The highly anticipated “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” has cast the first lead role, which sets the stage for the entire story…
There’s a new king being crowned in Westeros.
The first major casting has been made for the upcoming “Game of Thrones” prequel titled “House of the Dragon,” which is based upon George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire and Blood” that details the history of House Targaryen.
Paddy Considine — best known for his recent role in the HBO series “The Outsider” as well as “Peaky Blinders” — has been cast as King Viserys Targaryen in the show.
The casting for King Viserys seemingly confirms long standing rumors that the new “Game of Thrones” prequel would likely focus on the infamous Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of Dragons.
King Viserys took the Iron Throne following the passing of his grandfather, King Jaehaerys Targaryen, who ruled over one of the most peaceful and prosperous times in Westeros history. King Viserys sought to rule the kingdom in much the same way as his grandfather as a loving and benevolent monarch. A bit more history on King Viserys from our past installment of Send the Ravens where we tackled the Dance of Dragons:
“King Viserys I was married to his cousin Queen Aemma of House Arryn and they had a daughter named Rhaenyra. Viserys loved his daughter very much and after failed attempts to birth a male heir, the king decided that Rhaenyra would be the person to succeed him on the throne after his death.
“He groomed her from a young age for the job of becoming queen, but after his first wife died, King Viserys took up with another wife — Lady Alicent Hightower (who was the daughter of his Hand of the King, Otto Hightower) and she gave him a son named Aegon before having a daughter (who Aegon eventually married) and another son. While Viserys still intended to put his daughter on the throne upon his death, Alicent had other plans and she had many on the Great Council on her side as well because they always saw a male birthright outweighing that of a female.
So when King Viserys finally passed away, it didn’t take long for Lady Alicent, her father and her son Aegon to declare that he should be king. Of course, Rhaenyra, who had been groomed for years to take over when her father died, believed otherwise.”
The battle for the Iron Throne between half-siblings Rhaenyra and Aegon ended up as a Targaryen civil war with family members and allies being forced to choose sides. The war raged on for several years, which also resulted in the majority of Targaryen dragons being slaughtered during the fighting.
With Considine’s casting as King Viserys, several other roles have been confirmed for “House of the Dragon,” although none of these parts have been filled yet:
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen: King Viserys’ chosen heir, a dragon rider who grew up expecting to become the first ruling Queen of Westeros.
Queen Alicent Hightower: Viserys’ ambitious second wife and Rhaenyra’s stepmother, who had three children of her own with the king.
Aegon II Targaryen: Princess Rhaenyra’s younger half-brother who challenges Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne, igniting a civil war.
Prince Daemon Targaryen: Rhaenyra’s uncle, an experienced warrior.
Judging by the casting, it would appear that “House of the Dragon” will begin well into King Viserys’ reign as he’s grooming his daughter to become queen much the chagrin of his second wife and her family.
“House of the Dragon” is the first major “Game of Thrones” spinoff coming from HBO after the conclusion of the original series in 2019. The new prequel is expected to debut on HBO in 2022.
