'Game of Thrones' Targaryen series confirmed as Jane Goldman prequel is axed

In a combination of good news and bad news from Westeros, HBO has announced that it has ordered a 10-episode series about the turbulent Targaryen family from George R.R. Martin's epic novel series.

The show will be called House of the Dragon, and will be helmed by Miguel Sapochnik, director from a host of key Game of Thrones episodes.

Read more: Emilia Clarke was ‘heartbroken’ by GoT finale response

It'll be based on the book Fire & Blood, which Martin published in 2018, a history of House Targaryen.

There's even a poster (check it below).

Martin is credited as co-creator of the new series, while Ryan Condal, co-creator of the sci-fi series Colony, will also be a showrunner.

“The Game of Thrones universe is so rich with stories,” said HBO president Casey Bloys.

“We look forward to exploring the origins of House Targaryen and the earlier days of Westeros along with Miguel, Ryan and George.”

But the show comes at a cost.

HBO announced that it has axed the planned prequel series from British writer Jane Goldman, of Kingsman fame, which had already shot a pilot episode in Northern Ireland earlier this year.

The series was to star Naomi Watts, and was set thousands of years prior to the events of Game of Thrones, during the Age of Heroes.

It would also have starred The Rise of Skywalker's Noami Ackie and Denise Gough, and featured the Starks and the Lannisters in their early incarnations, though not the Targaryen and, as such, no dragons.

The series boasted the logline: “The series 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 new Targaryen series takes place before Game of Thrones, but not thousands of years, so the storyworld will look similar to that seen in GoT.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the new series will lead to the Dance of Dragons, in which a war erupted between rival branches of the Targaryen family.

It should be in good hands with director Sapochnik, who directed GoT episodes including Hard Home, The Long Night and Battle of the Bastards.