HBO orders 10 episodes of Targaryen-focused Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon

Emilia Clarke.
(Image credit: Courtesy HBO)

For Game of Thrones fans, HBO gaveth and tooketh away on Tuesday.

Hours after reports that HBO has pulled the plug on one Game of Thrones prequel, the cable channel announced that it has ordered 10 episodes of a second prequel, House of the Dragon. The series will take place about 300 years before the events in the HBO smash hit and it will focus on, naturally, House Targaryen, embodied in Game of Thrones by Emilia Clarke's Daenerys. George R.R. Martin, who created the Game of Thrones universe, and Ryan Condal are co-creators of the series, HBO said, and frequent Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik will direct the pilot and some other episodes. No casting or release dates were disclosed.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.