Gird yourself for a return to the dire world of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones universe. HBO Max’s turbulent spinoff prequel, Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon, hits this week.
There may be a sour aftertaste still lingering from the controversial Game of Thrones Season 8 finale three years ago, but this new prestige series is banking on the property’s broad appeal and cultural influence to slaughter those disappointing feelings from 2019.
Set roughly 200 years before the power-grabbing events we’ve already witnessed in the Seven Kingdoms, House of the Dragon is based on Martin’s 2018 tie-in novel, Fire & Blood. It’s the bloody history of the dragon-riding, platinum-haired clan of House Targaryen and its mad kings.
We, of course, recall this fireproof lineage from HBO’s Game of Thrones TV series and Martin’s books. When Daenerys Targaryen’s brother Viserys perished at the hands of Khal Drogo, the Mother of Dragons believed she was the last of her kind. That was until we learned that Castle Black’s aged Maester Aemon was a lost relative and Jon Snow’s father was the charismatic Rhaegar Targaryen.
With a stellar cast and a savage tone that’s not for the squeamish, this Game of Thrones prequel targeting the internal conflict within House Targaryen might resurrect the respected name of this pop culture phenomenon in a return to its formidable dramatic form.
Let’s strike out for King’s Landing and see what HBO Max’s House of the Dragon will hatch!
When is House of the Dragon’s release date?
House of the Dragon airs exclusively on HBO Max starting August 21, 2022.
What is House of the Dragon’s release time?
HBO Max releases new movies and TV shows at midnight Pacific, which is 3 a.m. Eastern.
How many episodes is House of the Dragon Season 1?
House of the Dragon Season 1 will consist of ten episodes, released weekly.
What is the plot of House of the Dragon?
House of the Dragon is the backstory of House Targaryen, set centuries prior to the machinations of Game of Thrones. It is an adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel, Fire & Blood. This is a period of history known as “The Dance of the Dragons,” which is a conflict that erupts between rival siblings Prince Aegon Targaryen and Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen over the right to sit on the Iron Throne after the demise of their father, Viserys I.
House of the Dragon will revolve around those grander days of House Targaryen, one of the surviving families of Old Valyria. These dragon-riding nobles with their signature silvery locks managed to escape the doomed city of Old Valyria before a volcanic event destroyed the kingdom. They settled on the jagged island of Dragonstone, where they carved out their sinister-looking fortress.
With their stable of fire-breathing beasts terrorizing anyone who stood against them, House Targaryen took the Iron Throne at Kings Landing to create a dynasty that lasted 300 years.
This dark fantasy series is a co-creation of Ryan Condal (Colony, Rampage) and Martin. Showrunning duties go to Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, the man who helmed a half-dozen Game of Thrones episodes, including the epic Emmy-winning chapter “Battle of the Bastards.”
Original Game of Thrones co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were not involved.
For those who hum the “Rains of Castamere” in their sleep, you’ll be happy to hear that Emmy-winning Game of Thrones and Westworld composer Ramin Djawadi is back to score the series.
Who is in House of the Dragon’s cast?
House of the Dragon stars Paddy Considine (King Viserys Targaryen), Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother of King Viserys I), Emma D’Arcy (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen), Tom Glynn-Carney (Prince Aegon Targaryen), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower, daughter of the Hand of the King), Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon), and Eve Best (Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, wife to Lord Velaryon).
Rounding out the exceptional cast are Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, Milly Alcock, Emily Carey, Ryan Corr, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Graham McTavish, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Gavin Spokes, and Ewan Mitchell.
Is there a trailer for House of the Dragon?
Yes, HBO released the final trailer for House of the Dragon on July 21 and it’s a rousing spectacle full of “thundering hooves, splintering shields and ringing swords,” as internal strife strikes House Targaryen and those glorious, flame-belching dragons roar as one!
Will House of the Dragon get a Season 2?
Although there’s no official word from the creators or HBO regarding a sophomore outing for House of the Dragon, apparently the show’s writers are already applying their pens to the next season.
Expect HBO to make the formal announcement when the series premieres or shortly after.
Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon premieres on HBO Max on August 21, 2022.
