What’s the Game of Thrones movie about?

You don’t have to be a maester to know it’s a great time to be a Game of Thrones fan.

We’ve just come off the back of House of the Dragon Season 2 (which was good. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise), and in the next few months, we’ll finally see the small-screen adventures of Dunk and Egg in Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. But there’s more exciting stuff on the way.

On October 31, 2024, ravens arrived with news that a Game of Thrones movie is in development. Sadly, we know as much about the plot as Jon Snow knows about… well, anything. Still, we’re not going to let that stop us from making some guesses wilder than a wildling because we know more about the lineage of Targaryen Kings and George RR Martin’s wonderful world than most of the greybeards at The Citadel.

So we’ve done some thinking and come up with five potential stories we think would be perfect for the Game of Thrones film! 

Doom of Valyria

HBO

Do you know what would make for an explosive TV series? Seeing how the Dragon Lords exploded! In all seriousness, we all know that the Targaryens conquered Westeros after leaving Valyria, but you might not know why the House of Fire and Blood left their ancestral home. Basically, a Targaryen dragon dreamer foresaw a great cataclysm destroying Valyria, leading them to flee to Dragonstone. 

This catastrophic event became known as the Doom of Valyria and wiped out the Valyrian Freehold and most of the dragons and their riders. This legendary event is shrouded in mystery and myth. We don’t know what caused the doom to come to Valyria, but wouldn’t a show where we found out be fun? 

Aegon’s Conquest

HBO

We know that George RR Martin and writer Mattson Tomlin are working on an adaptation of Aegon’s Conquest. Tomlin has previously suggested this is going to be a TV show, but it’s possible things have changed since HBO greenlit the pilot and that it’s now a full-on movie. 

To be honest, I think this might be the best approach for something like Aegon’s invasion of Westeros. While I’ve always been impressed by what the Game of Thrones showrunners have managed to do on a  TV budget, the sheer scale of The Conquest means it’s either going to be very expensive or some story compromises are going to be necessary. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather see events like the Fields of Fire and creatures like Balerion done properly rather than on a shoestring. 

Also – and I might get sent to The Wall for this – but there’s not actually that much story to the Targaryen takeover of Westeros. Aegon and his Sister Wives basically fly over, kick everyone’s ass (Dorne remains unbowed, unbent, unbroken, of course), and declare themselves royalty. That’s sort of it. The intrigue and politicking (that makes Thrones so fun to watch) come after Aegon and Balerion have turned Westeros into a fiery ruin. So maybe this story would work better as a feature-length film, and then we can do a spin-off series telling us more about Aegon’s reign. 

The Long Night 

HBO

One of the most mysterious events in the history of Westeros is the Long Night. This near-apocalyptic event happened thousands of years before the Targaryens conquered Westeros when the White Walkers first invaded from the North. This terrible war is believed to be a legend when we first visit Westeros, but Jon Snow and the Night’s Watch soon learn that it’s not one of Old Nan’s fairy tales. 

The White Walkers have always intrigued Game of Thrones fans (why do you think House of the Dragon has gone out of its way to include them), and it’s easy to see why. They were deliberately created to be an enigmatic villain, and Game of Thrones viewers have wanted to know more about their origins (even if we see how they were made in the series), their motives, and how close they came to conquering the world ever since they glimpsed their beautiful baby blues. A Long Night-focused series would also give us more insight on the First Men, the Children of the Forest, and even the legendary figures who founded the great houses of Westeros.

Jon Snow 

HBO

A few years ago, Kit Harington and Martin were working on a Game of Thrones sequel series that would focus on Jon Snow as the new King Beyond the Wall. Sadly, in April 2024, Harington revealed that the show was no longer in development. However, just because a full series isn’t happening doesn’t mean we won’t see Westeros’ reluctant ruler conquer the big screen. 

While revisiting the main Game of Thrones timeline after the terrible reception to Season 8 might seem ill-advised, a show focused on Jon Snow could help rehabilitate the series’ reputation and give fans some much-needed closure on unanswered questions that have been bugging them for years, or am I the only person who wants to know how the rest of Westeros reacted to the Starks essential seizing power or where Drogon went.

Planetos is a big old place

Speaking of where Drogon went, there’s more to George RR Martin’s world (Planetos) than Westeros. We’ve seen a lot of Essos’s west coast, but the continent’s a lot bigger than the Free Cities and Slaver’s Bay. You could set a movie in Assahi, a mysterious city where sorcerors openly practice dark magic or explore the history of the Dothraki; the possibilities are endless.

You don’t have to limit yourself to just Essos, either. South of Westeros, you’ve got Sothoryos, a terrible place full of dark jungles, horrifying monsters, and mysterious people. You could set an amazing Indiana Jones-style adventure movie on its shores, and people would love it. Or, if you want some name recognition, why not follow Arya on her journey to find out what the West of Westeros is? We know there’s something there; wouldn’t it be amazing to find out what? 

Love the world of Westeros? Then check out our ranking of all the Game of Thrones dragons. We’ve also broken down everything you need to know about the House of the Dragon Season 3.