Brian Helgeland, who wrote the screenplay for 1997’s L.A. Confidential, has detailed his pitch for a Game of Thrones spin-off titled Ten Thousand Ships.
Speaking with Inverse, per Variety, Helgeland detailed a pitch he gave for a Game of Thrones spin-off that HBO ultimately decided not to move forward on.
“It came out great, but I think they felt the period of my show was too far removed from the pillars of the original,” Helgeland said. “That’s why it hasn’t been picked up yet, but nothing is ever dead. My script was based on Queen Nymeria and this little blurb about her that was in a Westeros encyclopedia.”
He continued, “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. 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.”
George R. R. Martin signed off on Helgeland’s pitch
According to Helgeland, George R. R. Martin signed off on his pitch, which had Amanda Segel attached as a writer at one point. While the show is not in development at this time, Helgeland (who also wrote 2001’s A Knight’s Tale, 2003’s Mystic River, 2004’s Man on Fire, and more) noted there’s always the possibility it could be brought back to life.
“My work is still there if HBO wants to pick it up,” he commented. “I enjoyed my time developing it, and you just never know.”
All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are currently streaming on Max. The first season of the House of the Dragon spin-off is also available to watch on Max, while the second season premieres on June 16, 2024.
