Like, I have chills.
The end of HBO's Game of Thrones was never going to be the end of the story. The series' wild popularity more or less ensured there would be a spinoff no matter how controversially the show ended. HBO execs took care in testing different ideas, with five scripts solicited and an entire pilot made and scrapped before deciding on which direction to go. Now, the resulting series, House Of The Dragon, has begun filming. Even better, HBO has already released details and images from the new show.
From the beginning, George R.R. Martin, the author of the book series that inspired these HBO shows, insisted any spinoff would not be a sequel to GOT. It had to come from earlier in history, though exactly where to set a prequel was not an easy decision. In his books, Martin has backfilled tons of history and world-building for Westeros, with details that stretched as far back as 10,000 years before the current day, in the "Age of Heroes."
The initial show put to pilot focused on that very-far-back period, but when it was spiked in favor of House of the Dragon, it was not clear where the new show would focus. The title pointed to the 300-year reign of the Targaryen dragon lords, but a lot happened during that period too.
Here's what's known so far:
House Of The Dragon Plot Details
Fire & Blood's first volume begins with the arrival of Aegon and his conquest of Westeros. The book covers the reign of the first seven Targaryens kings, from Aegon I taking control in 3 BC through Aegon III in 157 AC. That's 160 years of Westerosi history the show could have chosen to cover.
With the reveal the series will start with an older Viserys in his 40s, the show confirmed its focus is on the Targaryen Civil War years, aka the Dance of Dragons.
On one side: Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen. Rhaenyra has spent her life as Viserys' eldest and her father's chosen heir. As noted above Daemon schemed to become her husband, fully expecting it as a path to power.
On the other: Viserys' second wife, Queen Alicent, and Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, who just so happens to be also be her father. They claim Alicent's son, Aegon, is the rightful king as his father's only living male heir.
HBO also revealed that the directors for House of the Dragon Season 1 would include newcomers to the franchise Clare Kilner (EastEnders), Geeta Patel (The Witcher), and Greg Yaitanes (House). They join already-announced veteran Miguel Sapochnik, who also serves as showrunner with Ryan Condel (Colony).
House Of The Dragon Theories
Even though the series has anchored itself in a specific era, there are still tons of questions about what will be included.
For instance, the Starks retreated to the North after kneeling to the dragon lords. But the family is well-loved by fans and the heart of the Game of Thrones series. Will the new show leave them out? How about the Lannisters? The Targaryen tradition of intermarrying means families like theirs are unable to gain a foothold of power. Will the show include Cersei's ancestors scheming from the sidelines?
House Of The Dragon Premiere Date
House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022.
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