Summary
- Brian Helgeland envisioned an epic Game of Thrones spinoff,
10,000 Ships
, chronicling Queen Nymeria’s journey before GoT events. - Despite a well-received script mirroring Moses’ story, HBO hesitated due to time gap with original series.
- Inspired by iconic tales, Helgeland hoped for a creative partnership with George R. R. Martin for the compelling show.
Acclaimed writer Brian Helgeland recently shed light on why the Game of Thrones spinoff, 10,000 Ships, failed to proceed at HBO despite its initial promise.
10,000 Ships was designed to portray the epic saga of Queen Nymeria, set a millennium before the events fans witnessed in Game of Thrones. Helgeland envisioned a rich storyline with adventure and historical intrigue, centered around this formidable ruler known from a brief mention in a Westeros encyclopedia. Despite his enthusiasm and a well-received script, the project hit a snag.
According to Helgeland during an interview with Inverse, the significant time gap between the story and the original series was a major factor in HBO’s hesitation. Helegaland 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.
My script was based on Queen Nymeria and this little blurb about her that was in a Westeros encyclopedia.”
Brian Helgeland’s Vision for 10,000 Ships Mixes Classic Myth with Game of Thrones Lore
The 10,000 Ships series, which was penned by writer Amanda Segel in 2021, proposed to chronicle the story of Princess Nymeria, who fled Essos for Dorne after her people suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Valyrian Freehold during the Second Spice War.
Helgeland planned 10,000 Ships to mirror the biblical exodus of Moses, with Nymeria at the helm of a massive flotilla seeking sanctuary. This analogy extended to the depiction of a nomadic existence on a gigantic raft city, a floating metropolis that symbolized the transient hopes of an entire civilization. Helgeland said:
”
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 10,000 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.”
Related Every Canceled Game of Thrones Spinoff We’ll Never Get to See For every Game of Thrones successor show that’s moving forward, there seems to be another one that’s been scrapped altogether.
Helgeland drew inspiration from various iconic tales of adventure and mythology. He explained:
”
It was kind of like Ray Harryhausen’s Sinbad films mixed with The Odyssey. In a way, Nymeria is Odysseus, but instead of a 12-person crew, she’s responsible for every citizen in this floating city-state.
My work is still there if HBO wants to pick it up. I enjoyed my time developing it, and you just never know.”
Despite the promising concept and an endorsement from George R.R. Martin himself, 10,000 Ships encountered the harsh realities of television production. Helgeland lamented the limited opportunity to collaborate closely with Martin, hinting at what might have been a fruitful creative partnership. For Helgeland, the hope remains that Nymeria’s tale might one day set sail.
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