With HBO’s House of Dragon, viewers will soon be transported back to Westeros. This time, it’s the Targaryen family fighting among themselves for control of the Iron Throne. The spin-off series created by Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik has a new cast of characters but the same stakes and power dynamics as the original drama. The events of Dance of Dragons are based on George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, which narrates the story of the collapse of the dragon-riders and the dynasty’s civil war over concerns of succession.
Some have called it a “worthy successor” to Game of Thrones, and in a recent blog post, Martin himself revealed that he had seen every episode and thought it was “magnificent work.” Sapochnik, a veteran of both Condal and Game of Thrones, collaborated closely with Martin to reintroduce viewers to the fantasy world and directed the iconic “Battle of the Bastards” episode. Martin admitted that he is satisfied with the rough edits he has seen of “all the episodes” of House of Dragon.
He praised the efforts of Ryan and Miguel and their excellent supporting cast and crew. Two hundred years precede the events of Game of Thrones in this series. Fans will also get to know the Velaroyns and the Hightowers, in addition to the Targaryens. King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), Prince Daemon (Matt Smith), Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), and Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) will lead the stellar cast in Season 7. What Martin Said Dark, forceful, visceral, scary, visually spectacular, and populated by rich and very human characters, all of whom are brilliantly brought to life by some genuinely excellent actors—Hot D is everything I could have asked for and more.
The author is now quarantined because of a case of Covid he caught during the San Diego Comic-Con. As for the other animated and live-action spin-offs he’s producing for HBO and HBO Max, he gave fans an update on the blog, saying, “Development is a lengthy and chancy process, of course, and there’s no knowing how many shows will be greenlit in the end… Even so, I am particularly pleased with the progress of a few of them.
The premiere of House of Dragon will take place on August 21.