The controversial HBO show Confederate from Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, about an alternate history where the South won the Civil War, is officially cancelled. Benioff and Weiss are well known for being the creators and executive producers of the hit HBO fantasy drama, Game of Thrones. The show is critically acclaimed and loved by fans, though it has caused controversy in the past, particularly for its depiction of women. This came to a head when the final season was released, which was not received well.
The Confederate series was announced back in 2017, being described as a drama that "chronicles the events leading to the Third American Civil War," in a world where the South successfully seceded and slavery continues as a modern institution. Many people had a problem with this show being made, so much so that there was a #NoConfederate social media protest. Though according to HBO's response at the time, it didn't seem to sway their decision to go forward with it.
Reported by TVLine, HBO president Casey Bloys officially confirmed the Confederate project is dead. Benioff and Weiss have turned their attention to Netflix, with which they inked a pricey overall deal last year. The pair have a history of not listening to fans' feedback, but with Confederate, it was too intense to ignore. With the Game of Thrones backlash on top of that, it was a smart decision to drop such a controversial project, both for the creators and HBO.
As for the Game of Thrones universe, the previously announced prequel series, which went by both The Long Night and Bloodmoon, has been cancelled by HBO. However, a Targaryen-focused series, House of the Dragon, is going forward. There's speculation but no official reason for why the prequel series was cancelled. It was axed after filming the pilot. While there is no release date yet, Bloys mentioned that he expects House of the Dragon to premiere in 2022.
During Game of Thrones seasons six and seven, Benioff and Weiss were experiencing extreme popularity and praise, getting offers left and right. Then came the announcement of Confederate, the Star Wars trilogy, and the Game of Thrones prequel, which have all since been abandoned or cancelled. After the harsh response in regards to the final season of Game of Thrones, Benioff and Weiss are wisely slowing down. It was only a matter of time before it was announced that Confederate was cancelled.
Source: TVLine