Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon begins casting

HBO has reportedly begun casting for the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.

As confirmed by EW, the series will see the legendary Targaryen civil war called the 'Dance of the Dragons' play out on the small screen. We figured as much based on the source material, George RR Martin's Fire and Blood – which starts with the formation of King's Landing and ends with the final years of Aegon III's reign – but it's good to have confirmation.

Separately, a rumor from Recapped (via Polygon) names the characters HBO is currently casting for House of the Dragon. Apparently, the first names attached to the series could be filling the roles of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, whose dispute over the royal succession helped spur on the Dance of the Dragons. No specific actors vying fo the parts have been named.

House of the Dragon was initially one of several Game of Thrones spinoff series being considered at HBO. Another prequel, which would've taken place thousands of years before Game of Thrones and focused on the origin of the White Walkers, was canceled after its pilot episode – starring Naomi Watts – was shot. Martin has made clear he's open to adapting more than one Westerosi legend to TV, writing on his personal blog last year: "I think television has plenty of room for two shows set in Westeros."

We aren't likely to see the Game of Thrones prequel for some time, but here are a bunch of new TV shows coming your way in 2020 and beyond.