HBO Seemingly Responds To Pulling Plug On Game Of Thrones Prequel

One Game of Thrones prequel may have bit the dust, but HBO has officially declared epic plans for continuing the popular franchise. House of the Dragon, from author George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal, has officially received a 10-episode order from the network, according to HBO's investor call Tuesday. The series will be about the events surrounding the Targaryen civil war, set 300 years before the original GoT series. Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed "Battle of the Bastards," as well as other popular episodes of GoT, is directing the pilot and other episodes in the promised first season.

"The Game of Thrones universe is so rich with stories," said HBO programming president Casey Bloys, per The Hollywood Reporter. "We look forward to exploring the origins of House Targaryen and the earlier days of Westeros along with Miguel, Ryan and George."

The network behind Game of Thrones won’t be going forward with plans for its Naomi Watts-starring prequel series, but good(ish) news: It will have plenty of non Game of Thrones content headed our way shortly. 

On Tuesday, it was announced by Deadline that HBO chose not to order GoT prequel Bloodmoon to series. The series, which was set thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, was just one of several Westeros-set series in development. 

“From the horrifying secrets of Westeros’s history to the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend, only one thing is for sure: It’s not the story we think we know," reads the show’s official description. 

Alas, we’ll never know exactly what was planned for the White Walkers origins, or the deal with Watts’ “charismatic socialite” holding a “dark secret.” While HBO hasn’t responded officially to the cancellation, a tweet from the network did seemingly try to soften the blow. 

“We’re just getting started. More shows are coming to HBO in 2021, including: The Nevers, Mare of Easttown, [&] Gilded Age,” it reads. 

HBO also noted that many of its most popular series — including Westworld, Barry, and Succession — would be available on HBO Max upon the upcoming streaming service’s launch. Game of Thrones is missing from the initial list. 

Fans weren’t thrilled with the tweet. 

“Is there really no more GOT prequel??” wrote one Twitter user after seeing the list.

“I will NEVER EVER watch one of your shows again! Cancelling the GOT prequel was the stupidiest [sic] things after the season 8 fiasco!” Twitter-yelled one GoT enthusiast. 

“Why ya doing this shit and not the GOT prequel?” added another.

There are still more Game of Thrones series in development, so fans have time to hopefully be pleased with the network once more. In the meantime, the series that HBO listed could be our future obsessions, even if they're not (yet) the cultural phenomenon of GoT.

Upcoming series The Nevers, from Joss Whedon, is about a group of Victorian women who learn they have supernatural abilities.

Mare of Easttown sounds like an answer to True Detective: It stars Kate Winslet as a detective solving a murder in small town Pennsylvania. Winslet also executive produces the project.

As for Gilded Age, the series is about a woman navigating 1882 New York City and stars Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski, and Amanda Peet.

No GoT? No problem. At least, that's what HBO is really, really hoping for.