Here’s a first look at some of the key characters in costume from “House of the Dragon” the upcoming “Game of Thrones” prequel on HBO…
The highly anticipated “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” is officially into production and the first photos from the upcoming series have now been revealed.
The series based on George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire and Blood” will chronicle the infamous Targaryen civil war when two sides of the family went to battle over the Iron Throne.
The first photos released on Wednesday revealed several of they key characters in the series, along with character descriptions. Check out the photos and the official character synopsis from HBO:
Emma D’Arcy as “Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen”: The king’s first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.
Matt Smith as “Prince Daemon Targaryen”: The younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…
Olivia Cooke as “Alicent Hightower”: The daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.
Rhys Ifans as “Otto Hightower”: The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king’s brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.
Steve Toussaint as “Lord Corlys Velaryon” (“The Sea Snake”): Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. As “The Sea Snake,” the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.
Now it’s impossible to know for certain how closely the series will stick to the historical context from the books, but to put a few of these characters into context…
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen is the hand-selected heir to the Iron Throne by her father, King Viserys, after he and his first wife were unable to have any male children. King Viserys groomed Rhaenyra to take his place after his death but he was eventually remarried to a woman named Alicent Hightower, who was the daughter of his Hand of the King, Otto Hightower. Alicent ended up having a male child with King Viserys named Aegon, who she believed should succeed his father upon his death.
Needless to say when King Viserys finally passed away, the race to sit on the Iron Throne transformed into a bloody battle for the ages as Princess Rhaenyra and her faction took on Aegon and his followers. The war was called “The Dance of Dragons,” or better known as the Targaryen Civil War.
“House of the Dragon” will explore this infamous and deadly period in Westeros history and it probably won’t be long before we see more images revealed from the upcoming series.
With filming underway, “House of the Dragon” is expected to debut on HBO sometime in 2022.
