EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT GAME OF THRONES PREQUEL SERIES HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
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FROM THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND KEY LOCATIONS TO THE NEW
SHOWRUNNERS AND POTENTIAL PLOT POINTS, WE'RE SPILLING AS MANY BEANS AS POSSIBLE
ABOUT THE GEORGE R.R. MARTIN-APPROVED SPIN-OFF SERIES.
A new
teaser for HBO Max confirms that House of the Dragon, the prequel to HBO’s
epic fantasy series Game of
Thrones, will premiere in
2022.
HBO recently announced that Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One),
Emma D’Arcy (Truth Seekers), and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) have joined the cast.
Cooke will play Alicent Hightower, a close confidant of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy
Considine), while D’Arcy also
takes a lead role as as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Smith appears as
her uncle Prince Daemon Targaryen.
Production will begin in 2021, the franchise’s Twitter account revealed on
December 3 with some dragon concept art.
Dragons are coming.#HouseoftheDragon begins production in
2021. pic.twitter.com/Bxl763FVdY
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) December 3,
2020
The series is expected in 2022, HBO programming chief Casey Bloys told select media
outlets at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in January. The
network picked up the series, based on author George R.R. Martin’s A
Song of Ice and Fire book series and
its companion materials, WarnerMedia announced to investors in late
October 2019.
“House of the Dragon has been in
development for several years (though the title has changed a couple of times
during that process),” Martin wrote on his blog in response to news of the
series pickup. “It was actually the first concept I pitched to HBO when we
started talking about a successor show, way back in the summer of
2016.”
Set 300 years before the events of Game of
Thrones, the series tells the story of a turbulent period for House
Targaryen, one that set sibling against sibling and dragon against dragon. The
point of contention: who should rule on the Iron Throne, of course.
“If you’d like to know a bit more of what the
show will be about… well, I can’t actually spill those beans,” Martin teased in
his blog, “but you might want to pick up a copy of two anthologies I did with
Gardner Dozois, Dangerous
Women and Rogues, and then move on to Archmaester Gyldayn’s history, Fire &
Blood.”
Dangerous Women includes what press
materials describe as a “35,000-word novella” by Martin called “The Princess
and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens,” which is “about the Dance of the
Dragons, the vast civil war that tore Westeros apart nearly two centuries
before the events of A Game of Thrones.”
Rogues, meanwhile, includes Martin’s
story “The Rogue Prince, or, a King’s Brother,” which chronicles “the early
life, adventures, misdeeds, and marriages of Prince Daemon Targaryen,”
considered “one of the biggest rogues in the entire history of Ice and
Fire.”
Finally, the novel Fire & Blood,
released in November 2018, is the first novel of a two-part history of the
Targaryens in Westeros.
“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,” according to the book’s
description on the author’s site. “Fire & Blood begins 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.”
Martin and Ryan Condal (Colony) serve as
co-creators of the series, while Emmy-winning director Miguel Sapochnik
(Game of Thrones) and Condal will be showrunners and executive
producers. Martin, Vince Gerardis, Sara Lee Hess, and Ron Schmidt are also
executive producers. Sapochnik will direct the pilot and additional episodes of
the series, which Condal will write.
Sapochnik won the 2016 Primetime Emmy award for
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Game of Thrones episode
“Battle of the Bastards” and shared the 2019 Outstanding Drama Series Emmy
award with Martin, Gerardis, series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and
other producers on the final season.
Clare Kilner (The Alienist: Angel of Darkness)
and Geeta V. Patel (The Witcher) will also direct the series. Greg Yaitanes
(Banshee) will also direct and is also a co-executive
producer.
Martin introduced more series’
contributors in a blog post, noting Wes Tooke (Colony), Claire Kiechel
(The OA), and Ti Mikkel, a writer’s
assistant for Martin’s Fevre River Packet Company.
Martin introduced more series’
contributors in a blog post, noting Wes Tooke (Colony), Claire Kiechel
(The OA), and Ti Mikkel, a
writer’s assistant for Martin’s Fevre River Packet Company.
