“House of the Dragon” is the only confirmed “Game of Thrones” spinoff coming to HBO.
“House of the Dragon” concept art
Courtesy WarnerMedia
“House of the Dragon” — HBO’s upcoming prequel to its wildly popular “Game of Thrones” fantasy series — is coming. (Sorry, we had to do it.)
Anticipation for “House of the Dragon” has been high since the show was unveiled by WarnerMedia in October 2019. Most details about the project have been under wraps since its initial reveal, but bits and pieces about the show have been teased in recent months. “House of the Dragon” is among HBO’s most high-profile upcoming series and has massive shoes to fill, given the success of the premium cabler’s “Game of Thrones,” which earned 59 Emmys throughout its eight-season run. Both series are based on hit fantasy novels from George R.R. Martin.
“Game of Thrones” concluded in 2019 and speculation about successor series has been rife since the show’s conclusion. Several spinoff ideas were publicly floated and later discarded; as of December 2020, “House of the Dragon” is the only upcoming “Game of Thrones”-related series that has been officially confirmed.
Here’s everything you need to know about “House of the Dragon”:
Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Emma D’Arcy
It was announced that Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Emma D’Arcy have joined the “Game of Thrones” prequel. Cooke will play Alicent Hightower, the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. Smith plays Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne while D’Arcy is Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the king’s first-born child.
HBO’s First-Look Included New Concept Art
After months of silence, HBO gave fantasy fans an early Christmas present via two pieces of concept art of scaly dragons in December 2020. The artwork was unveiled a little over a year after “House of the Dragon” was officially announced by HBO.
The 10-episode “House of the Dragon” is based on Martin’s “Fire & Blood” novel.
What’s the Story?
“House of the Dragon” is a prequel to “Game of Thrones” and is set 300 years before the latter series.
“House of the Dragon” will tell the story of the House of Targaryen (also known as the House that gave us the Mother of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryen). Martin’s “Fire & Blood” was published in 2018 and focused on the history of House Targaryen and the violent battles and events the dynasty was involved in.https://7dfef204709a967287947b4cc9e3d031.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
Who Is Creating ‘House of the Dragon?’
Miguel Sapochnik (pictured) and Ryan Condal will serve as showrunners on the series, which is co-created by Condal and Martin. Sapochnik and Condal also serve as executive producers along with Martin and Vince Gerardis.
Sapochnik previously directed six “Game of Thrones” episodes and won Emmy and DGA awards for the “Battle of the Bastards” episode. He was nominated for another Emmy in 2019 for directing “The Long Night” and won the Emmy for Best Drama Series as an executive producer for the final season.Photo:Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
Paddy Considine Will Star in the Series
Paddy Considine is the sole cast member who has been announced for the series. Considine, in one of the show’s leading roles, will star as King Viserys Targaryen. HBO’s description for the character reads: “Viserys was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy, but as we’ve learned from “Game of Thrones,” good men do not necessarily make for great kings.”
Considine previously appeared in “The Outsider” and “The Third Day,” both of which premiered on HBO in 2020.Photo:Courtesy of WarnerMedia
How Is Production Going?
HBO said in December 2020 that principal photography on “House of the Dragon” would begin “in a few months.” That was the first bit of production news the premium cabler had shared since HBO programming chief Casey Bloys suggested in a January interview that “House of the Dragon” might premiere sometime in 2022. The show still doesn’t have a concrete release date and there has been no indication that Hollywood’s ongoing COVID-19 production issues have impacted the show.
As for the shooting location, “House of the Dragon” will be filmed mainly in England at Leavesden Studios in Watford, outside London, where another WarnerMedia property, Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” is currently shooting.