HBO’s highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel series House of Dragon is set to premiere on August 21, 2022. Here is everything to know about the upcoming show!
The Story Is Set Some 200 Years Before GOT
The series covers a time when the Targaryen empire was at its height in Westeros. George R.R. Martin’s novel Fire and Blood is the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens. It tells the story of a brutal civil war fought between rival factions of the Targaryen dynasty. In the video, showrunner Ryan Condal explains, “The Targaryens are the fascinating dynasty that we don’t know much about from the original books because at that point they had all died out” With a new time period and cast, fans should expect to see some unique differences in the spin-off.
The Dragons Will Be Different
At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, Condal confirmed that fans are going to see a very different side to the dragons from the GOT universe. Condal told the audience, “It was important to differentiate the way they behaved and acted and bonded with their riders.” The new show has at least 17 dragons and aims to give each a unique look and personality. According to Condal, “The biggest difference about this series is the fact that dragons exist in this [era], whereas they were an extinct species that came back to life in the original show.” He further explained, “So there’s an infrastructure built around them. There’s a dragon pit, saddles, and dragon keepers — this monk-like order that takes care of them.”Fans of GOT remember what Daenerys Targaryen managed to achieve with 3 dragons which makes 17 an intriguing prospect.
George R.R. Martin Is Involved
Martin has been anticipating House of the Dragon quite eagerly himself. He is s co-creator alongside Condol who serves as co-showrunner with Miguel Sapochnik. Sapochnik directed multiple episodes of GOT (including “The Battle of the Bastards”) so it is clear that the show is in good hands. Martin wrote on his blog in December 2021, “mum’s the word now, don’t tell anyone… I’ve seen a rough cut of the first episode. And loved it. It’s dark, it’s powerful, it’s visceral… just the way I like my epic fantasy.” The author also teased. “Ryan and Miguel have done an amazing job, and the cast… just as with Game of Thrones, most viewers will only have heard of a few of the actors, but I think you are going to fall in love with a lot of them (Only to have your heart broken later when… but no, that would be telling)
Don’t Expect Any Fan Favorites
It can be reassured that the spin-off will have much in common with the original, but don’t expect to find anyone to root for in this cast of characters. Martin warned that there won’t be fan favorites like GOT had. He told The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s like a Shakespearean tragedy. There’s no Arya—a character everybody’s going to love. They’re all flawed. They’re all human. They do good things. They do bad things. They’re driven by lust for power, jealousy, old wounds—just like human beings. Just like I wrote them.” Nonetheless, these new characters are incredibly intriguing.
The Show Has 4 Main Characters
The new show will be a feud-filled fantasy epic like the original. Sapochnik gave a brief synopsis of the show. In his words, “The main characters are two women and two men. There’s the king (Viserys), his brother (Daemon), the king’s daughter (Rhaenyra) and her best friend (Alicent). Then the best friend becomes the king’s wife and thereby the queen. That in itself is complicated — when your best friend goes and marries your dad. But from the tiniest things, it slowly evolves this gigantic battle between two sides.”
The New Series Tackles Issues Of Sexual Violence
GOT was often criticized for its depiction of sexual violence. The producers have said that the new show “pulls back” on the amount of sex. While Sapochnik says that it is still a part of the show, they will approach it “carefully, thoughtfully and [we] don’t shy away from it. If anything, we’re going to shine a light on that aspect. You can’t ignore the violence that was perpetrated on women by men in that time. It shouldn’t be downplayed and it shouldn’t be glorified.” It’s also been revealed that the show will have a focus on childbirth and its inherent dangers which feels timely in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade.
The Creative Team Still Wants It To Feel Like The GOT World
The creators have made it known that want to pay homage to the original series. As Sapochnik told The Hollywood Reporter, “I think we were very respectful of what the original show is. It wasn’t broken so we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. House of the Dragon has its own tone that will evolve and emerge over the course of the show. But first, it’s very important to pay respects and homage to the original series, which was pretty groundbreaking. We’re standing on the shoulders of that show and we’re only here because of that show.”
