Winter is coming to the big screen, but not for another three years. "Game of Thrones: Aegon's Conquest," the first feature film set in the world of Westeros, has been scheduled for a June 6, 2029 release, Variety reported Tuesday.
Owen Harris will direct the film from a screenplay by Beau Willimon. Harris previously directed episodes of HBO's "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," while Willimon is best known for creating Netflix's "House of Cards."
The movie will center on Aegon I, the founder of the Targaryen dynasty, and his conquest of Westeros, according to reports. The story takes place a few centuries before the events of the original "Game of Thrones" television series.
Aegon I has never appeared on screen in any prior adaptation. His descendants, however, have driven two successful HBO spinoffs: "House of the Dragon," which returns this summer, and "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," which just wrapped its first season.
The Targaryen family also produced Daenerys Targaryen, the ice-blonde queen played by Emilia Clarke across all eight seasons of the original series. That show ran from 2011 to 2019 and became one of the most-watched programs in HBO history.
Plot details beyond the Aegon I storyline remain under wraps. The film is based on the best-selling fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin, whose "A Song of Ice and Fire" series serves as the source material for the entire franchise.
The 2029 release date places the film roughly a decade after the original series ended, a gap that gives HBO time to build out its Westeros slate on television before making the jump to theaters. "House of the Dragon" has already aired two seasons, with a third on the way.
Warner Bros. and HBO have not announced casting for the film. No production start date has been made public.
The move marks a significant expansion for the franchise. Until now, every Westeros story has been told on television. A theatrical release signals that the studio sees enough audience demand to justify the higher costs and longer timelines of a feature film.
Whether the movie can draw the same audience that made the series a cultural phenomenon remains an open question. The original show's final season drew heavy criticism, and the first spinoff took time to find its footing. But the franchise's ratings track record suggests the appetite is still there.
