House of the Dragon, the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel from HBO, will uncover the beginnings of the powerful Targaryen family. The series is based on George R.R. Martin’s book, Fire and Blood, but the show will expound on the history of the most powerful dragon dynasty in Westeros.
The story of this prequel is set 300 years before the events of the original series. House of the Dragon will likely center on Aegon the Conqueror, who was the key to reuniting six of the Seven Kingdoms.
Reports also point to a likely scenario involving The Dance of Dragons in the series. In Martin’s books, this referred to the first Targaryen civil war, which saw Aegon claiming King’s Landing. But this era also marked the beginning of the extinction of the dragons, House Targaryen’s source of power.
Fans speculate that House of the Dragon might also tell the story of the secret Targaryens that will build on the prophecy referenced in Game of Thrones. Aegon had many bastard children that became the curse of the Seven Kingdoms.
Who are behind the show?
Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are not involved in this new production. Ryan Condal developed the series with the help of Martin and Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik.
Martin, however, expressed that he might not write episodes for House of the Dragon. Unfortunately for the show, the bestselling author has a different priority, and his fans will understand why.
“I am not taking on any scripts until I have finished and delivered Winds of Winter. Winter is still coming, and Winds remains my priority, as much as I’d love to write an episode of House,” the author said.
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Who stars the series, and when will it air?
Entertainment Weekly reported in July that House of the Dragon is in the process of casting two female leads. Unfortunately, HBO is not releasing the character descriptions just yet, but speculations are that production is looking to cast Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the Iron Throne ruler, and Queen Alicent.
HBO plans to debut the prequel in 2022 at best. Currently, the writing team is still perfecting the script. Martin said that things are “flying along wonderfully” while the writers are working amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Once House of the Dragon comes together, however, HBO plans to air this on HBO Max. The premier cable channel’s new streaming platform launched on May 27.
Image used courtesy of Game of Thrones/YouTube