In 2017, during preparations for Season 8 of Game of Thrones, HBO held secret meetings with a number of pairs of screenwriters. The aim? To come up with the best idea to allow the cable network to continue its exploration of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy universe. Since then, half of the potential projects have been ruled out, and a prequel is currently being filmed. But Deadline now reports that a second spin-off is in the works, this time focusing on the Targaryen dynasty and their arrival in Westeros.
The original project is the brainchild of Bryan Cogman, who was one of the first screenwriters to work on Game of Thrones alongside showrunners D. B. Weiss and David Benioff. Unfortunately, Cogman has since been poached by Amazon to work on the Lord of the Rings series. Following his departure, HBO called on George R. R. Martin and screenwriter Ryan Condal (Colony, Rampage) to take over. Their efforts are likely to be rewarded with confirmation that a pilot episode has been commissioned by the network.
Ⓒ Bantam Books
The spin-off retracing the story of the Targaryens is inspired by the historical saga Fire and Blood by author George R. R. Martin and a handful of trusted fans. The novel recounts the history of Daenerys and Jon’s ancestors, beginning more than 150 years before Game of Thrones. It’ll depict some of the events which marked the saga, such as the conquest of the Seven Kingdoms by Aegon Targaryen, the founder of the Iron Throne, and the Dance of the Dragons, a bloody civil war between the Targaryens which marked the beginning of their extinction.
The planned series is sure to feature fans’ beloved dragons, including the most powerful and famous among them, Balerion the Black Dread. Deadline emphasizes the constant conflict occurring at this time in the history of the saga, meaning we could be seeing the return of spectacular battles such as the Battle of the Bastards or the Battle of Winterfell. As a reminder, the first spin-off commissioned by HBO is provisionally entitled Bloodmoon and is set almost 10,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones, taking a look back at the first invasion of the White Walkers during the Age of Heroes.
Article translated by: Eleanor Staniforth
