That didn't take long: HBO has already renewed 'Game of Thrones' prequel series 'House of the Dragon'

Dracarys! The blazing legacy of the Targaryen family will live on in a second season of House of the Dragon, HBO confirmed Friday. The renewal comes less than a week after the long-awaited season premiere, which racked up nearly 10 million viewers across all platforms, making it the largest HBO series debut in the network's history. That number has since doubled over the last five days.

Set almost 200 years before the events depicted in Game of Thrones, the project explores the political intrigue of the dragon-taming clan that ruled over Westeros for centuries before they were overthrown by Robert's Rebellion. Drawing from Fire & Blood (the official history of House Targaryen), George R.R. Martin developed the prequel spinoff alongside Ryan Condal (Colony) — the latter of whom serves as co-showrunner with veteran Thrones director, Miguel Sapochnik.

"We are beyond proud of what the entire House of the Dragon team has accomplished with Season 1," Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, said in a statement. "Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see-TV. A huge thank you to George, Ryan, and Miguel for leading us on this journey. We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with Season 2.”

The ensemble cast features the acting work of Paddy Considine (King Viserys Targaryen), Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen), Emma D'Arcy's (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Steve Toussaint (Lord Corlys Velaryon), Wil Johnson (Ser Vaemond Velaryon), John Macmillan (Ser Laenor Velaryon), Savannah Steyn (Lady Laena Velayron), and Theo Nate (Ser Laenor Velaryon).

Martin, Condal, and Sapochnik (he also directed the premiere and several other episodes) are executive producers with Sara Hess (part of the writers' room as well), Jocelyn Diaz, Vince Gerardis, and Ron Schmidt. Clare Kilner, Geeta V. Patel, and Greg Yaitanes (a co-executive producer) make up the remaining pool of directors.

"I think we have a good plan for Season 2, if HBO is willing and eager to continue telling the story with us," Condal said during an interview with Collider. "There is really 300 years of Targaryen history to explore, and there are many stories within there that are really fascinating. There’s the story of the conquest, the story before the conquest, the Targaryens leaving Old Valyria. You have a tale like this, where the Targaryens have dragons and are in power. And then, there are also stories where the Targaryens no longer have dragons, but are still in power. What changes there, and how is that different? It’s a very rich tapestry. It’s a rich landscape. I think the fan base is willing and eager. There’s a lot of storytelling left in this world, if people want it."

The first episode of House of the Dragon ("The Heirs of the Dragon") is now available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes premiere on HBO and HBO Max every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET. The show currently holds a fresh 85 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. For more information on what critics are saying about the fiery spinoff, click here.

Looking for more fantasy adventures? Stream the entire eight-film Harry Potter saga on Peacock.