By Aleya Justison | Staff Writer

Don’t worry, there are going to be more dragons. As the final season of the hit television series Game of Thrones began to air earlier this year, HBO was bombarded with a frenzy of spinoff pitches in order to satiate fan cravings. On Oct. 29 WarnerMedia made the announcement a new show, House of the Dragon, would begin production. The conclusion of Game of Thrones left the some of the fanbase dissatisfied, perhaps making room for a new series to further explain the finale’s outcomes in this past season.

 In total, six series have been in the works at HBO. While two were accepted, one, titled Bloodmoon, was rejected in the pilot phase of writing. Executives at HBO only accepted one, titled House of the Dragon, to receive a full series order by WarnerMedia. In this 10-episode prequel series, the creators hope to follow the complex history of Westeros, the fantastical setting of Game of Thrones. Based off of George R.R. Martin’s novel Fire and Blood, House of the Dragon will focus on the reign of the Targareyn family about 300 years prior to King Baratheon, the initial monarch of the Game of Thrones pilot season.

Symbolized with a dragon as their family crest, the Targareyns are portrayed as one of the strongest families in Westeros, up until their decimation prior to the onset of Game of Thrones. The Targareyn family played a central role in the foundational elements of the original show, as well as brought forth critical characters for the show’s maturation. Questions surrounding one of the last remaining in her family, Danerys Targareyn, and the demise of her father hope to be answered in this new series.

Fans of the books have some inferences as to what the series may hold, but HBO has released minimal information about what is in store for the season. It does, however, promise the return of several contributing writers and directors, including Miguel Sapochnik. He is best known for his contribution to the Game of Thrones episode titled, “Battle of the Bastards,” for which he won the 2016 Primetime Emmy award for Oustanding Directing for a Drama Series.

 No information about the cast has been announced, and the date of release is currently unknown, although some speculate it to be released in 2021. While this series is just in its preliminary stages, big expectations loom overhead. Has the reign of the Game of Thrones franchise seen its final days, or is it just starting to rise out of the ashes?