Game Of Thrones Prequel Shifts From Live-Action To Animation, But May Never Get Made

George R.R. Martin has provided an update on the next potential Game of Thrones TV shows, confirming that one of them has shifted from live-action to animation. In a blog post, Martin said the show Nine Voyages, which tells the story of the Sea Snake character, is moving ahead in the planning stages as an animated project.

Martin said he "fully" supports the shift from live-action to animation, saying a live-action version could have been "prohibitively expensive" to make. That's because a good portion of the show takes place at sea and the rest would be set at a different port each week, Martin said.

"There's a whole world out there. And we have a lot better chance of showing it all with animation," Martin said.

Nine Voyages is now the third animated Game of Thrones project in the works, which is down from four "ideas" for animated series that have been discussed over the years. Martin did not name the other two animated shows, but one of them was previously in development under the name The Golden Empire of Yi Ti.

Martin admitted that he has no idea if any of the in-development Game of Thrones animated projects will actually get made. "Nothing is certain in Hollywood," he said. But if any of them happen, Martin said it's his hope that they can be as good as one of his current favorite animated shows, Blue Eye Samurai. "We will for damn sure try," he said.

What is 100% confirmed, however, is the next season of the live-action Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon. Season 2 is set for release in early summer 2024. The next live-action Game of Thrones show, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, begins filming early this year.