While Game of Thrones officially left our screens in 2019—with that incredibly divisive finale episode—George R. R. Martin’s sprawling and magical world continues to take new forms, including in the author’s own continuation in upcoming novels to HBO’s first spinoff series, House of the Dragon.
The upcoming prequel series, beginning production in 2021, comes from co-creators Martin and Ryan Condal and is set to take a deep dive into House of Targaryen.
Below, everything we know about the upcoming series.
What Is House of the Dragon About?
Based on George R. R. Martin’s 2018 book, Fire & Blood, the upcoming 10-episode spinoff series will tell the story of House of Targaryen, otherwise known as the House of which Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke in the original series) was born. The series will take place 300 years before the events on the original Game of Thrones series, giving us new insight in the Mother of Dragons’ lineage.
The official synopsis reads: “Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire and Blood begin their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.”
Has A First-Look Of House of the Dragon Been Released?
On December 4, 2020, the official Game of Thrones Twitter account released our very first look at the highly-anticipated prequel.
“Dragons are coming. #HouseoftheDragon begins production in 2021,” the tweet read alongside two photos of dragons presumed to make their debut in the project.
When Will It Debut?
At the 2020 TCAs, HBO programming president Casey Bloys estimated that House of the Dragon would arrive “sometime in 2022,” he said, according to Deadline.
Who Has Been Cast In House of the Dragon?
Paddy Considine has been cast as King Viserys Targaryen. According to IndieWire, “Viserys was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. Known as a decent man, Viserys wants to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy.”
Other roles being cast include Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Queen Alicent Hightower, Aegon II Targaryen, and Prince Daemon Targaryen.
Entertainment Weekly reported in June 2020 that casting had already begun, though all the specific roles have yet to be released.
Who Is The Creative Team Behind The Upcoming HBO Project?
The team behind House of The Dragon include Director Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal, who will also act as showrunners.
Sapochnik won an Emmy and Directors Guild of America award for his work on GoT episode ‘Battle of the Bastards’, the ninth episode of season six. He also directed the episode ‘The Long Night’ and ‘Hardhome’ from the eighth and final season, of which he was nominated for an Emmy award.
Condal has previously spoken about the pressures that come with being involved with the mega-hit series next venture.
“I will say this: I realise the shoulders that I’m standing on here in making this show. I realise the footsteps that I’m walking in—they’re very deep, they’re very intimidating, but I come to the show as not only a huge fan of the original series but also a fan of the books,” he said on a Youtube episode of Beyond The Trailer.
Will George R. R. Martin Be Involved?
In a post on his blog about the news, the Song of Ice and Fire author confirmed that he would, in fact, be involved in the new series—but not until he’s finished writing the long-awaited sixth book that inspired the original Game of Thrones series.
“I am not taking on any scripts until I have finished and delivered Winds of Winter,” he wrote.
Will Emilia Clarke Reprise Her Role As Daenerys Targaryen?
Emilia Clarke, who portrayed the Mother of Dragons herself for eight seasons on Game of Thrones, admitted that she doesn’t know anything about the Targaryen-centered spinoff. “I genuinely don’t know anything about it,” the actress told Jimmy Fallon in October 2019.
Where and when can you watch House of the Dragon in Australia?
House of the Dragon will air on August 22 on BINGE. Sign up for a free two trial here — and catch up all of Game of Thrones before we head back to Westeros.
