‘Game of Thrones’ Creator George R.R. Martin Reveals How Many Other ‘Successor Shows’ Exist

Game of Thrones may be coming to an end following its eighth season, but the saga has the possibility of continuing in the form of several other prequels.

HBO’s popular series is about to reveal who will claim the Iron Throne in its eighth and final season. While fans are already mourning the loss of a fan-favorite series, GoT author George R.R. Martin is revealing that there are several prequels currently in the works, including one whose pilot has already been greenlit by the network.

“You know that we started with four [shows], and eventually went to five. One of those has been shelved, I am given to understand, and of course Jane’s pilot is now moving to film. But that does not mean the others are dead,” Martin wrote on his personal blog. “Three more Game of Thrones prequels, set in different periods and featuring different characters and storylines, remain in active development. Everything I am told indicates that we could film at least one more pilot, and maybe more than one, in the years to come. We do have an entire world and tens of thousands of years of history to play with, after all. But this is television, so nothing is certain.”

Martin added that he is serving as an advisor for all of the possible prequels, though his role is limited given that he is still working on his latest book, The Winds of Winter.

“I’ve consulted with all of the writers on all of the successor shows, and several of them have visited me in Santa Fe for long days of discussion, and we’ve gone back and forth in email, text, and telephone, so I have definitely been involved,” he wrote.

On June 8, HBO announced that it had officially placed a pilot order for an unnamed prequel created by Kick-Ass writer Jane Goldman, who will also serve as showrunner and executive producer. The series is said to be set thousands of years before the events of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, and likewise thousands of years before the event of the current Game of Thrones series.

It will reportedly chronicle “the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend… it’s not the story we think we know,” according to a description provided to Deadline.

Vince Gerardis, co-executive producer of Game of Thrones, will join Goldman as executive producer, along with Bloodline co-creator and executive producer Daniel Zelman. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who created and executive produced GoT, will not be involved in the prequel.