Casting reportedly began in July 2020, and HBO described
Considine, Cooke, D’Arcy, and Smith’s roles as follows:
Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen. 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.
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower. She’s the daughter of Otto Hightower, the
Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was
raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she
possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.
Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. The king’s first-born child. She is
of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra
was born with everything…but she was not born a man.
Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen. The younger brother of King Viserys and
heir to the throne, Daemon is a peerless warrior and a dragonrider who
possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a
Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…
Read more about some of the possible characters based on the books (see
spoiler alert first) below.
RELEASE DATE
A
video teaser for HBO Max confirmed in December that House of the
Dragon will be released in 2022. The teaser shows only a dragon
roaring fire and a new glittering gold logo. But what a dragon!
WHEN IT TAKES PLACE
The
Targaryens landed on Dragonstone more than four centuries before the events of
the original Game of Thrones series. The Dance of the Dragons was a war of succession
fought from 129 to 131 AC — that is, after Aegon I’s conquest of
Wasteros.
WHAT’S THE BIG CONFLICT?
The Targaryen civil
war was a conflict over primogeniture, the system of inheritance by a
firstborn child; often, the first-born son. A lord’s first child will inherit
the castle and lands of his or her father over an older sibling no matter what
his or her aptitude for governance compared to a sibling’s abilities. The
Targaryens generally followed primogeniture, though there were exceptions,
as during the rule of King Jaehaerys I.
When King Jaehaerys I’s eldest son, Prince Aemon, died, he left a
daughter, Rhaenys. King Jaehaerys I then chose his next eldest son, Prince
Baelon, to be new Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the throne rather than
bestowing the honor on his granddaughter, a move that even Queen Alysanne
disapproved of. When Baelon died unexpectedly — as well as Queen Alysanne and
one of their daughters — grief-stricken Jaehaerys convened the Great Council to
vote on succession, and the council chose Baelon’s son Viserys instead of
Rhaenys’ son Laenor.
During his reign, Viserys had named Rhaenyra, his daughter by his first wife,
as his heir, but upon Viserys’ death, his eldest son, Aegon, by his second wife
instead ascended the throne, causing a great rift in the kingdom. By this time,
Rhaenyra was also married to her uncle, the “rogue prince” Daemon Targaryen who
had long sought the throne himself.
Fire & Blood recounts the
battles between the siblings, their spouses, their offspring, their loyal
followers, and, most viciously, the Targaryen dragons.
WHO ARE THE POSSIBLE PLAYERS?
King
Viserys I (103–129 AC) – his death in early 129 began a great struggle of
succession between his eldest child Rhaenyra and his first-born son, Aegon.
Viserys’ dragon was especially notable: Balerion, the Black Dread, who King
Aegon I Targaryen rode back during the Conquest of Westeros. Born in Valyria,
Balerion was the last living dragon to have seen the Freehold, which the
Targaryens left 12 years before the Doom. He was black-scaled with black wings
and even black fire, which burned so hot that it melted the stone towers of
Harrenhal (you saw the ruins in Game of Thrones when Arya Stark
served as cupbearer to Tywin Lannister). Balerion died at around 200 years old
in 94 AC, less than a year after Prince Viserys claimed him and while the
prince was still very young; therefore, it is unlikely that House of the
Dragon will show
Balerion alive, unless the writers change the story or in flashback.
Alicent Hightower – Viserys I’s
second wife whose followers who would see Aegon crowned and were called
“the greens” after a green gown the queen wore during a great tourney in which
Rhaenyra wore traditional Targaryen black and red.
Daemon Targaryen – Viserys I’s
brother, Daemon was mad, bad, and dangerous to know — a skilled warrior and a
denizen of disreputable Flea Bottom establishments. Rumored to have taken his
teenage niece Rhaenyra’s virginity, he was sent into exile by Viserys. Years
later, he would marry Rhaenyra, and upon the death of Viserys, he crowned his
own wife, which touched off the bloody civil war known as the Dance of the
Dragons. Dragon: lean, but fearsome red Caraxes, also called “the Blood
Wyrm.”
