Game Of Thrones: House Of The Dragon - 10 Reasons To Be Excited

Following the global phenomenon that was Game of Thrones, spin offs were inevitable.

HBO allegedly spent $30 million on a pilot for a prequel series "The Long Night", with Naomi Watts set to star.

This prequel, which would have detailed the legendary war between humans and white walkers, was unceremoniously axed and a new show was announced; House of the Dragon, which would focus on the civil war between opposing factions of the Targaryen family 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones.

Despite Game of Thrones' disappointing conclusion, expectations are high for this latest foray into Westeros. House of the Dragon has the edge over Game of Thrones in the sense that George RR Martin has written the conclusion to this chapter of history in 2018's Fire and Blood; much of the criticism of the last seasons of Game of Thrones was leveled at the perceived deviation from Martin's beloved source material.

Throw in some strong casting as well as Miguel Sapochnik (who helmed "Hardhome", "Battle of the Bastards" and "The Long Night") returning to direct the pilot and there's a lot to get excited about.

TV loves a spin off. One only has to look at the almost absurd amount of spin off films and shows commissioned by AMC in their The Walking Dead Universe; if it's a money maker, the content will keep on coming.

Fantastic news for fans of George RR Martin's universe, as there is almost an endless expanse of source material to unpack. A successful debut for House of the Dragon could well see more of these incredible stories hit the big screen.

Robert's Rebellion, the events immediately preceding Game of Thrones, would make for mouth watering viewing. It would see the return of younger versions of beloved characters such as Ned Stark, Robert Baratheon and Jaime Lannister, and would also see the on-screen debut of possibly the most evil character in Martin's universe; Aerys Targaryen, The Mad King. You thought Joffrey and Ramsay were bad? Wait until you meet the incestuous psychopath who burns his enemies alive with wildfire.

Further adaptations could see the "Tales of Dunk and Egg" brought to life; Martin's spin off novel series featuring the adventures of a young King Aegon Targaryen and his protector, Ser Duncan the Tall of the Kingsguard. Their story spans three books to date, plenty of material for the writers at HBO to turn into more phenomenal TV.

If you love Game of Thrones content, keep your eye on the success of House of the Dragon; you might just be getting a whole lot more of it.