Set photos from HBO's Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon reveal the first look at Matt Smith and Emma D'Arcy in costume. Ever since Game of Thrones came to a controversial end in 2019, HBO has been eager to develop a new project set within George R.R. Martin's fantasy world. The network's first effort, The Long Night, failed to move past the pilot stage. Instead, the project moving forward is House of the Dragon, one of many spin-offs in development. This series is based on Martin's Fire and Blood and focuses on the history of House Targaryen.
House of the Dragon was ordered straight to series in the fall of 2019, with casting taking place last year. HBO is estimating a 2022 debut for the show. Ryan Condal and former Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik will serve as co-showrunners, guiding a cast that includes Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Earlier this week, House of the Dragon began production with a table read, and now filming has officially kicked off.
The first House of the Dragon set photos have made their way online (via the Daily Mail), revealing stars Smith and D'Arcy in their full Targaryen costumes. Smith will play Prince Daemon, while D'Arcy is his niece/future wife Princess Rhaenyra. The two were spotted walking along a beach in Cornwall having some kind of discussion, only for D'Arcy to eventually walk away from Smith toward the water. Both sport the familiar platinum hair Emilia Clarke wore as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, and even from a distance, a family resemblance can be felt.
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Those familiar with Martin's deeper A Song of Ice and Fire lore know exactly how Daemon and Rhaenyra's relationship progresses, but it seems likely that House of the Dragon will begin when they are merely uncle and niece, meaning there is still much to cover. At the same time, the series is already laying the groundwork for a deeper bond between the two. House Targaryen has a reputation for incestuous relationships, and House of the Dragon won't shy away from that. When the series begins, Daemon's brother and Rhaenyra's father Viserys (Considine) is king of Westeros, though it remains to be seen where in his reign he will be.
With House of the Dragon still about a year away, it will likely be a while before more official peeks at the cast emerge. It's impossible to judge an entire series based on some far away set pictures, but the costumes and hairstyles Smith and D'Arcy sport in the new images indicate the show is sticking close to what Game of Thrones established. This should help keep the two connected, even if they are set hundreds of years apart. As filming has only just begun on House of the Dragon, expect more set images to roll out in the coming months, thus giving a better idea of what HBO has in store.
House of the Dragon premieres on HBO in 2022.
Source: Daily Mail