Everything to Know About ‘House of the Dragon,’ the ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel That Premieres This Weekend

Emma Baty
Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO


"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."

ATTENTION, EVERYONE. Major, major news. One of the 123,134,809 Game of Thrones prequels being tossed around HBO got a 10-episode order, the network confirmed back in 2019, which means we’re all heading back to Westeros—and it’s happening this very weekend. Thank god!

Here’s everything we know about the series, called House of the Dragon.

Okay, so when is House of the Dragon premiering?

This weekend! While HBO did confirm earlier that it would hit TVs in 2022, it was unclear how early in 2022 it would be. But we’re getting it August 21, and episodes are going to premiere weekly after that, so the season 1 finale will be in October. There are 10 episodes total. Here are some pictures from the show:

Wait, wasn’t there another Game of Thrones prequel happening?

Yes. When HBO decided to end Thrones, the powers that be started working on a bunch of different spin-off and prequel ideas. At one point, there were reportedly seven different shows in development.

The one you’re probably thinking of right now (with Naomi Watts) was maybe going to be called Blood Moon. It had shot a pilot and everything. That story took place, like, a thousand years before the events of Thrones. The network announced back in 2019 that that show is officially not happening. A major bummer.

So, is House of the Dragon the only GoT spin-off we’re gonna get?

Probably not, honestly. Remember that HBO’s main goal here is to make money, which means it will likely milk this Thrones thing for all it possibly can. The show was an absolute cash cow for HBO. Earlier this summer, there were reports that HBO was also working on a Jon Snow spin-off, but the network has not officially confirmed that.

Okay, got it, so what is House of the Dragon about?

As you probably guessed from the title, it’s about House Targaryen. It’s based on George R. R. Martin’s book about the family, Fire & Blood, which came out in 2018. Here’s the summary of the book:

“Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire & Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.

“What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why was it so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What were Maegor the Cruel’s worst crimes? What was it like in Westeros when dragons ruled the skies? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel and featuring more than 80 all-new black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley. Readers have glimpsed small parts of this narrative in such volumes as The World of Ice & Fire, but now, for the first time, the full tapestry of Targaryen history is revealed.”

That should give you an indication of what the show will be about, but fair warning, this series is allegedly covering only about three chapters’ worth of material from the book, so if you want to do some pre-series reading, don’t feel like you need to read all 800 (!) pages. And that also means that HBO could choose to focus on other parts of this book for other prequels. A prequel to the prequel series, if you will. Confusing? Not at all!

Do we have any other info about the plot?

Basically, this is all we’ve got: Based on George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the series, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen.

We also have this poster:

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

And this teaser trailer that will absolutely make you freak out:

Yes, fire WILL reign.

Are there any more clips for us to check out?

There’s actually a whole trailer, and it looks like things are heating up in House Targaryen as a new fight for the Iron Throne begins. Who will be the new king and queen who will lead not only their house but also the entire realm to a new era? We’re going to have to wait and see. But at least this trailer gives us more of a glimpse as to what to expect:

LIT. Who’s involved?

Great question! This cast is absolutely stacked with some new and familiar faces.

Paddy Considine (King Viserys Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Emma D’Arcy (Princess Rhaenrya Targaryen), Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen), Steve Toussaint (Lord Corlys Velaryon, aka the Sea Snake), Eve Best (Princess Rhaenys Velaryon), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria), Fabian Frankel (Ser Criston Cole), Milly Alcock (young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen), Emily Carey (young Alicent Hightower), Ryan Corr (Ser Harwin “Breakbones” Strong), Jefferson Hall (twins Lord Jason Lannister and Tyland Lannister), David Horovitch (Grand Master Mellos), Graham McTavish (Ser Harrold Westerling), Matthew Needham (Larys Strong), Bill Paterson (Lord Lyman Beesbury), and Gavid Spokes (Lord Lyonel Strong) have all joined the cast.

GRRM will be writing the show, with Miguel Sapochnik (who directed “Battle of the Bastards”) directing the pilot and other episodes.

You Might Also Like

Advertisement