Three years after Game of Thrones ended, HBO is finally ready to bring us back to Westeros. On Wednesday, HBO announced that the release date for its Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon will be August 21st. HBO ordered 10 episodes of the spinoff in late 2019, just months after Game of Thrones concluded. George R.R. Martin has a co-creator credit alongside head writer Ryan Condal.
House of the Dragon release date revealed
HBO has been keeping its cards close to the vest when it comes to the plot of House of the Dragon. The logline for the show does confirm that it will be based on Martin’s book Fire & Blood. We also know it takes place 200 years before Game of Thrones and follows House Targaryen. We’ll meet the ancestors of Daenerys and Viserys.
HBO also shared a new teaser poster that should excite fans of dragons:
Character descriptions
There’s still plenty we don’t know about House of the Dragon, but HBO has shared details about the main characters. Here are the character descriptions:
- Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, 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 good men do not necessarily make for great kings.
- Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon 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…
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, 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.
- Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake.” Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. As “The Sea Snake,” the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.
- Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, a dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Queen Who Never Was” was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male.
- Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, of Dornish descent, the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. Cole has no claim to land or titles; all he has to his name is his honor and his preternatural skill with a sword.
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, who came to Westeros with nothing, sold more times than she can recall. She could have wilted… but instead she rose to become the most trusted — and most unlikely — ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne.
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower. The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king’s brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.
Restoring the legacy of Game of Thrones
There is a great deal of anticipation for House of the Dragon. There is also plenty of anxiety. Game of Thrones ended on about as sour a note as any insanely popular TV show since Lost. Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss aren’t involved in House of the Dragon. But needless to say, their shadow looms large. Fair or not, fans will compare House of the Dragon to its predecessor. The question is whether or not it can convince viewers to get invested all over again.
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