Brian Helgeland, best known for his Oscar-winning L.A Confidential and directing Heath Ledger in A Knight’s Tale, could have added a Game of Thrones spinoff, Ten Thousand Ships, to his impressive resume had HBO accepted his pitch. The concept centered on Queen Nymeria, drawing parallels to the biblical story of Moses.
In an interview with Inverse, Helgeland explained that Ten Thousand Ships depicted Nymeria leading her people across perilous waters after their homeland’s devastation, reminiscent of Moses’ Exodus. Despite George R.R. Martin’s approval, HBO chose not to proceed due to perceived thematic disparities.
“My work is still there if HBO wants to pick it up. I enjoyed my time developing it, and you just never know”, Helgeland says.
While Ten Thousand Ships remains in the vault, other Game of Thrones projects are in the pipeline. House of the Dragon prepares for its second season, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knightenters production.
Regarding a potential sequel focused on Jon Snow, actor Kit Harington confirmed its current hiatus, citing the challenge of crafting a compelling story amid speculation.
