New plot details have been revealed for HBO's House of the Dragon. The upcoming series is intended to be a prequel for the massively popular Game of Thrones, which came to an end last May. While season 8 was arguably among its most controversial, especially as many fans criticized the uneven pacing and emphasis on shock value, Game of Thrones' reputation as one of the most impressive fantasy shows of this generation remained intact. As such, HBO pushed for the development of several spin-off shows to help keep the magic of Game of Thrones alive.
One of these spin-off shows is House of the Dragon, which will focus on the complex history of House Targaryen. The series began casting for its characters in July, where notices revealed that the show was looking for an actor to play Prince Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother of King Viserys, among other characters. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, HBO President Casey Bloys has confirmed that House of the Dragon is on track for a 2022 release.
A Deadline article reports new information about the prequel series. More specifically, Viserys Targaryen will play a major role in House of the Dragon. While he's selected to succeed Jaehaerys Targaryen as the new king, it seems that Viserys' journey will be far from smooth sailing. The Outsider star Paddy Considine has been cast to play Viserys Targaryen. You can catch the full description of House of the Dragon below:
"In the 10-episode first season, Considine will play King Viserys Targaryen, chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings."
While Viserys Targaryen is described as a "warm, kind, and decent man," it's unclear how this will fit into a family whose house words are quite literally "Fire and Blood." In addition, it's also uncertain what Targaryen stories House of the Dragon will choose to tell. However, the prequel's confirmed focus on Viserys all but rules out the possibility of a season 1 storyline centered around the Dance of the Dragons. The famed civil war was fought between different branches of House Targaryen; however, considering this war was waged after Viserys' death, it seems unlikely that this particular conflict will be explored in House of the Dragon, at least not right away.
House of the Dragon isn't the first Game of Thrones prequel to be developed; another prequel series entitled The Long Night, actually filmed a pilot episode before being scrapped by HBO. That being said, it seems HBO is all-in with House of the Dragon. While it'll be interesting to see what direction showrunners choose to take the spin-off, Game of Thrones fans have their fingers crossed that this prequel will live up to the hype.
Source: Deadline