George R.R. Martin remains cryptic about the House of the Dragon wrapped filming in London and gave updates on various potential live-action series, such as The Sea Snake, which would cover Corlys Velaryon.
Martin's involvement with Game of Thrones became less and less as the series wore on. Early on in the show, the author wrote scripts for the series, including the season 1 episode “The Pointy End,” season 2’s “Blackwater,” and season 4’s “The Lion and the Rose.” Each episode marked a pivotal moment from Martin's novels. However, the author's last episode aired in 2014. And Game of Thrones drastically departed from the books following season 4, culminating in a controversial final season.
Though Martin has been vague about Game of Thrones spinoff shows, the author already announced a perfect spinoff years ago. In a 2018 interview (via The New York Times), Martin teased a potential spinoff that focused on background characters in Game of Thrones. According to Martin, the series would be called Spear Carriers and follow everyday people such as prostitutes, mummers, and of the City Watch. "They all get caught up in the events," Martin said, adding, "I think that kind of show would be a lot of fun to do." Beyond fun, an animated version of the series would have several benefits for HBO.
Spear Carriers would allow HBO to poke fun at itself. The Game of Thrones final season didn't go as planned for HBO. Though the series received record-breaking viewership numbers, fans and critics took shots at its various production mistakes, including a modern coffee cup appearing in the background. Illogical story decisions also haunted the show's final run. By making an animated show based on background characters in Westeros, HBO could get in on the joke as well, poking fun at the choices that fans didn't enjoy. The company could also further justify the decisions in Game of Thrones' final season.
The series also lets fans revisit Westeros as they knew it. Game of Thrones was an international phenomenon for HBO. And though the HBO series is getting several spinoffs, there's no guarantee that any of them will capture Game of Thrones' unique hold on culture. However, showing Game of Thrones events from a different perspective in an animated show allows fans to relive the series. And this time, there's no chance that a rogue coffee cup would take over the narrative.