HBO greenlights GoT prequel pilot

George RR Martin will work with Jane Goldman on the Game of Thrones prequel

US cablenet giant HBO has ordered the first pilot for a prequel to hit fantasy series Game of Thrones (GoT).

The as-yet untitled project comes from George RR Martin, author of the novels on which GoT is based, and prolific screenwriter Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass, Kingsman, The Woman in Black) and is set thousands of years before the events of the current show.

Although details are being kept under wraps, the studio said the series would tell of the “world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour.”

“Only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’s 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,” the cryptic teaser continued.

Goldman will serve as showrunner on the project, exec producing alongside Martin and fellow GoT co-exec producer Vince Gerardis and Bloodline co-creator Daniel Zelman.

The pilot is one of a number GoT ventures in development, with HBO arranging deals with writers to join Martin in creating four other follow-on shows.