“House of the Dragon”
That’s what awaits us in the upcoming “Game of Thrones” offshoot
Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra (left) and Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen in “House of the Dragon.”
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With the new HBO series “House of the Dragon” the sequel to “Game of Thrones” is in the starting blocks. So will the fantasy series.
“Game of Thrones” fans are looking forward to August 22 – the eagerly awaited spin-off “House of the Dragon” is finally starting on the Wow streaming service and on Sky. With the new fantasy series, the epic HBO production, which ended in 2019, receives a sequel in the form of a prequel. The offshoot takes place around 200 years before the events of Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow and Arya Stark. In the new series, a bloody civil war over the Iron Throne erupts in the Targaryen family, among Daenerys’ ancestors.
For the series project based on the book “Fire and Blood” by George RR Martin (73), director and co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik (48) was able to hire an experienced “Game of Thrones” veteran. In the previous series, Sapochnik staged the legendary episode “The Battle of the Bastards” from season six – and was also awarded an Emmy for it. He is assisted by second showrunner Ryan J. Condal (“Colony”).
Fantasy mastermind and Game of Thrones template writer George RR Martin is also heavily involved in House of the Dragon. He is listed as a producer and – along with Condal – as a series co-creator. Martin promises viewers and fans a lot of “dragon power” for the upcoming series. In the first season alone, 17 of the flying monsters are said to appear – a significant increase over “Game of Thrones”.
George RR Martin explains further about the new series: “I love it. It’s dark, it’s powerful, it’s deep… just like I love my epic fantasy. I think the Targaryens are in very good hands.”
That’s what “House of the Dragon” is about
The highly anticipated new series takes viewers back in time to the continent of Westeros. Events that were briefly touched upon or only hinted at in “Game of Thrones” are now the focus of the epic fantasy narrative.
The stumbling block in “House of the Dragon” is once again the question of succession to the throne. The benevolent King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine, 48) proclaims his firstborn daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy, 30, young: Milly Alcock, 22) as his successor. But it turns out to be problematic: With his second wife Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, 28, young: Emily Carey, 19), the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms also fathered several male offspring – and there has never been a woman on the Iron Throne, this is forbidden by strict tradition in Westeros.
So soon two factions are formed in the capital city of Königsmund, fighting for power and the crown. Alicent, her sons and her father Otto (Rhys Ifans, 55), the Hand of the King, are Rhaenyra, his uncle Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith, 39) and Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint, 57) and his wife Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best, 51) opposite. What is special about the ensuing conflict, which was later popularly called “The Dance of the Dragons”: Both parties to the conflict have numerous dragons at their disposal – and also use the fire-breathing beasts against their relatives and former friends in the civil war.
“House of the Dragon”: The cast of the new HBO series
As with the parent series “Game of Thrones”, those responsible for “House of the Dragon” also rely on a strong acting ensemble. Matt Smith, who plays Prince Daemon Targaryen, previously played the famous title character in the long-running BBC cult series Doctor Who. He starred as Prince Philip in the Netflix series “The Crown” about the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Olivia Cooke, who portrays Alicent Hightower, has previously starred in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated sci-fi work Ready Player One and the Sundance hit Thoroughbreds. Her counterpart, key character Rhaenyra Targaryen, plays Emma D’Arcy. The 30-year-old self-identifies as a non-binary person and has appeared on the series Wanderlust and Truth Seekers. Acting veterans such as Paddy Considine (“The Outsider”), Rhys Ifans (“Notting Hill”) and Eve Best (“The King’s Speech”) round out the cast of “House of the Dragon.”
“House of the Dragon” in Germany exclusively on Sky and Wow
Will the new fantasy series from HBO be able to build on the great, global success of the pop culture phenomenon “Game of Thrones”, which was awarded 59 Emmys? In Germany, “House of the Dragon” can be seen exclusively on Sky. On the night of August 22, the premiere episode will be available on Sky Q and the renamed streaming service Wow (formerly Sky Ticket). On the same day, the episode then runs in the evening at 8:15 p.m. in the linear program of the channel Sky Atlantic.