The House of the Dragon is coming. While there were, at first, a half-dozen Game of Thrones prequels in development, that number has been cut down to just one – and it will tell the story of House Targaryen.

Production has, as with many TV shows, gone on hold due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Even before then, though, details were relatively scarce, as HBO remained tight-lipped about what to expect from the Game of Thrones prequel. Still, there's enough to be getting on with, including some choice words from HBO's President of Programming concerning a potential release date, and even confirmation of the role author George R.R. Martin will play.

But before we talk about The House of the Dragon, let's address the elephant in the room. The Game of Thrones prequel series was originally set to star Naomi Watts and a pilot was shot. The series was eventually cancelled and immediately replaced by this new one. We'll get into more details below, but, if you're confused about why we're not initially talking about Watts' series, that's why.

Don't expect House of the Dragon to reach our screens for at least another couple years. Before the pandemic threatened to delay production, HBO's Casey Bloys speculated it would release "sometime in 2022," adding that the script was already being written. But as lockdowns around the world pose significant production hurdles, there's a good chance it releases later than that.

There is some positive news regarding production on House of the Dragon. It was recently confirmed that casting was underway at HBO, possibly for the lead Targaryen roles. The specific actors and roles haven't been revealed yet, but it could be a sign that HBO plans on filming relatively soon.

Not that it's a direct equivalent, but for comparison sake: the idea for a Game of Thrones TV show was originally conceived in 2006 and development began in 2007. The pilot episode of Game of Thrones premiered in 2011, roughly four years later. With that timeline in mind, it wouldn't be without precedent to see House of the Dragons release around the 2024 mark. Though, again, that's 100% speculation, and with any luck, we'll be watching the Game of Thrones prequel well before that time.

Who's in the House of the Dragon cast?

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As of yet, no news on House of the Dragon casting has been revealed. We know there will be lots of Targaryens, as well as members of other houses within Westeros and possibly Essos, but as to who will fill those shoes, we can only fantasize.

The book House of the Dragon is based on, titled Fire and Blood, features a lineup of Targaryen rulers from Aegon I to his sons, Aenys I and Maegor I, all the way up to Aegon III. We expect plenty of silver-haired dragon riders to take the reign as casting details open up in the (presumably) near future.

When is the House of the Dragon set?

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The beginning of House of the Dragon will date back to roughly 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. That might seem like a while back, but it's actually much more recent history than the canceled Naomi Watts prequel, which was set to take place "thousands of years" before Game of Thrones and explore the early history of ancient houses as well as the origin of the White Walkers.

Considering Westerosi societies were very much thriving, and turbulent as ever, during the timeline containing House of the Dragon, expect to see political interworkings akin to Game of Thrones explored in the prequel series. Whereas the canceled prequel would've more likely focused primarily on fantasy elements, House of the Dragon is based on a book very much centered around ancestral hierarchies, warring nations, and a massive civil war. That should equate to a prequel series more tonally similar to Game of Thrones, a show as much about dragons as the dark underbellies of society and the ruling class.

For the uninitiated, House Targaryen is very much affiliated with dragons, going all the way back to Aegon the Conqueror's fire-breathing conquest over the seven kingdoms where House of the Dragon picks up.

What's the House of the Dragon story?

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House of the Dragon is based on Fire and Blood, a novel by George RR Martin covering the rise and fall of the Targaryen dynasty as recorded by a maester in pre-Game of Thrones time. Since that book has been out for about two years, we have a pretty good idea of what we can expect to see from House of the Dragon's plot.

The book picks up with Aegon's Conquest, which marked the very beginning of a new world order, the establishment of King's Landing as the world capital, and the physical formation of the Iron Throne.

Together with the help of his twin sisters, Rhaenys and Visenya (not to mention their three dragons), Aegon Targaryen I successfully subdued six of the seven kingdoms of Westeros, whether by conquest or their voluntary submission. Dorne was the only kingdom to successfully resist Targaryen rule. The only kingdom to prevail unconquered was Dorne, which Rhaenys left unharmed after finding its castles abandoned and only women and children occupying its seat.

Image credit: HBO (Image credit: HBO)

From there follows a turbulent run of Targaryen kings and queens; good, evil, and everywhere in between; leading up to the great civil war between Aegon II and his half-sister Rhaenyra over their father Viserys I's throne. That long struggle endured for two years, through which several large-scale battles were fought until both Aegon II and Rhaenya died mysterious and grizzly respective deaths.

The resulting power void fell to the young Aegon III to occupy, which resulted in the death of "the last dragon." The end of Fire and Blood doesn't lead directly into the events of Game of Thrones, closing out roughly 150 years before the fateful day Robert Baratheon shows up at King's Landing to enlist Ned Stark as Hand of the King. The gap between the end of Fire and Blood and the beginning of Game of Thrones hasn't been written about in depth, but Martin has said he plans on writing Fire and Blood part 2 when he's finished the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Game of Thrones followed the books closely and with little deviation for the first four seasons, after which substantial changes to the characters and plot were made at least partly due to the source work not being finished at the time. For those reasons, it's hard to tell how faithfully House of the Dragon will tell the stories from Fire and Blood. With Martin at the helm and Fire and Blood published in its entirety, it's a good bet the show and book will align quite nicely.

Who is the Game of Thrones prequel TV show showrunner?

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George RR Martin will be heading up the Game of Thrones prequel as showrunner, along with Ryan Condal and Game of Thrones alumn Miguel Sapochnik. Sapochnik directed some of Game of Thrones' most pivotal episodes, including "Hardhome" and "Battle of the Bastards," while Condal is an established screenwriter and producer well familiar with Martin's work.

What's happened to the other Game of Thrones prequel TV shows?

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The Game of Thrones prequel starring Naomi Watts was canceled late last year, despite filming its pilot episode. And before that, HBO commissioned five writers to have a crack at their own Game of Thrones prequel, with some of the finest talent around ready to present their vision of Westeros. Inevitably, only one was chosen.

So, what about the other three? Martin was kind enough to update us all with a blog post about the Game of Thrones prequels before the most recent cancellation. In it, he says that, of the five prequels, one has been shelved, with three more in "active development." Now that the one starring Watts has been cancelled, that leaves us with another two Game of Thrones prequels alongside House of the Dragon potentially still in early development.

Even recently, the author has expressed his interest to create another Game of Thrones show called Spear Carriers, inspired by the Tom Stoppard play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. "[It] would actually be set during the events of Game of Thrones", explained Martin in an interview with The New York Times, "but it wouldn’t be following Dany, Tyrion, and Jaime."

"They would all be there in the background like Hamlet, and it would be more like, 'Here’s a story about a guy in the City Watch; here’s a story about a prostitute at one of Littlefinger’s brothels; here’s a story about a mummer who’s in town to do juggling and tricks.' And they all get caught up in the events. I think that kind of show would be a lot of fun to do. Maybe I’ll be able to convince them to do it!” It sounds amazing, George, but best of luck getting HBO to greenlight that one!