Source: HBO
A first look at the characters of HBO’s House of the Dragon, a prequel to the award-winning 8-season Game of Thrones series, has been released this week, and fans of book author George R. R. Martin (GRRM) are nothing but ecstatic in anticipation of the 2022 release of the new series.
Photos of the show’s leading characters were made available this week, featuring Matt Smith (The Crown) as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy (Truth Seekers) as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Steve Toussaint (Flight of Fury) as Lord Corlys Velaryon, also known as “The Sea Snake,” Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One) as Alicent Hightower, and Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill) as Otto Hightower.
Other members of the star-studded cast include Paddy Considine (The Outsider) as King Viserys Targaryen, Eve Best (Fate: The Winx Saga) as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno (Crazy Rich Asians) as Mysaria, and Fabien Frankel (The Serpent) as Ser Criston Cole, to mention a few.
House of the Dragon is based on GRRM’s book Fire & Blood, which tells the story of House Targaryen 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. As most fans can remember, Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, came from the House Targaryen of Dragonstone, a noble family of Valyrian descent that once ruled the Seven Kingdoms. Historically, 17 male Targaryens ruled the Iron Throne, including Daenerys’s father, King Aerys II Targaryen, also known as the Mad King.
The team behind the camera is composed of exceptional names in the industry. GRRM will be co-creator of the upcoming series alongside Ryan Condal, writer and producer of big projects that include Rampage (2018), Colony (2016), and Hercules (2014). Condal will also be the showrunner together with director Miguel Sapochnik, who won the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series at the Emmy Awards. Sapochnik directed six episodes of Game of Thrones, including the epic Battle of the Bastards and The Long Night. He was nominated for another Emmy in 2019 for directing the latter and won the Emmy for Best Drama Series as an executive producer for the final season.
Also joining the impressive roster of the House of the Dragon production staff as directors are Geeta V. Patel (The Witcher) and Clare Kilner (The Alienist: Angel of Darkness). Greg Yaitanes (Banshee, House) is coming on board as director and co-executive producer. Ramin Djawadi, Game of Thrones and Westworld composer, will score the series.
Condal and Spochnik will also act as executive producers alongside GRRM, Vince Gerardis, Ron Schmidt, and Sara Lee Hess.
The final season of Game of Thrones aired on HBO on April 14, 2019, and came to an explosive conclusion on May 19, 2019, with fans seeing the powerful collaboration between Daenerys and Jon Snow, who was later revealed to be of Targaryen descent aside from his Stark blood. If HBO follows its Game of Thrones schedule of releases since it started in April 2011, it is highly likely that House of the Dragon will also premiere in the same month next year.
HBO has yet to announce the final release date for the TV series.
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