Fans of the Emmy-winningGame of ThronesUniverse head back to Westeros this year on August 21 with HBO’s prequel seriesHouse of the Dragon. The series, based onGOTauthorGeorge R.R. Martin’s novelFire & Blood, will bring to life the realm of the Seven Kingdoms two centuries before Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) battled for the Iron Throne. In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, cast and crew members discussed everything from the divisiveGame of Thronesending to the gender politics of Westeros.
ShowrunnerRyan Condalworked in tandem with Martin to bring the series to fruition and assures fans thatHouse of the Dragonwill not disappoint. Spanning across decades of rising tension before the bloody civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, the prequel will chronicle the lineage of the Targaryens from the heir to King Viserys' (Paddy Considine) throne, Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), and his future bride Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). The main conflict arises when Princess Rhaenyra’s announced inheritance of the throne is called into question when her young stepmother and former best friend, Alicent, gives birth to a son.
Condal on his reverent handling of the prequel and what fans should expect:
“We have this huge legacy to carry forward. [And we want to] do that in the best way that honors what came before, but also doesn’t do the thing that I think a lot of sequels do: Here’s [what] you love wrapped up in a different packaging.”
RELATED:‘House Of The Dragon’ Immersive Fan Experience Coming to SDCC
Within the overarching civil war storyline, Rhaenyra is “pushing at the edges of womanhood,” in a world that expects little of women other than learning to sew and bear children. D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra is “obsessed with masculinity,” seeing the way men are idolized and raised to be kings. In the interview, D’Arcy said, “She is a person who feels at odds with the way that she is read by the world,” referring to the way the throne is rightfully Rhaenyra’s until an infant son is born, and she sees the way men are allowed all of the power and freedoms that she craves.
The country, in the time ofHouse of the Dragon, has seen over 70 years of peace under the rule of King Viserys, boasting wealth and decadence andfar more dragonsthan theGame of Thronesera ever saw. Condal explained his vision forHouse of the Dragon, saying that he “wanted to tell a story about the height of Rome before the fall and see the Targaryen dynasty at its very apex so that we can understand the thing that was lost when it all fell apart.” With Princess Rhaenyra’s reign being at the center of the conflict,Eve Best, who plays the shunted Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, says thatHouse of the Dragonis “about the disillusionment of the patriarchy, of this system that has been going and going for hundreds and hundreds of years,” and the crumbling of that system as those in line vie for the throne.
Princess Rhaenyra’s aunt, Princess Rhaenys, laments to her niecein the trailer:
“Men would sooner put the realm to a torch than see a woman ascend the iron throne.”
For the firstGame of Thronessuccessor, the series will navigate the deep trenches of the Targaryen line, as well as the surrounding houses thirsty for power. From the wealthy Velaryons, represented by Rhaenys' husband Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), to familiar houses like Baratheon, Stark, and more,House of the Dragonis going to be an epic revisit to Westeros and its rich history. Condal admits that the show is “standing on the shoulders of giants,” but fans are eager for more fire and blood.
House of Dragonsfeatures a large cast, includingEmily Carey,Milly Alcock,Phoebe Campbell,Matt Smith,Sonoya Mizuno,Bethany Antonia,Rhys Ifans,Ryan Corr,Harry Collett,Fabien Frankel,and more.
House of the Dragonpremieres on HBO on August 21. You can watch the trailer below, as well as the interview with the cast on Entertainment Weekly:
