universes. That means possibilities for endless spinoffs and sequels should the TV adaptation prove popular. HBO is premiering the series late in 2019 and has announced a high-caliber cast that includes LinManuel Miranda, Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy. The writer is Jack Thorne, who has proved his ability to handle challenging fantasy material with his adaptations of “Let the Right One In” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
‘Watchmen’ — HBO
Another big-name TV show set for release later this year on HBO is Damon Lindelof ’s “Watchmen.” As writer, creator and executive producer, Lindelof (“Lost,” “The Leftovers”) is treating this like a pet/passion project, unafraid to sport a style that’s unique to the show. Judging by a recently released trailer, Lindelof is eschewing the vaguely glossy-yet-dark tone of the 2009 Zack Snyder film adaptation, going for a more dramatic and realistic take on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ gritty graphic novel.
‘The Mandalorian’ — Disney+
This is perhaps the most hyped title set to debut on Disney+, Disney/Marvel’s upcoming streaming service and gambit to compete against streaming giant Netflix. The monumental sales of the recent “Star Wars” films have shown executives that the franchise is very, very valuable, and even a spinoff series like “The Mandalorian” could break records. Jon Favreau, the man behind many of the “Avengers” films, is the showrunner of this fall 2019 title and Pedro Pascal (”Narcos”) stars.
‘The Witcher’ — Netflix
“The Witcher III” video game attained cult status among the gaming community after its 2015 release, becoming one of the most popular open-world role-playing games in recent history. The TV series will draw inspiration mainly from the source material, Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy book series. The existing fan base is smaller than that of “Star Wars,” but you could have said the same about “Game of Thrones” in its early seasons. Henry Cavill will star as the titular monster hunter. It’s due to land in the last quarter of this year.
‘The Lord of the Rings’ TV reboot — Amazon Prime
Variety has just reported that Bryan Cogman, a producer/writer on “Game of Thrones” since 2011, has been hired to work on Amazon’s upcoming “Lord of the Rings” television series. This shows how seriously Amazon wants to compete in the streaming wars, though solid details — such as producers and stars — are yet to come. What we know is that the series will be set before the events of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and will follow a young Aragorn.