Here, Mike Ridley reveals everything you need to know about the long-awaited prequel, which has been two years in the making. 9 The cast of the Game of Thrones prequel – House of the DragonCredit: Splash 9 House of the Dragon is on Sky Atlantic from Monday 22 August
House Of The Dragon starts on Sky Atlantic every week today – Monday 22nd August.
What is it?
The ten-part series takes place some 200 years before the tales of power and blood spilled in Game Of Thrones, which captivated television audiences around the world for eight years. House Of The Dragon co-creator Ryan Condal says it’s like hit TV drama Succession but with dragons. 9 Paddy Considine stars as the kind-hearted but ineffective King ViserysCredit: © 2022 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and all related programs are the It tells about the brutal ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen, who ruled Westeros for 300 years. They maintained power thanks to no less than 17 dragons, each with the destructive power of a nuclear bomb. But the Targaryen family is torn apart by a bloody civil war known as the Dance of Dragons. House Of The Dragon takes place 172 years before Daenerys, the ruthless blonde ‘Mad Queen’ in Game Of Thrones, and dashing hero Jon Snow were born. Then, their ancestor – the kind-hearted but ineffectual King Viserys, played by Paddy Considine – is the man who sits on the Iron Throne of Westeros. But he is sick and losing control of power. The choice of the king’s successor sparks the bloody Dance Of The Dragons, which creeps into other houses of Westeros, including the Starks and Lannisters. Like Game Of Thrones, this series is also based on a book by author George RR Martin. But even if you’ve read the novel, Fire & Blood, you won’t know exactly what’s going to happen in the series because the writers of House Of The Dragon have created some original scenes and dialogues. Condal, who turned to Netflix’s Succession and The Crown for inspiration, believes this prequel – or “prequel,” as he likes to call it – is more compelling and tragic than Game Of Thrones. He says: “You see people who are related by blood turning against each other in a civil war within a family.”
Any virtual scenes?
HOUSE Of The Dragon has a ‘birth scene’ which the show’s creators predict will rival the infamous bloody Red Wedding in Game Of Thrones. Director Miguel Sapochnik says, “Audiences will find it very much. Terrible things are happening, whether you want to look at them is up to you. 9 Director Miguel Sapochnik says: ‘Audiences will find it too much to take’ Credit: Alamy “You don’t have to watch, but it’s important to show the graphic nature of these things in the right context. . . sometimes.” Sapochnik directed some of GoT’s most memorable episodes, including Battle Of The Bastards and The Bells, and has brought his signature back to the prequel. George RR Martin, the genius behind Game Of Thrones, has watched nine out of ten episodes and has given House Of The Dragon his stamp of approval.
Who is inside?
JOURNEYMAN and Dead Man’s Shoes star Paddy Considine stars as King Viserys Targaryen, whose controversial decision to break with tradition and install his daughter, Rhaenyra, as his heir has disastrous consequences. Matt Smith, from Doctor Who and The Crown, is Prince Daemon Targaryen, the King’s younger brother. He is a fearless warrior who wields the Dark Sister, the Valyrian steel sword. 9 Olivia Cooke as Lady Alicent Hightower and Ryhs Ifans as Ser Otto HightowerCredit: © 2021 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and all related programs are the Milly Alcock plays the young princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the firstborn child of King Viserys, who is named as his heir, sparking the bloody conflict. Emma D’Arcy takes over as the story moves forward ten years. Eve Best, from The King’s Speech, is Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, known as the “Queen That Never Was” because the Great Council favored her cousin, Viserys, to rule after the death of her grandfather, King Jaehaerys, because she was a woman. . Ryhs Ifans of Notting Hill is Ser Otto Hightower, loyal servant of Viserys and his mortal rival Daemon. Olivia Cooke, from Bates Motel, is Otto’s daughter, Lady Alicent Hightower. She marries King Viserys and vows to put their son, Aegon II, on the throne, instead of Rhaenyra.
Has he woken up?
