Ever since the somewhat disappointing end of their hit television series Game of Thrones, HBO has teased that a prequel to the series is in the works. While they originally intended to create a series set 8000 years before the events of Game of Thrones, they are now changing pace. On April 26, they created an Instagram account announcing that the new series, House of the Dragon, is officially in production and will be coming to HBO Max in 2022. Several cast members have also been revealed.
George R. R. Martin created the series along with Ryan Condal. Condal and Battle of the Bastards director Miguel Sapochnik will be the executive producers and showrunners. Wes Tooke, Claire Kiechel, and Ti Mikkel will join Condal as writers. Ramin Djawadi will return to compose the score.
As the title indicates, the show will focus on Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors. Set 300 years before Game of Thrones, the story depicts a civil war known in the Ice and Fire universe as “The Dance of the Dragons”. It is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s novel Fire and Blood, which was released in 2018. The series will last 10 episodes.
The story is heavily inspired by The Anarchy, a brutal civil war that took place in England from 1135 to 1153. After the death of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), a bloody conflict of succession breaks out as his eldest daughter and chosen heir Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and son Aegon (currently unknown) battle for the throne. Additional members announced so far include:
- Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen: Viserys’s younger brother, a warrior, and dragonrider.
- Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon: the head of House Velaryon, a daring seafarer known as ‘The Sea Snake’, and Rhaenyra’s father-in-law.
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower: Hand of the King who doesn’t want Rhaenyra to succeed her father.
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower: Viserys’s second wife who wants her son Aegon to be king instead of Rhaenyra.
- Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen: Viserys’s cousin, a dragonrider married to Corlys Velaryon.
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria: Prince Daemon’s mistress of whisperers.
- Fabien Frankel as Ser Cristan Cole: Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
Unlike the original series, George R. R. Martin has already finished writing this story.
Words by Emma Bainbridge
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