Game of Thrones inspires a Nat Geo Wild wildlife epic miniseries

By Stephanie Topacio Long July 29, 2015

nat geo wild big game of thrones wildlife miniseries baby lion national geographic — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Game of Thrones‘ influence is everywhere, even on Nat Geo Wild. The network has plans to bring a wildlife epic miniseries to viewers, calling it Big Games of Thrones, Variety reports. Spanning six episodes, the show will focus on warring animal tribes.

Big Game of Thrones is said to include everything from battles to betrayals, as well as show how predators and prey are interconnected. It’s no wonder the Nat Geo miniseries has been compared to HBO’s epic series; in spite of the vastly different setting and premise, the similarities are certainly there. Unfortunately, the clever series name isn’t going to stick. Geoff Daniels, EVP and general manager of Nat Geo Wild, highlighted in a statement that Big Game of Thrones is only a working title and joked that HBO can call off its legal team.

“When we developed the series, we immediately saw the parallels with Game of Thrones and the name stuck as our working title,” said Daniels. “It is a natural fit for our story of the kings of the savannah fighting for the throne, complete with brutal violence, unexpected deaths, surprising characters, and even inter-family romance.”

The National Geographic sister network has been able to build storylines by filming its subjects over an extended period of time. “We are trying to up the ante even more by following a several animal clans for years, giving each character and their stories a unique voice like the most riveting scripted dramas but, of course, this is totally unscripted,” said Daniels to Variety. Based on the stunning footage the team has filmed so far, Daniels believes it “has the potential to be a game changer.”

Big Game of Thrones (with its new title) is expected to debut in 2016.

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Stephanie Topacio Long

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Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…

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