HBO announces new Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon

HBO has green-lit a new Game of Thrones prequel after reportedly cancelling another starring Naomi Watts.

The cable channel said Tuesday that it has given a 10-episode order for House of the Dragon, set 300 years before the original series that ended its eight-season run in May.

The prequel is based on George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood. The new drama is co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal, whose credits include Colony. It will focus on House Targaryen, made famous in Game of Thrones by Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys and her fearsome dragons.

House of the Dragon was announced by HBO programming president Casey Bloys during a presentation for HBO Max, the streaming service launching in May 2020. A spinoff of HBO megahit Game of Thrones would be a key attraction in the increasingly crowded streaming marketplace.

The straight-to-series order for House of the Dragon, whether a sign of faith in the project or pressure to get it into production, avoids letting devotees of the fantasy saga down once more.

Neither the cast nor an air date have been announced yet.