George R.R. Martin sheds some light on the Targaryen Game of Thrones prequel

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

It was revealed last week that HBO was close to giving a pilot order to another Game of Thrones prequel series. The prospective series, which will be crafted by George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal (Colony), is said to be set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones and will track the beginning of the end for House Targaryen.This new project is based upon George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood," a Targaryen history book which  chronicles the history of House Targaryen, starting off with "Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and [going on] to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold the throne, all the way up to the civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons, that nearly tore their dynasty apart."

George R.R. Martin responded to the news on his blog, but naturally didn't reveal much beyond confirming that it will have dragons. Some reports implied that the series is closer to becoming a reality than it really is, and Martin made sure to point out that "'Moving closer to a pilot order' is NOT the same thing as "getting a pilot order.'" That said, Martin believes that the chances of this happening are good.  At the moment, the Targaryen prequel has script and a series bible courtesy of Ryan Condal, which Martin called "terrific," "first rate," and "exciting."

It has a script and a bible, and both of them are terrific, first rate, exciting. They’re the work of RYAN CONDAL. I first met Ryan when he came to New Mexico a couple of years ago to shoot a pilot for a fantasy western called THE SIXTH GUN, based on the comic book. That show did not go, though I had the pleasure of screening the pilot at my theatre, the Jean Cocteau. Later we also did a premiere for COLONY, the aliens-in-LA series that Ryan created and ran. He’s a helluva strong writer, and a huge fan of A SONG OF ICE & FIRE, Dunk & Egg, and Westeros in general. I’ve loved working with him, and if the Seven Gods and HBO are kind, I hope to keep on working with him for years to come on this new successor show.

Martin also squashed rumours that the Targaryen prequel moving forward means that the other Game of Thrones prequel from Jane Goldman (KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE) won't be. "Some websites are suggesting that the news about Ryan’s show moving forward means that Jane’s show won’t," Martin wrote. "If that’s so, no one has told me. I don’t think it’s so. I love what Ryan has done, but I’m excited about the possibilities for Jane’s series as well." Martin believes that there's certainly room for two Game of Thrones series (perhaps even more) as the world of Ice & Fire is quite vast. "Huge continents, ten thousand years of history, cities, deserts, oceans, mysteries, triumphs and tragedies. If there were indeed eight million stories in The Naked City in the 50s, surely there are eight billion stories to be told about Westeros, Essos, Sothoryos, and the lands beyond the Sunset Sea, south of Oz and north of Shangri-La…," Martin explained. "And in these days of a hundred networks, channels, and streaming services, I think television has plenty of room for two shows set in Westeros… or hell, maybe three or four… I still want to do SPEARCARRIERS, after all."

Jane Goldman's Game of Thrones prequel series, which is currently in post-production and awaiting word on a pickup, takes place thousands of years prior to the main series and chronicles "the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And 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." The cast includes Naomi Watts (THE BOOK OF HENRY), Jamie Campbell Bower (FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD), Miranda Richardson (CHURCHILL), Naomi Ackie (STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER), Georgie Henley (CHRONICLES OF NARNIA), and John Simm (Doctor Who).