Never got over the end of Game of Thrones? You’re in luck: A spinoff series is in the works. House of the Dragon, a new HBO show currently in production, takes place 200 years before the events of the original award-winning series, and it centers on House Targaryen, one of the key families in the show (and the books it’s based on). Today, the streamer announced that House of the Dragon will premiere on Aug. 21.
Like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin’s series of acclaimed fantasy books; in this case, the show takes its material from Fire & Blood, which was originally published in 2018. Paddy Considine stars as King Viserys Targaryen, Matt Smith plays Prince Daemon Targaryen (the heir to the throne), and Emma D’Arcy plays Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the king’s oldest child and an accomplished dragonrider.
George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal are co-creators of the new series, and a few different directors will helm specific episodes of the show. One of those directors is Miguel Sapochnik, who directed six GoT installments and received numerous accolades for his work, including an Emmy nomination for “The Long Night” episode and an Emmy win for the “Battle of the Bastards.” Clare Kilner, Geeta V. Patel, and Greg Yaitanes will also share directing duties with him.
The new show has very big shoes to fill. The original Game of Thrones series, which was created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and ran from 2011 to 2019, grew into a smash hit with a massive audience. It also racked up an impressive range of honors, including over a hundred Emmy nominations and 59 wins—the most of any fictional TV show ever.
Will audiences return for more GoT magic? Will the new show measure up to the legendary original? We’ll find out this summer.
The trailer above gives a preview of what’s to come, and you can head to the HBO website for more info and photos from the show. House of the Dragon premieres on the streaming platform on Aug. 21, 2022.
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