Game of Thrones creator and author George RR Martin revealed that he wanted HBO's House of the Dragon to take place 40 years earlier.
In an interview with Penguin Random House, Martin discussed the process of developing the prequel series, which takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. "The other possibility we discussed -- which was actually my favorite, but nobody liked it but me -- had the series opening like 40 years earlier with the episode I would have called 'The Heir and the Spare,' in which Jaehaerys’s two sons, Aemon and Baelon, are alive," Martin said. "And we see the friendship, but also the rivalry, between the two sides of the great house."
According to Martin, the writers had many "spirited discussions" about where exactly to start House of the Dragon. While one writer wanted the story to start even later than the HBO drama began, with the death of King Viserys' wife Aemma, another writer "wanted it to be even later than that, with Viserys dying," an event that doesn't happen until Season 1, Episode 8. The show would then fill in the blanks with "flashbacks or dialogue."
House of the Dragon's Timeline
Following its series premiere, House of the Dragon has already been renewed for a second season by HBO. Based on the novel Fire & Blood written by Martin, House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of the original HBO series and follows the rise and fall of House Targaryen. Previously, Martin has explained that House of the Dragon will need four seasons to adequately tell the full story of the Targaryen civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons. However, he noted that if the show had 13 episodes each season, it would be "too slow." He said, "As it is, I am thrilled that we still have 10 hours every season to tell our tales, it is going to take four full seasons of 10 episodes each to do justice to the Dance of the Dragons, from start to finish."
While House of the Dragon has been renewed for Season 2, HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys hinted that the next installment will arrive much later than anticipated and likely won't release until 2024. "We're just starting to put the plan together [for Season 2], and just like last time, there are so many unknowns," Bloys said. "It's not to be coy or secretive, but you don't want to say it's going to be ready on this date, and then you have to move it."
All episodes of House of the Dragon are available to stream on HBO Max. Season 2 does not yet have a release date.
Source: YouTube