With “House of the Dragon” comes the long-awaited spin-off of the hit series Game of Thrones in 2022. But when exactly will the series appear, what is it about and who is playing?
“Game of Thrones” is certainly known to many – even those who are not necessarily fans of series or fantasy. It is undoubtedly one of the most successful series of all time. In terms of ratings, streaming numbers, prices and other things, for years the path led only via the fantasy epic from HBO Max. The finale ran in May 2019 and heated tempers; many were a little disappointed with how the Westeros trip ended.
The joy was all the greater when a spin-off was announced. After all, there is plenty of material for this in the narrated world based on George RR Martin’s book series. TECHBOOK lists all known information about the project “House of the Dragon”.
When is House of the Dragon due out?
After only a vague year was known for a long time, HBO finally announced in March 2022 when we can expect the new series. On August 21, 2022, “House of the Dragon” is scheduled to start in the USA.
But German fans don’t have to wait much longer either. The same night from August 21 to 22, 2022, the series is also scheduled to start in Germany. Like the original HBO series, the spin-off will be broadcast on Sky and will therefore be available on Sky Q and WOW. At 8:15 p.m. during prime time on August 22nd. it will also run on Sky Atlantic. Ten episodes are planned in one season.
Thus, “House of the Dragon” competes directly against another fantasy blockbuster in the series area. Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings” series will also start in September 2022. So in all probability it will be a bombastic series year!
This is what House of the Dragon is about
A Game of Thrones spin-off was announced in 2018 and filming began in 2019. At the time, it was leaked that the series was set thousands of years before the events of GoT. Accordingly, the focus of the plot would have been the conflict between the children of the forest and the first white walkers. However, production never went beyond a pilot episode.
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“House of the Dragon” now makes it to publication and as the title suggests, the spin-off is about dragons. And none of the great houses of Westeros are more closely associated with the majestic, flying beasts than the Targaryens. In GoT we only get to know Daenerys, (very briefly) her brother Viserys (before he is covered in molten gold) and old Aemon. Jon Snow’s family tree is not the topic here.
“House of the Dragon” is now supposed to play about 300 years before the events of the main series and is therefore a prequel. The rise and fall of the Targaryens should be the focus. Specifically, the series probably refers to the so-called dance of the dragons. It is based on the novel Fire and Blood (Book 1): The Rise and Fall of House Targaryen and two short stories by George RR Martin.
The history of the house has a lot to offer: from the conquest of Westeros by Aegon to the rebellion under Robert Baratheon. The prequel series is probably mainly about the fight between the half-siblings Rhaenyra and Aegon II for the throne of the seven kingdoms to play a role.
Pictures and trailer for the series
Meanwhile, HBO has released some pictures of the series. A first teaser introduced the setting and the cast.
A longer trailer was shown in May. Impressive images show new locations, even a dragon. One by one, the great houses of Westeros we know of, including the Starks, Velaryons, and Baratheons, swear allegiance to the new king. The conflict surrounding Crown Princess Rhaenyra, who could become the first woman on the throne, is also already being presented.
The dragons in the new “GoT” series
While they can be seen briefly in the trailer, they feature prominently in the footage released at the end of June. We are talking about the impressive dragons. In the trailer you can already hear Matt Smith aka Prince Daemon: “Gods, kings, fire and blood. Dreams didn’t make us kings, it was the dragons.” In Game of Thrones there are only three dragons that hatch from Daenenrys’ eggs: Drogon, Rhaegar and Viserion. In “House of the Dragon” there will probably be a lot more of the fire-breathing flying creatures.
Daemon’s dragon is called Caraxes and is said to resemble his master in character and play a major role in the series. George RR Martin, who works closely with the producers, also promises viewers plenty of kite power. For example, we know that Rhaenys Velaryon, the “Queen of Hearts”, was also a dragon rider; her dragon was called Meleys. The protagonist Rhaenyra also rode a dragon named Syrax, as did her half-brother and fiercest enemy, Aemon. His dragon is called Sunfire and, if the series sticks to the books, could also play a crucial role in the civil war.
In addition to the four dragons mentioned, there should also be numerous others in “House of the Dragon”.
The cast of “House of the Dragon”
Of course, the well-known GoT faces will not return, since their characters are far from born. However, we already know a few things about the “House of the Dragon” cast:
- Paddy Considine as King Viserys I
- Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen – Viserys’ firstborn
- Matt Smithh as Daemon Targaryen – Viserys’ younger brother, Rhaenyra’s uncle and husband
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower – Rhaenyra’s stepmother, Viserys’ new wife and mother of Aegon II.
- Tom Glynn Carney as Aegon Targaryen – son of Viserys and Alicent, half brother of Rhaenyra
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria – slave and Daemon’s familiar
- Fabian Frankel as Criston Cole – Knight of Dorne, comes from a middle-class family
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower – Alicent’s father and Hand of the King
- Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon – famous seafarer known as “The Sea Serpent”, owns the largest fleet of ships
- Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon – Corlys’ wife and native of Targaryen, cousin of Viserys and Daemon
- Milly Alcock as a young Rhaenyra
- Emily Carey as young Alicent
The concept of the series was developed personally by George RR Martin in cooperation with Ryan Condal. Miguel Sapochnik, who has already directed major GoT episodes such as “The Battle of the Bastards”, is returning as showrunner.