“House of the Dragon” was announced by HBO
programming president Casey Bloys during
a presentation for HBO Max, the streaming
service launching in May 2020. A spinoff of
HBO megahit “Game of Thrones” would be a key
attraction in the increasingly crowded streaming
marketplace.
HBO declined comment on reports that it had
dropped another “Game of Thrones” prequel
set thousands of years before the original. A
pilot episode starring Watts had been filmed in
Northern Ireland.
The straight-to-series order for “House of the
Dragon,” whether a sign of faith in the project or
pressure to get it into production, avoids letting
devotees of the fantasy saga down once more.
Casting and an air date were not announced.