Rhaenyra – Viserys I’s daughter and
first-born child by Aemma Arryn, Viserys I’s first wife who died in childbirth
with her second child, a son, who also died. Rhaenyra was beautiful and beloved
by her father and the people and was nicknamed “the Realm’s Delight” when she
was young. As she grew older, she grew headstrong and competed with her
ambitious stepmother Alicent. Her followers were called “the blacks” because of
the gown the princess wore on the king and queen’s fifth anniversary
tournament. Dragon: young yellow-scaled Syrax.
Ser Laenor Velaryon – Married his
reluctant cousin Rhaenyra, who remarked to her father, “My half-brothers would
be more to his taste.” Dragon: Seasmoke.
Rhaenys Targaryen and Lord Corlys Velaryon –
Parents of Laenor Velaryon. She was known as The Queen Who Never Was,
because she was passed over as heir to the throne in favor of her uncle. Corlys
was known as “The Sea Snake,” because of his prowess at sea.
Harwin Strong (aka “Breakbones”) –
son of Lord Lyonel Strong and heir to Harrenhal, he was Rhaenyra’s lover while
she was married to Laenor.
Princes Jacaerys “Jace,” Lucerys “Luke,” and
Joffrey “Joff” Velaryon – Rhaenyra and Laenor’s children, though
rumored to have been fathered by Strong because they had dark hair like Strong,
while cousins Laenor and Rhaenyra both had the Targaryen light silver/gold
hair. The boys’ dragons were, respectively: Vermax, Arrax, and
Tyraxes.
King Aegon II (129–131 AC) – Viserys
I’s eldest son by Alicent, married his sister. Dragon: Sunfyre, “the
Golden.”
Helaena – Aegon II’s sister-wife,
had three children with Aegon. Dragon: Dreamfyre.
Twins Jaehaera and Jaehaerys and their younger
brother Maelor – the offspring of Aegon II and
Helaena.
Blood and Cheese – hired killers who
murdered Jaehaerys in front of his mother, sparking her descent into
madness.
Mysaria – a prostitute who served as
Daemon’s mistress of whisperers in Flea Bottom. The prince impregnated her, but
she lost the child during a voyage to Lys to escape Viserys I’s anger over
Daemon’s attempts to give the child a dragon egg, per Targaryen
custom.
Aegon III (131–157 AC) – the son of
Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen, he ruled after his uncle Aegon II, and at a very
young age, married his cousin Jaehaera, who died young. His rule marked the end
of the Dance of Dragons. He had five children by his second wife, Daenaera
Velaryon. As a child, he grew melancholy after escaping a naval attack by
mounting his dragon, but leaving his brother Viserys behind and believing that
he had died. The brothers reunited later in life. Dragon: Stormcloud.
Mushroom – a fool in the courts of
Viserys I Targaryen, Aegon II Targaryen, Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Aegon III
Targaryen. His accounts of his days at court teemed with tales of debauchery
and scandal.
Dragonseeds – Nettles, Hugh the
Hammer, and Ulf the White were purportedly bastard Targaryen offspring. They
each claimed dragons and fought for Rhaenyra, though Hugh and Ulf later
switched allegiance.
Prince Qoren Martell – Dornish ruler
who supported the Triarchy (an alliance of the Free Cities of Myr, Lys, and
Tyrosh) in a war for the Stepstones against Prince Daemon Targaryen and
Lord Corlys Velaryon.
LOCATIONS WE’RE LIKELY TO SEE
Much of the drama
takes place in King’s Landing and Dragonstone, but the fighting and bloodshed
primarily happens in the Riverlands (led by House Tully at Riverrun). Many of
the bloodiest battles occur around Harrenhal and The God’s Eye.
- King’s Landing – the capitol
- Dragonstone – House Targaryen’s family home
- Driftmark – House Velaryon’s family home
- Dorne – The southernmost kingdom in Westeros, it was
not under Targaryen rule during the Dance of the Dragons.
- Oldtown – kept safe the Targaryen riches during the
Dance of the Dragons
- Lys – one of the Free Cities of Essos; known for its
brothels
- The Stepstones – the broken land bridge between Dorne
and Essos
- Harrenhal – the massive fortress above Gods Eye melted
by Balerion the Dread.
