HBO’s upcoming fantasy drama series House of the Dragon was conceived by George R. R. Martin and Ryan J. Condal. It is a precursor to the Game of Thrones (2011–2019) television series and is based on Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood. Set two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series narrates the beginning of the end for House Targaryen; the events leading up to and covering the Targaryen civil war, known as the “Dance of the Dragons,” which is generally modelled on the English Civil War.
In October 2019, a straight-to-series order was issued for House of the Dragon, with casting beginning in July 2020 and principal photography commencing in April 2021 in the United Kingdom. The launch of the series is slated for August 21, 2022. The first season will have ten episodes.
What is the Storyline of House of the Dragon?
The plot of House of the Dragon is inspired by George R. R. Martin’s novel Fire & Blood, which is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones (opens in new tab). The book begins with Aegon’s Conquest, which created the new global order and laid the groundwork for the Iron Throne throughout much of Westeros. We then follow the Targaryen dynasty as numerous (both good and bad) kings and queens rule over the Six Kingdoms.
This results in a civil war between Aegon II and his half-sister, Princess Rhaenyra, for the kingdom currently inhabited by their father, Viserys I. The trailers indicate that this civil war will be the primary subject of the show.
Expect several battles, slaughter, and dragons. Therefore, anything you would desire to see in a show based on Martin’s work.
When Will House of the Dragon Come Out?
On Sunday, August 21, House of the Dragon will debut on HBO and HBO Max in the US, and on Monday, August 22, it will debut on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK.
The fact that House of the Dragon will debut on Prime Video on August 21 just 12 days before another eagerly awaited fantasy TV series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, adds an added layer of humour to the news.
Trailer for House of the Dragon
We’ve got a few teasers giving us a taste of what’s to come for House of the Dragon, but the official teaser trailer provided us with our best look at the program yet.
It teases the “ugly game” of what’s to come in the new fantasy series and gives us a few plot hints; you’ll see representatives from Westeros swearing fealty to King Viserys and his named heir, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen… but there are plenty of people who would rather see the world burn than see the realm handed to a woman.
Check out the trailer below:
The cast of House of the Dragon
The following cast members have been confirmed for the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon.
Paddy Considine in the role of King Viserys I Targaryen
Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenys Targaryen’s Princess
Milly Alcock plays a younger version of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.
Matt Smith as Daemon Prince Targaryen
Olivia Cooke in the role of Lady Alicent Hightower
Emily Carey as Lady Alicent Hightower when she was younger
Steve Toussaint in the role of Lord Corlys Velaryon
Eve Best playing Princess Rhaenys
Fabien Frankel in the role of Ser Criston Cole
Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
Rhys Ifans in the role of Ser Otto Hightower
Who is Directing the Series?
The showrunners for the series are Ryan Connal (Colony) and Miguel Sapochnick. Some of the most memorable Game of Thrones episodes, such as “Hardhome” and “Battle of the Bastards,” was directed by the latter.
As an executive producer, he received the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Outside of the anticipated increase in dragon-related brutality, many believe that this programme will be the most faithful of the planned Game of Thrones spin-offs.
The series will also be directed by Clare Kilner (The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, The Wedding Date) and Geeta V. Patel (Meet the Patels, The Witcher). Greg Yaitanes (Banshee, House) serves as co-executive producer and director.
Ramin Djawadi, the composer for Game of Thrones and Westworld, has returned to deliver the score.
House of Dragon: Will Game of Thrones Characters Return?
Unlikely, unless the Night King or Children of the Forest make an appearance.
The series takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, therefore none of the well-known characters would appear.
However, we may probably encounter the ancestors of familiar families such as the Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons, and Baratheons. Depending on how much ground is traversed, ancient Westerosi conquerors Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys Targaryen may also appear, although this has not been confirmed.
Balerion the Black Dread, Aegon’s ride, whose skull stayed in the dungeons of King’s Landing for most of Game of Thrones, and who was “historically” ridden by King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) at one time, could make a return appearance. However, he may have a bit more flesh on his bones this time.
The initial concept image for the show seems to indicate that it will live up to its moniker.
House of the Dragon is Not Like Game of Thrones in What Ways?
glad you inquired. The creative team wants House of the Dragon to feel like the Game of Thrones universe even if it is a prequel with a different objective. According to Sapochnik, The Hollywood Reporter “I believe that we showed the original show a lot of respect. We’re not trying to invent the wheel since it wasn’t broken. The tone of House of the Dragon will change and develop throughout the programme. But first, it’s crucial to honour and give tribute to the original series, which was incredibly innovative. We are supported by that show, and it is the only reason we are even here.”
Despite their desire to pay homage to its heritage, the House of the Dragon team has no intention of creating a duplicate clone of Game of Thrones. This is excellent news for fans, who may anticipate something both comparable and unexpected. Sapochnik remarked, “However, we cannot say, ‘Well, when we produced Game of Thrones, we did it this way…'” “You’ve lost if you begin every statement with that. This should be something else, as it is something else. It has a different cast, cast members, and tone. Hopefully, it will be perceived differently. But it must earn that – it will not happen overnight. Hopefully, fans will appreciate it for what it is. We’ll be lucky if we even get close to the original show, so we’re just putting our heads down and going to work in the hopes that what we produce is deserving of the Game of Thrones name.”
Smith reiterated Sapochnik’s remarks, describing the difficulty of reimagining established narratives as “throwing paint at the wall and seeing what sticks.” He then elaborated on the futility of pursuing the Game of Thrones high, adding, “In many ways, we’re attempting to create a programme that is exciting on several levels and has a comparable scale and ambition as the last show. But certainly, you will never be able to replicate the success of Game of Thrones, as that was a unique moment in history. It was an independent entity.”
In the same way that the show takes a different approach to the source material, it may even be superior. Martin implied as much in a blog post “As some of you may recall, I have claimed for years that Sibel Kekilli’s portrayal of Shae on television was a more complex, nuanced, and layered character than the Shae in my novels. In a similar vein, I am extremely impressed by Paddy Considine’s portrayal of King Viserys, who gives the character a tragic grandeur that my book Viserys never managed. Paddy, Ryan and his writers, Miguel and the other directors deserve praise.” We admire a man’s humility.
The showrunners of House of the Dragon have also attempted to rectify some of Game of Thrones’ initial flaws, particularly its lack of diversity and its poor treatment of female characters. The powerful Velaryon dynasty has been recreated by the House of the Dragon as affluent Black monarchs with flowing silver dreadlocks. According to Condal, when writing the series, Martin flirted with this interpretation of the Velaryons, seeing them as Black conquerors from the far west who invaded Westeros. “It was crucial for Miguel and me to produce a show that didn’t just include a lot of white individuals,” Condal explained. “We wanted to incorporate diversity into the programme, but we didn’t want it to feel like an afterthought or, worse, a token effort.”
For the first time, female characters will be featured prominently, and the plot will directly address gender inequality. Princess Rhaenys Targaryen states to her niece, Princess Rhaenyra, in the trailer, “Men would rather destroy the realm than watch a woman ascend the Iron Throne.” Eve Best, who portrays Princess Rhaenys, said of the programme, “In essence, it’s about the disillusionment of the patriarchy, of this system that has been in place for centuries and centuries.”
House of the Dragon is prepared to raise its manufacturing value to the next level with the help of modern technology. A virtual cave set exemplifies how the prequel will leverage innovative virtual production stage technologies to create the ideal locations for its sequences. A crew member’s leaked on-set shot (viewable on Reddit) reveals another sight of the virtual stage; this time, it’s a vast blue sky that would look great with dragons soaring across it.