George R.R. Martin reveals HBO shelved the Game of Thrones spin-off about Braavos

Although Game of Thrones concluded in 2019, fans of A Song of Ice and Fire continue to anticipate the series’ final books to discover George R.R. Martin‘s intended finale. The author has dedicated more than a decade to refining The Winds of Winter, aiming to deliver a gratifying ending. Moreover, he has already outlined plans beyond the completion of this eagerly anticipated book: A spin-off on Braavos.

HBO shelved a Game of Thrones spin-off based on Braavos

HBO already has a couple of Game of Thrones spinoffs in the making, with House of the Dragon working on its Season 3 and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on the way. Turns out, there was one more that was canceled by the streaming giant, as revealed by George R.R. Martin on his blog, Not A Blog:

“One of these days I need to write that story about Braavos we were developing for HBO. They shelved that one a couple of years back, alas, but that does not mean I won’t go back to it… after WINDS OF WINTER is done, of course.”

Credit: Amy Sussman

Braavos was inspired by Amsterdam

Braavos is one of the most important locations in A Song of Ice and Fire. With all its grandeur and mysterious denizens, Martin took some real-life elements that reflected in the city’s structure. He wrote:

“After Ashford, we went to Braavos. Or Amsterdam, as the Dutch prefer to call it.

A lot of my readers think that Braavos was inspired by Venice. Because of the canals, of course. Thing is, though I’ve read a lot about Venice, histories and travel books and the like, I have never actually been there. I have always wanted to visit, Venice is plainly a magical place, and if I had a bucket list it would right up there… but somehow I never found the time. One day, I hope. When the novel’s done, perhaps.

Yes, certainly, there’s some of Venice in Braavos.. the Sealord, and the manner of his choosing, was certainly inspired in part by the Doge… but there’s some of Prague in Braavos too, and bits of other places, along with some things that were purely imaginary. The Titan of Braavos, of course, was my twist on the Colossus of Rhodes. As for those canals…

Did you know that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice?

That startled me as well, the first time I heard it.”

Read Next: All Game of Thrones spinoffs — Everything you need to know about the prequel and sequel shows

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03/30/2025 07:22 am GMT