Behind the scenes images for HBO's upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon reveal the cast reading their scripts. For eight years, Game of Thrones was HBO's fantasy juggernaut, at one point being crowned the biggest show in the world. Naturally, this means the network is eager to keep the world of Westeros alive with a spin-off. A pilot for one such prequel, The Long Night with Naomi Watts, was filmed, but it ultimately did not move forward. Instead, HBO is now putting all its focus on House of the Dragon, which is expected to premiere sometime next year.
Based on George R.R. Martin's novel Fire and Blood, House of the Dragon is set hundreds of years before Game of Thrones and is centered on the history of House Targaryen. Late last year, several major names were added to the cast, including Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, and Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen. Frequent Game of Thrones helmer Miguel Sapochnik will direct several episodes of House of the Dragon, including the pilot.
Along with the announcement that House of the Dragon is diving into production, several pictures of the cast at their first table read were shared on Twitter on Monday. While the cast has yet to be seen in their full costumes (and likely won't be for some time), these are the first images to emerge of them working on the series, and they confirm the characters they will be playing. Rhys Ifans is Otto Hightower, Cooke is Alicent Hightower, Smith is Prince Daemon Targaryen, Steve Toussaint is the Sea Snake, and Emma D'Arcy is Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. As said before, Considine is Viserys. Check out all the images down below.
This so far appears to be the core cast of House of the Dragon, with much of the above characters sharing familial bonds. Alicent is Viserys' second wife, while Otto is her father. Daemon and Rhaenyra are Viserys' brother and daughter, respectively. Within Martin's lore, the Sea Snake has a major future connection to Rhaenyra, but it remains to be seen just how much ground House of the Dragon will cover. It's so far clear that it will begin with Viserys' reign at a time when House Targaryen stood strong, unlike how it was in Game of Thrones.
With production commencing on the first season, House of the Dragon appears to remain on track for its planned 2022 release date. This will put it three years after Game of Thrones ended, which could perhaps be for the best. Many fans are still frustrated with how Game of Thrones season 8 turned out, and some space between the two shows could help renew affection for the world of Westeros. At the same time, HBO is developing several other Game of Thrones spin-offs, so House of the Dragon truly appears to be just the beginning.
Source: House of the Dragon/Twitter