After months of drama surrounding the final season of Game of Thrones and its multiple prequel series, HBO finally ordered a spinoff, House of the Dragon. Yes, it’s about the Targaryens. Here’s everything we know.
What’s it about?
House of the Dragon is based on George R. R. Martin’s book about the history of the Targaryen family, Fire & Blood. It’s set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and according to the book’s description, answers such questions as, “What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why was it so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What were Maegor the Cruel’s worst crimes? What was it like in Westeros when dragons ruled the skies?” The Dance of the Dragons was a Targaryen civil war that affected all of Westeros, and Entertainment Weekly reports the new series will chronicle that event.
Deadline reports Martin is set to publish a sequel to Fire & Blood in the next year, providing further material for the series.
Who’s involved?
Martin and screenwriter Ryan Condal co-created the series, and Condal will serve as showrunner alongside director Miguel Sapochnik, who directed six episodes of Game of Thrones. No casting announcements have been made.
When will it air?
There’s no word on a release date.
What about the other Game of Thrones prequels?
In May of 2017, HBO had five different prequel scripts in development from writers Max Borenstein, Bryan Cogman (who wrote 11 episodes of the original series), Jane Goldman, Brian Helgeland, and Carly Wray.
In July 2018, Bloys revealed at TCA that all scripts except Goldman’s were either shuttered or postponed. However, Deadline reported yesterday that Goldman’s show, starring Naomi Watts and covering the “Age of Heroes” and the first war with the White Walkers, would not move to series, despite shooting a pilot in June and rounding out a cast including Jamie Campbell Bower, Miranda Richardson, Naomi Ackie, and Josh Whitehouse.
House of the Dragon is the only show with a series order, and it will build on the story by Cogman even though he’s no longer involved, according to The Hollywood Reporter. THR also reports that another, unnamed prequel is still in development at HBO.