HBO just made it clear that Westeros is a long game now. At a recent press event, the network confirmed that House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will keep running for years, with new seasons staggered to give the franchise a steady presence on the calendar. On its own that is big news, but the more interesting tease came from George R R Martin himself.
Speaking at a fan event, Iceland Noir, Martin said that several more Game of Thrones spinoffs are actively in development beyond the two shows currently on the schedule. He framed it as a busy writers room situation rather than a single pipeline, explaining that he is working with multiple creative teams and that the internal slate includes five or six different series ideas. Most of them are still prequels, but Martin added a key detail: some of these projects are sequels, meaning stories set after the original show ends.
That line matters because the sequel space has been the hardest nut to crack. HBO previously explored a Jon Snow follow up with Kit Harington, but that project never found a story everyone felt great about and was shelved. Martin’s new comments do not mean a sequel is guaranteed, but they do confirm that HBO has not closed the door on the post finale era. If anything, it sounds like they are trying to find the right angle rather than forcing a quick win.
House of the Dragon is also quietly leveling up its cast for the next phase of the war. Recent additions include major book era figures like Ormund Hightower, Ser Roderick Dustin, Ser Torrhen Manderly, and Ser Luthor Largent. That lines up with earlier hints from the showrunners that season three will move into the brutal set piece battles that season two spent time setting up.
So where does that leave the bigger universe? Martin’s wording suggests a two track approach. The safe track is more prequel territory, which fits the brand and the books he has already written. The risky but exciting track is sequels that explore what happens after the controversial finale, with characters like Arya or Jon as obvious possibilities if the right story clicks. Martin has even joked about talking with Maisie Williams again, without confirming anything specific. But in context, it reads like a creator reminding everyone that the sandbox is still wide open.
The takeaway is pretty straightforward. HBO has a real release plan locked through 2028, and Martin is telling fans there is more on the way behind the curtain. Whether those sequel ideas ever make it to screen depends on scripts, timing, and appetite, but the fact that Martin is openly saying the word sequel again is the biggest shift in the conversation in years.
Sources: Winter is Coming, EW
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