More Game of Thrones is on the way, folks. While HBO had a bit of a hiccup with their first attempt to expand the world of this iconic TV franchise, scrapping their first attempt at a prequel series by cancelling a Naomi Watts-fronted show after filming a pilot, their second attempt is now on track to start production this year. Meaning we could have a brand new Game of Thrones prequel series to watch on HBO (and HBO Max, of course) next year.
HBO and HBO Max chief Casey Bloys revealed during a Q&A after HBO’s TCA panel that House of the Dragon will start production in April overseas, with the show being spearheaded by Ryan Condal, George R.R. Martin, and veteran Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik:
“We’re thrilled with Miguel and Ryan, their collaboration and their collaboration with us, and excited to get going. That’s all moving ahead and we are excited about that.”
Based on Martin’s book Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon takes place 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones and will tell the origin story of House Targaryen. The show was given a straight-to-series order and has a cast led by Paddy Considine (King Viserys Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Emma D’Arcy (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen), and Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen).
But House of the Dragon is not the only Thrones spinoff in the works. HBO previously developed five different ideas at once, and is still continuing to have “embryonic” discussions about other potential series:
“We’ve been talking about areas to develop, which is where this prequel came from,” Bloys said. “We are talking about other areas that make sense as well. George R.R. Martin’s world is so big and what’s interesting about it, not only is it big but he’s got a lot of road maps in terms of history. So one of the great things about House of the Dragon is that’s an established history that leads you to Game of Thrones the show, and there is a lot of little branches. There is a lot of opportunities and stories to tell.”
Bloys confirmed they’ve even had “really really embryonic” discussions about what an adult animation Thrones series would be, which would almost certainly be made for HBO Max. The sky’s the limit, but as has been clear from the beginning, HBO is being incredibly picky when it comes to which ideas actually become a reality.
“I’ve never wanted to do this with a mandate that you must have three series by this time or you must exploit adult animation or you must do that,” he said. “It’s really coming from, would that be interesting, is that good, do we have a writer we believe in. That’s kind of the approach we are taking. I think you have to because if you don’t do that, it would lead to putting shows on for the sake of it.”
A release date for House of the Dragon has not yet been revealed, but if we’re going off how long it took for a Game of Thrones season to air once it started production, it’s usually at least a year. So be patient, folks. 2022 could mark the return of Thrones.
