House of The Dragon: release date, story, cast, all about the Game of Thrones spin-off


House of The Dragon is the very first Game of Thrones spin-off. The series takes us back in time, when House Targaryen is still all-powerful and dragons populate the lands of Westeros and Essos. Script, actors, release date, streaming platform… we tell you what you need to know about House of The Dragon.

Credit: HBO

The time flies ! More than three years ago, Game of Thrones ended, the last episode of which was broadcast in May 2019. The series will have marked its time as few others have managed to do, despite an end that left the fans… on their hunger, precisely. HBO intends to exploit again the universe of Westeros and the work of George RR Martin in new productions, and the first spin-off of Game of Thrones will be House of the Dragonwhich serves as a prequel to the main series.

When is House of The Dragon coming out?

The first episode of House of The Dragon will be available from Sunday, August 21, 2022 in the United States. It will be offered simultaneously in France on the night of August 21 to 22, at 3 a.m. precisely. A schedule well known to Game of Thrones viewers, since the last seasons of the show were broadcast in exactly the same way. Regulars will not be lost. The publication rate has been set at one episode per week. Season 1 will conclude on October 23, 2022.

The House of The Dragon series will be broadcast on the SVOD platform HBO Max. In France, HBO productions are available exclusively on OCS, Orange’s streaming service. Upon release, House of The Dragon will therefore be broadcast on OCS with us. If a launch of HBO Max in France seemed scheduled for early 2023, plans would have changed, between budget savings and a merger between Warnermedia and Discovery, which should lead to a whole new platform. The current contract between OCS and HBO runs until the end of 2022 and it is not yet known whether it will be renewed. We cannot yet tell you where the series will be visible from 2023.

How many episodes in season 1 of House of The Dragon?

House of The Dragon Season 1 includes 10 episodes. HBO format requires, each episode will be relatively long. We already know the exact duration of the first two episodes of the series: 1 hour and 6 minutes for episode 1 and 54 minutes for episode 2.

What is the story of House of The Dragon?

House of The Dragon picks up the plot of the novel Fire and Blood, written by George RR Martin and published in 2019. It narrates 150 years of events directly linked to House Targaryen, one of the most important in its universe, of which Daenerys is the descendant. As a reminder, the Targaryen family is famous for controlling dragons, giving them an incredible military advantage over their enemies. To maintain a pure blood, the Targaryens breed among themselves, causing mental and psychological problems in family members.

The series takes place about 200 years before Game of Thrones. If the Targaryens will cross paths with characters from other well-known houses, such as the Starks and the Lannisters, House of The Dragon is above all about family drama. The main characters are King Viserys, his brother Daemon, the king’s daughter, Rhaenyra, and her best friend, Alicent. The latter becomes the wife of Viserys (and therefore the queen), and from there the situation will begin to degenerate.

At this time, dragons are almost part of the landscape, as they had died out in Game of Thrones. They will occupy a big place in the history of the series.

What is the cast of House of The Dragon?

Paddy Considine landed the role of King Viserys Targaryen, a ruler chosen by the lords of Westeros to rule the Seven Kingdoms. His motives are good, but we know from Game of Thrones that it won’t be enough to make him a good leader. Matt Smith embodies Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother of the king and heir to the throne, but also warrior and rider of dragons. Emma D’Arcy is the on-screen princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, eldest daughter of Viserys Targaryen and dragon rider. Olivia Cooke portrays Alicent Hightower, daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King. Raised in the Red Keep, she knows the inner workings of politics and manipulation.

House of the Dragon
Credit: HBO

For the rest of the cast, we have:

  • Emily Carey: Young Alicent Hightower
  • Milly Alcock: Young Rhaenyra Targaryen
  • Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
  • Eve BestRhaenys Velaryon
  • Rhys Ifans: Otto Hightower
  • Sonoya Mizuno: Mysaria
  • Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole
  • Wil JohnsonVaemond Velaryon
  • John Macmillan as Laenor Velaryon
  • Theo Nate: Young Laenor Velaryon
  • Savannah Steyn as Laena Velayron
  • Graham McTavishHarrold Westerling
  • Ryan CorrHarwin Strong
  • Jefferson Hall: twins Jason Lannister and Tyland Lannister
  • David Horovitch: Grand Master Mellos
  • Matthew NeedhamLarys Strong
  • Bill PatersonLyman Beesbury
  • Gavin Spokes: Lyonel Strong

Is the Game of Thrones creator involved in House of The Dragon?

