HBO has announced a Game Of Thrones prequel series set to launch in 2020.
House Of The Dragon will focus on the House of Targaryen and will follow the civil (and uncivil) conflicts between family members and the various rulers who emerged.
It was co-created by George RR Martin, whose books the original series is based on.
Ryan Condal, who co-created the prequel with Martin, will serve as executive producer, alongside Miguel Sapochnik on the 10-episode series.
The new series, which was was announced at an event in Los Angeles, will feature on HBO’s upcoming streaming service.
It will launch in the US in May 2020 and will cost $14.99 (£11.65) per month. There is no word on a UK release, where Game Of Thrones aired on Sky Atlantic.
House Of The Dragon’s reveal came hours after reports surfaced in the US claiming a previously announced Game Of Thrones prequel had been cancelled after its pilot episode was poorly received by executives.
Executive producer Jane Goldman reportedly emailed cast members including Naomi Watts, Naomi Ackie, Jamie Campbell Bower and Miranda Richardson to tell them it would not be moving forward beyond the pilot, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The prequel, which was created by George R. R. Martin and Goldman — who wrote the screenplays for Kick-Ass, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and X-Men: First Class, was set 5,000 years before the wars, incestuous romances and dragons that many of the original series’ fans have come to know and love.
The series was supposed to explore “the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour,” a logline from the network said. “Only one thing is for sure: From the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend — it’s not the story we think we know,” it continued.
The pilot was directed by Jessica Jones veteran S.J. Clarkson oddly enough, the original Game of Thrones had a disastrous pilot, but it showed enough potential that HBO ordered it anyway, along with some recasting and reshoots.
Game Of Thrones is widely considered one of the greatest TV series of all time and came to an end earlier this year after eight record-breaking seasons.