OUR world has changed since Game Of Thrones first aired in 2011 – and Westeros has had to adapt too. Scenes depicting sexual violence against women have rightly been banned from House Of The Dragon. 9 Emma D’Arcy plays the king’s daughter, Princess Rhaenyra TargaryenCredit: © 2021 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and all related programs are the But there have also been claims that Westeros has been fully awakened, to keep Generation Z audiences happy. The king’s daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, played as an adult by Emma D’Arcy, is a non-binary character who uses their/their pronouns.
Is there sex?
Yes Yes Yes! There is plenty of sex to keep viewers happy. The first episode opens with an unlucky boy who gets his manhood cut off and presents orgies. 9 Matt Smith said: “You find yourself asking, ‘Do we need another sex scene?’ And they say, “Yes, we do.” Credit: © 2022 Home Box Office, Inc. Al Daemon actor Matt Smith has complained about the sheer number of sex scenes in House Of The Dragon. He said: “You find yourself asking, ‘Do we need another sex scene?’ And they say, “Yes, we do.” “I guess you have to ask yourself, ‘What are you doing? Do you represent the books or do you dilute the books to represent the times we live in?’ “I think it’s your job to represent the books honestly and truthfully, as they were written.” A scene involving Matt’s character reads more like a modern X-rated movie than an extreme medieval adventure. He added: “I didn’t like that scene. I didn’t like the shape of it. I didn’t like the way they had sex. . . That was the way they wanted it set up. “I felt like there was a little deeper, more interesting way to tell this physical story. But there wasn’t.” But the creators have promised that, unlike Game Of Thrones, there is no sexual violence in this show. Intimacy coordinators helped choreograph love scenes.
What about dragons?
GAME Of Thrones only had three dragons. This prequel features an incredible 17, all more powerful and destructive than anything fans have seen before. 9 Matt Smith as Demon Prince TargaryenCredit: Alamy They are like living nuclear bombs and have the potential to destroy the world. The designers have created three different types of dragons. Some look like T-Rex dinosaurs, others have wolf features and the rest look like horses. Princess Rhaenyra rides a powerful yellow beast called Syrax. Her uncle, Prince Daemon Targaryen, is named Caraxes. And Princess Rhaenys Velaryon rides the firebreather Meleys, also known as the “Red Queen”. But the biggest and oldest dragon is Vhagar. Director Miguel Sapochnik says, “She’s like a crazy old lady. Pieces of her fall and getting her in the air is a nightmare. “When it’s operational, it’s like a B52 bomber. And her landing is a nightmare.” In Fire & Blood, author George RR Martin describes how a dragon’s egg is placed in the cradle of newborn Targaryens, so rider and dragon grow up together.
Is it like Game of Thrones?
Viewers will return to King’s Landing, the capital of Westeros, and the Red Keep, which Daenerys incinerated in Game Of Thrones. While much of GoT was filmed in Northern Ireland, House Of The Dragon was filmed in Derbyshire and Cornwall. 9 Steve Toussainnt plays Lord Corlys VelaryonCredit: © 2021 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and all related programs are the St. Michael’s Mount, near Penzance, becomes Driftmark, ancestral home of House Velaryon whose master is played by Steve Toussaint, while nearby Kynance Cove was used as a battle camp. Promotional photos of a blond Matt Smith as the Demon Prince were taken at Holywell Bay beach, near Newquay. Composer Ramin Djawadi, who created the Game Of Thrones signature tune, returned to write the score.
Back to the best of GoT
GAME Of Thrones was the best show on TV. . . with the worst ending ever. Honestly, the thought of the producers cashing in with a prequel didn’t excite me, it pissed me off more. But maybe there’s hope for GoT fans in need of some serious TV therapy. House Of The Dragon, like Game Of Thrones at its best, looks to author George RR Martin’s vast imagination for inspiration. The writers seem to be doubling down on what fans loved the most. The dragons are bigger and badder than ever, backstabbing is rampant and danger lurks around every corner. And, of course, there still seem to be enough of those infamously racy sex scenes to make for uncomfortable family viewing. Let’s hope this time there is a happy ending for the fans.
