House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal agrees the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel show is like HBO's Succession, but with dragons. Condal, a Game of Thrones alum, acts as showrunner on House of the Dragon alongside Miguel Sapochnik, who is known for directing some of the most ambitious and action-packed episodes of Game of Thrones, including "Hardhome," "Battle of the Bastards," "The Winds of Winter," "The Long Night," and "The Bells." The duo take over from Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who are not involved with the prequel in any capacity.
Paddy Considine leads the House of the Dragon cast as the benevolent King Viserys I Targaryen alongside an ensemble that includes Doctor Who's Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and The Amazing Spider-Man's Rhys Ifans. Based on A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin's 2018 novel Fire & Blood and set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will find the Targaryen family warring with themselves, fighting for control of the Iron Throne. While this central premise certainly sounds a lot like its predecessor, audiences have also been drawing comparisons to another Emmy Award-winning HBO show centered around a powerful family quarreling over inheritance.
During a recent interview with SFX magazine (via GamesRadar), Condal responds to comparisons between House of the Dragon and Succession. Asked if the Game of Thrones prequel is essentially just "Succession with dragons," the showrunner agrees with the comparison and reveals the fellow HBO show was actually a direct inspiration for House of the Dragon. Read what Condal says below:
Yeah, I think that’s actually a great metaphor, and the things we referenced in the [writers'] room the most were The Crown and Succession, just as tonal analogs and as shows that we, the writers, were really enjoying and immersed in. The original Game of Thrones is really the War of the Roses, so it’s the Yorks and the Lancasters [played out] with the Starks and the Lannisters – two separate families that never liked each other in the first place going at it. This, however, is the Dance of the Dragons. It’s a civil war that happens within a singular family, which in a way makes it much more engrossing and tragic, because you see people who are blood relatives turning against each other and going to war.
For those familiar with both shows, the comparison between House of the Dragon and Succession makes perfect sense. Since its premiere in 2018, much of Succession's intrigue has revolved around who will succeed the brash Waystar RoyCo founder, Logan Roy (Brian Cox), as head of the company with his four adult children vying for their piece of the pie. House of the Dragon is built around a similar premise as the aging King Viserys prepares to name his heir to the Iron Throne with his brother and children all contending to be named the next ruler of Westeros. The King's decision ultimately causes the Targaryen war of succession known as the Dance of the Dragons.
As a medieval fantasy, one thing that will set House of the Dragon apart from the grounded Succession is its dragons, with estimates putting the show's total number of fire-breathing creatures at well over 17. Still, the comparison between the two HBO shows is simply too obvious not to make. With Succession winning nine Emmys through three seasons, prompting some to name it the new Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon surely hopes it can garner similar acclaim and take that title back when it premieres on HBO later this month.
House of the Dragon premieres Sunday, August 12 on HBO.
Source: SFX magazine (via GamesRadar)