George RR Martin claims to be heavily involved in all television adaptation projects related to his work, in particular in order to “keep the mythology intact”. But for the creation of the House of The Dragon series, the author has a much more important role than that of a simple consultant since he is also producing and writing to support Ryan J. Condal (Colony), the showrunner of the series.

Charmaine de Grate (Les 100) and Sara Hess (Dr House, Orange is the New Black) are also part of the team as screenwriters, while Miguel Sapochnik is in production and direction. Remember that the latter directed The Battle of the Bastards, one of the most emblematic episodes of Game of Thrones. The music is not to be outdone since it is entrusted to Ramin Djawadi, one of the greatest composers of the moment, already at work on Game of Thrones, Westworld or Eternals.

House of The Dragon: will there be a season 2?

HBO has not formalized a second season for House of The Dragon, waiting for the audiences of the first episodes of season 1 before deciding and making a final choice. But behind the scenes, optimism is in order and HBO is already preparing to order a season 2, which should see the light of day if the public is there.

House of the Dragon
Credit: HBO

What other Game of Thrones spin-offs are in the works?

HBO intends to exploit the universe imagined by George RR Martin in order to create a super-license. Other spin-off projects are in the works, but none of them have entered the production phase yet. The success or otherwise of House of The Dragon will certainly decide the future of these spin-off series. If HBO officials are cautious about these projects, preferring to shed light on House of The Dragon, George RR Martin does not take tweezers and is much more categorical about their existence and their likelihood of entering production. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll all hit our screens, but at least we know what HBO is working on.

Canceled projects

Let’s start by recalling the cancellation of Bloodmoon, which should have been the first Game of Thrones spin-off. A particularly expensive pilot that was deemed to be of high quality internally had been produced in 2018, but HBO ultimately did not follow up. This prequel was to focus on the White Walkers and took place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones. Too distant in time from the series to which it was attached, based on no novel by George RR Martin and presenting issues that do not necessarily interest the public, Bloodmoon will therefore never see the light of day despite its advanced state of development. Naomi Watts was notably announced in the casting.

Flea Bottom is another project that has not been validated. Canceled in 2021, we were to discover life in Flea Bottom, one of the poor neighborhoods of Port-Réal, capital of Westeros. It would have been an opportunity to learn more about the people of the underworld, while Game of Thrones gives pride of place to kings and rulers. Characters like Davos Mervault and Gendry Baratheon are from this district, which will therefore not be entitled to its own series.

Live action series

The Sea Snake would tell us the adventures of Corlys Velaryon, a character already played by Steve Toussaint in House of The Dragon, and who would benefit from his own series. This great navigator and explorer should make us see the country, particularly on the side of Essos. In a first draft, the series was called Nine Voyages. Bruno Heller, known for his work on the Rome series, is the showrunner of this project. He started writing the pilot script.

House of the Dragon
Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon). Credit: HBO

Another maritime spin-off 10,000 Ships will follow Princess Nymeria, who flees with her people her native land of Essos threatened by the dragons of Valyria. Her journey takes her to Dorne, where she meets Mors Martell, the starting point for the creation of the Martell house. If the plot takes place 1,000 years before Game of Thrones, Nymeria is far from being a forgotten character since Arya names her wolf after her. The series has paid for an experienced showrunner in the person of Amanda Segal (Person of Interest, The Good Wife, The Mist).

We also have a series based on the Tales of Dunk & Egg novels. In this story, Duncan the Great is accompanied by a young squire who will later become very well known. This is Aegon Targaryen, future Aegon V, King of the Seven Kingdoms. He lived less than a century before the adventures of the main series. Steve Conrad (Patriot) is at the helm and he would have opted for a faithful adaptation of the work of George RR Martin. The title of the series has yet to be set in stone. For a while, Dunk & Egg was not retained, echoing too much a comedy or a sitcom. To Knight of the Seven Kingdoms would be at the pole, but The Hedge Knight is also considered. The first season will cover the first book, hinting at sequels.

We have very little information about it, but series centered on Jon Snow and Arya Stark would also be in negotiation. It would then be the only sequels to Game of Thrones that we have heard of, all the other spin-offs being prequels.

animated series

At least two animated series would be in the boxes of HBO. One of them would take place in the Golden Empire of Yi Ti, an eastern territory located just east of Essos and very inspired by Imperial China. It would be called The Golden Empire. The other Game of Thrones-inspired animated series doesn’t reveal any plot details, but George RR Martin said its development “evolving very quickly”.

House of The Dragon trailers and teasers

After years of waiting, HBO has finally released the final official trailer for House of The Dragon. Check it out below, along with the teasers that preceded it.

Trailer July 2022:

Teaser May 2022:

October 2021 teaser:



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