Another ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel series is in development at HBO

HBO just dropped some exciting news for Game of Thrones fans. After greenlighting House of the Dragon, the streaming giant is now reportedly exploring several more prequels, including the story of Dunk and Egg.

Fans familiar with author George R. R. Martin’s massive library will recognize Dunk and Egg as Ser Duncan the Tall and a young Aegon V Targaryen, whose adventures take place 90 years before A Song of Ice And Fire, which was the basis for the Game of Thrones TV series. Martin published three novellas about Dunk (Ser Duncan) and Aegon (Egg) between 1998 and 2010 and eventually released them as one book in 2015 under the title A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

The story of Dunk and Egg will take place much closer to the events of A Song of Ice And Fire than the other prequel currently in the works. House of the Dragon will be set 300 years before the events viewers watched unfold over eight seasons of Game of Thrones, which means fans definitely won’t see the return of any beloved GoT characters. On the plus side, more dragons.

House of Dragon will star British actor Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, a distant relative of Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons. A BAFTA-winning director, Considine is best known to North American audiences for his work in Peaky Blinders and The Outsiders.

In December 2020, HBO confirmed more cast members for House of Dragon, including The Crown and Doctor Who’s Matt Smith, Wanderlust’s Emma D’Arcy and Bates Motel actor Olivia Cooke. There is still one lead role that has yet to be cast for House of Dragon and rumours are swirling that it could go to Killing Eve actor Danny Sapani.

House of Dragon will be based on Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood and will follow Aliment Hightower (Cooke), King Viserys Targaryen (Considine), Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (D’Arcy), and Prince Daemon Targaryen (Smith). House of Dragons is expected to have a 10-episode run.

House of Dragon and Dunk and Egg are just two of the prequels that HBO currently has in the works. According to EW, several writers are currently pitching shows based on Martin’s work, including one series that would follow Robert’s Rebellion, an event often referenced in Game of Thrones.

HBO previously greenlit a prequel with Naomi Watts in the lead. The show was set thousands of years before A Song of Ice and Fire. A pilot for the series was filmed, but the show was eventually scrapped. If we’ve learned one thing from Game of Thrones, it’s that killing a character/show can happen in seconds if Martin is involved.

Before you go: Paddy Considine to star in ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel

[video_embed id='2050146']Before you go: Paddy Considine to star in ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel[/video_embed]