Game of Thrones may be over, but we’re far from done with Westeros.
John Simm and Naomi Watts have filmed a pilot for a series set thousands of years before the HBO TV series, and now plans have emerged for ANOTHER prequel from Colony’s Ryan Condal and original Thrones book author George RR Martin.
“The show stirring up all the internet headlines right now is one of the other [successor shows],” Martin wrote on his blog. “Also a prequel. Set thousands of years after Jane [Goldman]’s show in the history of Westeros.
“And yes, it is based on material from one of my books,” he added, specifically referring to his non-narrative faux-history novel Fire & Blood, which poses as a chronicle of Westeros’ first dragon-riding Kings.
Currently untitled and not yet a sure thing, the other Thrones spin-off also apparently deals with the earlier years of House Targaryen, the royal house represented in Game of Thrones by Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen – and here’s everything else we know about the potential series.
When will the Game of Thrones Targaryen prequel come to TV?
Currently this is a long way off. HBO haven’t even officially given the series a pilot order, let alone a series order, meaning it could be a couple of years before seeing the Targaryens dragon-ride again. Assuming the series gets made at all, of course.
“I do want to point out that ‘moving closer to a pilot order’ is NOT the same thing as ‘getting a pilot order.’” Martin said. “Would that it were.
“This is encouraging, this is exciting, but don’t buy the couch just yet. When HBO actually gives us a pilot order, you will hear me shouting it from the rooftops. A series order, and I’ll be shouting even louder. But we’ll see. Right now all the signs are good, but nothing is confirmed.”
Will any Game of Thrones characters return?
Probably not – unless the Night King or some Children of the Forest make a cameo.
The series is supposedly set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, meaning that none of the characters we’ve grown to know and love would appear.
However, if the series does adapt the period in Westerosi history that it’s rumoured to, we will see the ancestors of the Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons and other families that we’re more familiar with – as well as Aegon “the Conqueror” Targaryen and his sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya, all of whom were mentioned regularly in the series.
And there is one familiar face that we might seen again – that of famously large dragon Balerion the Black Dread, Aegon’s mount whose skull resided in the dungeon’s of King’s Landing throughout most of Game of Thrones. Though he might have a little bit more skin on his bones…
What will the Game of Thrones Targaryen prequel be about?
The time period rumoured for the prequel – around 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones – puts it right in the time when Aegon Targaryen first flew his dragons to Westeros and named himself king, kicking off a bloody (and fiery) war that ended with the forming of the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms (give or take Dorne for a few years).
With that in mind, it seems likely that the series would concern itself with Aegon’s so-called War of Conquest, though it could be that the drama will begin some time before that to establish how and why he came to his ambitious coup.
Alternatively, it’s possible that the Targaryen Civil War – known as the Dance of Dragons – will be the focus of the prequel. EW seems to think so, though the timeline doesn’t quite line up.
“For what it’s worth, those who have read Fire & Blood will realise it contains enough materials for a dozen shows,” Martin said.
“I can say that there will be dragons. Everyone else has said that, so why not me?”
We’ve gone into a bit more depth about potential storylines here…
Who’s making the series?
George RR Martin, who wrote the original A Song of Ice and Fire book series that Game of Thrones is based on, has been working on the series with Ryan Condal, the creator of sci-fi TV series Colony.
“[The series] has a script and a bible, and both of them are terrific, first rate, exciting,” Martin said. “They’re the work of Ryan Condal.”
“He’s a helluva strong writer, and a huge fan of A Song of Ice and Fire, Dunk & Egg, and Westeros in general. I’ve loved working with him, and if the Seven Gods and HBO are kind, I hope to keep on working with him for years to come on this new successor show.”
Regular Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman reportedly worked on an earlier version of the idea that has now been shelved.
Who’s in the cast?
Currently unknown, but we’re probably looking for platinum blondes OR people with some solid wig experience. And whoever they are, we’re sure they’ll be hitting up Emilia Clarke for some dragon-riding tips soon.
What’s the title of the new Targaryan Game of Thrones prequel?
George RR Martin has revealed that there is already a title for the series – but he’s not telling us what it is just yet.
“This one has a title, but no one else has revealed it, so I had better not either –but it’s not the obvious title,” he wrote, presumably referring to the possibility of the series being named Fire & Blood after the book it’s based on.
