Following the conclusion of Game of Thrones earlier this year, HBO have confirmed they’re making a prequel series all about House Targaryen.
If the company had dropped this news after season seven of the GoT, I can pretty much guarantee the reaction would have been overwhelmingly positive.
Having experienced season eight, however, fans are having more mixed reactions.
The final series was considered disappointing by many viewers, with a large number accusing writers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff for rushing the end of what had otherwise been an epic, beloved journey.
So, naturally, there are some concerns as to whether a new series will manage to live up to the greatness of Game of Thrones’ early seasons, or whether it will follow in the footsteps of the less-favoured final eight episodes.
The creators took to Twitter late last night, October 29, to confirm the new series titled House Of The Dragon. Much to many fans’ delight, they added the series will be penned by Ryan Condal.
House Of The Dragon is co-created by Condol and Game of Thrones writer George R. R. Martin, while Miguel Sapochnik will partner with Condal as showrunner, while also directing the pilot and additional episodes.
Thankfully, Sapochnik is already known for creating excellent content in the GoT world, as he created three of the original show’s most beloved episodes, namely Hardhome, Battle of the Bastards and The Winds of Winter.
According to Insider, HBO also revealed the new series will be made up of 10 episodes which are set about 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
HBO programming president Casey Bloys commented on the exciting announcement, saying:
The ‘Game of Thrones’ universe is so rich with stories. We look forward to exploring the origins of House Targaryen and the earlier days of Westeros along with Miguel, Ryan and George.
Many Game of Thrones fans took to Twitter to express their delight for the news, with many hoping the new series will work to redeem the last.
While one viewer said House Of The Dragon will ‘never beat Game of Thrones‘, another responded: ‘Well it can have a better ending at least.’
There’s no word as of yet as to who will be cast as the new faces of House Targaryen, or when the series will be released, but hopefully it won’t be long before we find out more details.
It had previously been reported Naomi Watts was to star in the first GoT spinoff, tentatively titled Bloodmoon. It was set to be produced by Jane Goldman. However, after filming a pilot episode over the summer, it is reportedly going no further, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.