Sky has released a trailer for the eagerly anticipated ten-episode ‘Game Of Thrones’ prequel series ‘House Of The Dragon‘ which will launch this August on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK. They have also released a series of character posters (below) so we can give you a bit of a who’s who in the new drama.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood and set 200 years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones’, the series tells the story of House Targaryen. Starring Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, and Rhys Ifans.
For those of you needing a bit of a breakdown as to who’s who in the series, here are the character descriptions and posters for the main cast:
Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.
Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, 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.
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.
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.
Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, a dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Queen Who Never Was” was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male.
Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, of Dornish descent, the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. Cole has no claim to land or titles; all he has to his name is his honour and his preternatural skill with a sword.
Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, who came to Westeros with nothing, sold more times than she can recall. She could have wilted… but instead, she rose to become the most trusted — and most unlikely — ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne.
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.
Additional cast includes Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia Saban,?Gavin Spokes,?Savannah Steyn.
The series is co-created by George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal (‘Colony’, ‘Hercules’), with Miguel Sapochnik and Condal as co-showrunners. Sapochnik’s directing credits include six ‘Game of Thrones’ episodes, including Emmy and DGA honours for “Battle of the Bastards.” He was nominated for another Emmy in 2019 for directing “The Long Night” and won the Emmy for Best Drama Series as an executive producer for the final season. Sara Hess serves as Executive Producer/Writer, with Jocelyn Diaz, Vince Gerardis, Ron Schmidt as Executive Producers. Clare Kilner and Geeta V. Patel are Directors, with Greg Yaitanes as Director/Co-Executive Producer.
‘House Of The Dragon‘ will premiere on Monday 22nd August 2022 at 2am on Sky Atlantic & NOW in the UK, and (due to the time difference) Sunday, August 21st, 2022 on HBO in the USA.
