With the House of the Dragon release date fast approaching, here’s everything you need to know before the premiere of this year’s most anticipated television event. Game of Thrones may have ended in 2019 but its deep-seated impact has left fans all over the world with a void that needs filling.
And so, three years later we return to the mythical lands of Westeros where power entails life and death. This time, we return 200 years earlier, witnessing the reign of the House Targaryen before the events in Game of Thrones. This will be an interesting spectacle, considering we never get to see Daenerys Targaryen sit on the Iron Throne.
Since any previous Targaryen rule was only mentioned as historical tales amongst Game of Thrones characters, House of the Dragon marks the first time we’ll see the Targaryen dynasty ruling the lands of Westeros. A Targaryen-centred story also means one thing: more dragons and dragon riders!
When is the House of the Dragon release date?
In Australia, House of the Dragon premieres on Monday 22nd August 2022, 11 AM (AEST). To watch House of the Dragon, Foxtel, Foxtel Now, and BINGE will exclusively broadcast episodes weekly on Mondays, which you can also stream later on-demand. In the US, it airs on HBO and streams on HBO Max.
How to watch House of the Dragon in Australia?
Foxtel and BINGE have exclusive rights to broadcast episodes of House of the Dragon in Australia. The new series will also stream on Foxtel Now. Both BINGE and Foxtel Now have free trials new customers can use to watch some episodes for free – BINGE has a 14-day free trial while Foxtel Now offers the first 10 days for free. After the free trials, subscribing to BINGE starts from only $10/month, while Foxtel Now’s The Essentials (which includes Fox Showcase) costs $25/month.
Is there a House of the Dragon trailer?
HBO released the first official teaser for House of the Dragon last October 2021. The official trailer, which offers a longer glimpse of what the new series will bring, was released last July 2022.
What is House of the Dragon about?
House of the Dragon is based on George R. R. Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood, which chronicles the reign of King Viserys Targaryen. While his time as King was the most prosperous era in the history of the Seven kingdoms, it was also mired with political and familial conflicts when the King’s first born child Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and his son Prince Aegon Targaryen entered a war of succession.
In the TV series adaptation, instead of Prince Aegon, it will be the King’s younger brother, Prince Daemon Targaryen, who will challenge Princess Rhaenyra’s claim as next in line. After the death of King Viserys I, Princess Rhaenyra expects to rule as the first Queen to sit on the Iron Throne.
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However, her uncle, the heir presumptive, Prince Daemon, also plans to become King. Ultimately, this results in a civil war that culminates in the disastrous decline of House Targaryen and the death of the last dragons.
It’s also for certain that the prequel series will have surprising changes, deviating from the events in the book. For instance, the extent of Prince Daemon’s role in the succession wars that follow is still unclear (in the book he was Princess Rhaenyra’s uncle and husband and supported her claim to the throne).
There are also other forces at play, working behind the scenes to stop Rhaenyra’s reign, which could be the Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower and his daughter Alicent Hightower. Alicent exudes both a courtly grace and a sharp political flair and will play a crucial role in the civil war.
How many House of the Dragon episodes are there?
Ten episodes have been commissioned for the first season of House of the Dragon. There’s no official word yet on whether there’ll be upcoming seasons, although House of the Dragon Season 2 is reportedly in development. Game of Thrones ran for eight seasons, so it won’t be surprising if House of the Dragon gets more than one. Don’t miss episodes of the fantasy epic series with the House of the Dragon release date just around the corner!
Who’s in the House of the Dragon cast?
House of the Dragon is an epic fantasy series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO, while Condal and Miguel Sapochnik serve as showrunners. Sapochnick won the Emmy for his direction of “Battle of the Bastards”, which saw Jon Snow and Sansa Stark retaking Winterfell.
Gracing the King’s Landing are actors Matt Smith (Doctor Who) as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy (Truth Seekers) as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen (The Outsider), and Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel) as Queen Alicent Hightower. They were the first actors to join the cast in late 2020.
The following year, Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man), Steve Toussaint (Prince of Persia), Eve Best (The King’s Speech), and Sonoya Mizuno (Ex Machina) joined the main cast. Ifans plays Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower, while Toussaint portrays Lord Corlys Velaryon, also known as the “Sea Snake”.
Milly Alcock (Upright), who plays the young Princess Rhaenyra and Emily Carey (Wonder Woman) who plays the young Alicent Hightower, were the last main characters to join the House of the Dragon cast.
Where did filming for House of the Dragon take place?
Game of Thrones showcased a variety of exotic filming locations such as Northern Ireland, Scotland, Malta, Croatia, Iceland, and Spain offering breathtaking visuals. Those remarkable exterior shots of King’s Landing, on the other hand, were filmed in Medina, Northern Malta.
The new prequel series, House of the Dragon has listed filming locations in Cornwall, England in addition to Spain and Portugal. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first production to take place at Warner Brothers’ Leavesden Studio’s virtual production stage.
