It has been two years since the last episode of Game of Thrones left us disappointed with an unsatisfactory ending to the blockbuster series.
We finally have something unique to look forward to after HBO announced recently that the Game of Throne prequel series, “House of the Dragon” is ready to begin production in 2021.
After the finale fiasco of one of its biggest productions, HBO has been under immense pressure to decide which prequel to go with.
Oh yes, at least six different prequel pitches are dealing with different timelines from the world of Game of Thrones. They are “House of the Dragon”, “Bloodmoon: The Long Night”, “Empire of Ash: The Doom of Valyria”, while the rest don’t even have names of their own yet.
However, only one of them is going to become the Game of Thrones Prequel. Having multiple pitches is just HBO’s way of ensuring it chooses the best one for its fans.
Find out which one is the lucky pitch, when is it out, who will be starring in the Game of Thrones prequel, and what will be its plot. Here is everything you need to know about the Game of Thrones Prequel.
1. How Many Game of Thrones Prequels Will Be There?
Ever since HBO called for pitches for Game of Thrones spinoffs back in 2016, there have been at least six different ideas floating around.
But despite having multiple projects in the works, HBO programming president Casey Bloys has clarified that not all of them will make it to the screen. To put it simply, there will only be one prequel to Game of Thrones in the near future.
Confused? Well, don’t be. All this excessive behavior from HBO is part of its plan to give the Game of Thrones fandom the very best possible prequel.
In 2017, HBO programming director Casey Bloys had explained to Entertainment Weekly that they would select just one standout series that would prove “worthy” of bearing the Game of Thrones name.
Sure enough, of the six pitches, two were killed in 2017 itself, two were in project limbo, and one went into production with a pilot episode, only to be eventually canceled in 2019. Meanwhile, a surprise sixth show got a full series order in October 2019, titled — House of the Dragon.
“In the press at large, everybody said, ‘there are four spinoffs’ and they assume that means each one is happening and we’re going to have a new Game of Thrones show per quarter,” he said. (The fifth and sixth spinoffs were yet to be announced when this statement was made.)
“That’s not what’s going on. The idea is not to do four shows … I want to make sure that [any prequel] feels worthy [of Game of Thrones].”
He also added that having multiple pitches in development “increased our odds of finding one that’s unique.” For now, that one “worthy” series seems to be House of the Dragon.
2. House of the Dragon – Latest Update from HBO
It has been nearly a year since the network had officially announced the new prequel series and over two years since the canon Game of Thrones series concluded. We finally have a glimpse of the prequel series from HBO!
The dragons are coming! In a tweet from last week, the official Game of Thrones Twitter handle announced that House of the Dragon will start production in 2021.
Two pictures of a red dragon were attached with the tweet. We take it the prequel is bound to have dragons in it. (If the name was not a hint enough!)
3. House of the Dragon – When is The Release Date?
With the production kicking off sometime in 2021, one can expect the series to arrive around a year after.
With ten episodes ordered for the brand new series, Bloys has confirmed to Deadline that it wouldn’t hit screens until “sometime in 2022”.
“They are starting writing,” he had said back in January 2020. “Obviously it’s a big, complicated show.”
Sources say that the filming will predominantly occur at Leavesden Studios in Watford, where Wonder Woman, Spider-Man: Far from Home, and the Harry Potter series were also shot.
4. House of the Dragon Cast – No Emilia Clarke Cameo?
The prequel will tell Daenerys Targaryen’s house’s story but will take place at least 300 years before her time. So it is safe to assume we will not be seeing her anywhere near the prequel series House of the Dragon.
Besides this obvious deduction, there is but one confirmation of the cast of the show. Paddy Considine (The Third Day, The Outsider) has been cast as King Viserys I.
Per his official description, Viserys is a “warm, kind, and decent man” who was “chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen.”
His wish is to “carry forward his grandfather’s legacy,” but “good men do not necessarily make for great kings.”
There is also an unconfirmed rumor about another cast member. Portuguese entertainment website Torre De Vigilancia had reported that Vikings’ Travis Fimmel could join House of the Dragon.
He would be cast as Prince Daemon Targaryen, King Viserys Targaryen’s younger brother. So far, there is no official confirmation of the same.
5. House of the Dragon Plot – Will The Dragons Dance?
Now I know there is not enough information about the Game of Thrones prequel from HBO. But creator George R. R. Martin has already written so much about its history that we can have a good idea of what the plot would look like.
Simultaneously, the history is so elaborate that we could struggle with knowing exactly what will make it to a 10-episode series.
House of the Dragon is based on Martin’s historical Westeros companion book Fire and Blood. In a May blog post from Martin, he advised fans, “[M]aybe some of you should pick up a copy of FIRE & BLOOD and come up with your own theories.” (sic)
‘Fire and Blood’ was concerned mainly with the rise of the Targaryen reign over Westeros. Set nearly 300 years before we meet the Targaryen heiress Daenerys, the series could follow the years of Aegon’s Conquest.
The period, marked by Aegon I Targaryen’s ongoing campaign to conquer and rule over all of the Seven Kingdoms, would last around two years but change Westeros’ history forever.
Time would forever be divided between the half before Aegon’s Conquest and after Aegon’s Conquest.
Aegon I’s story comes with powerful sexual politics as well since he marries both his sisters. This fact could open up several political intrigues and clashes with other clans that follow the Targaryens’ rise to prominence for the series to explore.
Also, one can expect to see much more of Dragonstone, the ancestral castle of the Targaryens, which we see in the penultimate season of Game of Thrones. Daenerys returns triumphantly to the Dragonstone in this season.
Another central plot point could be the “Dance of the Dragons,” a fierce dispute that divided the Targaryens before spiraling into a civil war.
The Dragons’ Dance was a conflict over succession between Aegon I’s great-great-great-grandchildren – Rhaenyra and her half-brother Aegon II.
If some reports are believed, the prequel series will culminate at “Dance of the Dragons.” But that could some significant time jumps for the prequel’s plot.
Now, on average, one Game of Thrones covers one year of its storyline, and “Dance of the Dragons” is set nearly 100 years after the beginning of Fire & Blood. So either we get a really long series or some really long jumps in time.
‘Fire & Blood’ also covers some surprising origin stories behind different iconic houses. For instance, we find out how King’s Landing was built. The book also has Lord of the Rings references (watch out for the Gandalf easter egg).
6. About Game of Thrones
Based on George RR Martin’s companion book ‘Fire & Blood’, House of the Dragon will be overseen by Ryan Condal (Colony, Rampage).
Director Miguel Sapochnik will work alongside Condal in a show running capacity, which is promising. He previously filmed some of the very best Game of Thrones episodes, including ‘Battle of the Bastards’ and ‘Hardhome’.
Sapochnik has won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and the DGA Award for the Game of Thrones episode, Battle of The Bastards. He also shared the Emmy for Best Drama Series as an Executive Producer for the final season.
Sources: Vox
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