One ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel is dead, but another has been greenlit by HBO

When it comes to Game of Thrones, the chances of survival are pretty slim. It's true for characters on the show, but it's also true for followups to the HBO hit, with the network cancelling plans for one prequel series just this week. It's rough out there in the seven kingdoms. But thankfully for GoT fans, it's not all doom and gloom in Westeros; HBO just greenlit a different prequel project, and it looks like the Targaryens are returning to the Iron Throne.Titled House of the Dragon, the new prequel is based on George R. R. Martin’s 2019 book Fire & Blood, which tells the 150-year history of the house of Targaryen. House of the Dragon will be set decades before the Westeros that fans came to know and love in the Game of Thrones series. According to EW, the series will eventually lead up to the civil war known in Martin’s books as “The Dance of the Dragons,” which was a massive civil war in the Seven Kingdoms that featured two rival branches of House Targaryen facing off against one another.House of the Dragon was originally developed by Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman and co-created by Martin. The new series will have a similar look and feel to the original series thanks to the involvement of director and co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik. On board to direct the pilot, Sapochnik is best known for directing iconic GoT episodes including “Battle of the Bastards,” “Hardhome” and “The Long Night.”

#HouseOfTheDragon, a #GameofThrones prequel is coming to @HBO.

The series is co-created by @GRRMSpeaking and Ryan Condal. Miguel Sapochnik will partner with Condal as showrunner and will direct the pilot and additional episodes. Condal will be writing the series. pic.twitter.com/9ttMzElgXm— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) October 29, 2019

The news of House of the Dragon receiving a full a 10-season episode order is the latest development in what has been a busy week in the Game of Thrones world. As House of the Dragon moves forward, the GoT prequel set 1,000 years before the events in the Game of Thrones TV series has been scrapped. The untitled prequel was announced earlier this year and HBO filmed a pilot in Northern Ireland over the summer. The news of the prequel’s cancellation is unfortunate, with the upcoming series including a rarely seen female-centric staff both in front of and behind the camera, including lead actor Naomi Watts, showrunner Jane Goldman, and director S.J. Clarkson.As for the former GoT showrunners, David Benioff and DB Weiss announced on Monday that they are stepping down from their roles as writers and directors of an upcoming untitled Star Wars trilogy, instead announcing that they plan on focusing their efforts on their Netflix deal, which includes an undisclosed number of new TV shows and films in development.[video_embed id='6025328002001']Can you pass this 'Game Of Thrones' Quiz?[/video_embed]