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''House of the Dragon'' is an American
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
television series created by
George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...
and
Ryan Condal Ryan J. Condal (born ) is an American screenwriter and an executive producer who is a creator and a showrunner for the 2022 TV series ''House of the Dragon'', a prequel to the TV series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019). Condal and Carlton Cuse ...
for
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
. A
prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term " ...
to ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'' (2011–2019), it is the second TV show in the ''
A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who init ...
'' franchise. Condal and
Miguel Sapochnik Miguel Sapochnik (born 1 July 1974) is an English film and television director of Argentine origin, and former storyboard artist. For his work as a director on the HBO epic fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'', he won the award for Outstanding ...
served as the
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
s for the first season. Based on Martin's 2018 novel ''
Fire & Blood Fire and Blood may refer to: * ''Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico'', a 1973 book by T. R. Fehrenbach * ''Fire and Blood'' (Manowar DVD), a 1998 music DVD by Manowar * ''Fire and Blood'' (Daugherty), a 2003 composition for solo violin and orche ...
'', the series is set about 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen Conquest, nearly 200 years before the events of ''Game of Thrones'', and 172 years before the birth of
Daenerys Targaryen Daenerys Targaryen ( ) is a fictional character in the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American author George R. R. Martin. She is a prominent Narrative mode#Third-person view, point of view character, and is one of ...
. Featuring an
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to ...
, the show portrays the events leading up to the beginning of the decline of
House Targaryen George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' saga features a large cast of characters. The series follows three interwoven plotlines: a dynastic war for control of Westeros by several families; the rising threat of the superhuman Others beyo ...
, a devastating
war of succession A war of succession is a war prompted by a succession crisis in which two or more individuals claim the Order of succession, right of successor to a demise of the Crown, deceased or deposition (politics), deposed monarch. The rivals are typic ...
known as the "Dance of the Dragons". ''House of the Dragon'' received a straight-to-series order in October 2019, with casting beginning in July 2020 and principal photography starting in April 2021 in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. The series premiered on August 21, 2022, with the first season consisting of ten episodes. Five days after its premiere, the series was renewed for a second season. Sapochnik departed as showrunner after the first season, leaving Condal to serve as the sole showrunner for the second season. The first season received highly positive reviews, with praise towards its character development, writing, score and actor performances (particularly Considine, Smith, D'Arcy, Alcock, and Cooke). However, the pacing, specifically of the time jumps, and the dark lighting of some scenes were criticized. The series premiere was watched by over 10 million viewers across the linear channels and
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
on the first day, the biggest in HBO's history.


Cast and characters


Starring

*
Paddy Considine Patrick George Considine (born 5 September 1973) is an English actor, director, and screenwriter. He frequently collaborates with filmmaker/director Shane Meadows. He has received two British Academy Film Awards, three Evening Standard Britis ...
as King Viserys I Targaryen (season 1): The fifth king of the Seven Kingdoms. Known as "a warm, kind, and decent man", Viserys was chosen by a council of lords to succeed his grandfather, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, as king. Viserys is the firstborn son of King Jaehaerys' second son Prince Baelon Targaryen and his sister-wife Princess Alyssa Targaryen. *
Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as the Eleventh Doctor, eleventh incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the BBC series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Daemon Targarye ...
as Prince Daemon Targaryen: The younger brother of King Viserys I Targaryen and uncle / husband of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Known as the "Rogue Prince" for his unpredictable behavior, Daemon is also a fierce warrior and wields the Valyrian steel sword Dark Sister. He is an experienced dragonrider who rides the dragon Caraxes, also known as the "Blood Wyrm". *
Emma D'Arcy Emma Zia D'Arcy (born 27 June 1992) is an English actor. They are known for their roles in the BBC drama ''Wanderlust'' (2018), the Amazon Prime series ''Truth Seekers'' (2020), and the HBO fantasy series ''House of the Dragon'' (2022–), t ...
as Princess / Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen: King Viserys I Targaryen's daughter and
heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
, the firstborn and only surviving child of Viserys and his first wife, Queen Aemma Arryn. She was praised as the "Realm's Delight" during her youth. She is crowned queen by her supporters, the "Blacks", after her half-brother usurped the throne. She is a dragonrider who rides the dragon Syrax. **
Milly Alcock Amelia May Alcock (born 11 April 2000) is an Australian actress. She received an AACTA nomination for her performance in the Foxtel comedy-drama ''Upright'' (2019–2022). She made her international debut as young Rhaenyra Targaryen in the HB ...
portrays young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (season 1). *
Rhys Ifans Rhys Ifans (; born Rhys Owain Evans; 22 July 1967) is a Welsh actor and musician. He was the frontman of Welsh rock music bands the Peth and Super Furry Animals. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in ''Notting Hill'' (1999), ''Kevin & ...
as Ser Otto Hightower: Queen Alicent's father and the Hand of the King to King Viserys I Targaryen's small council and continues to hold his position under King Aegon II Targaryen. When his daughter Alicent became queen, he began plotting to put her eldest son Aegon on the Iron Throne, instead of Rhaenyra. *
Steve Toussaint Steve Toussaint (born 22 March 1965) is a British actor and writer. He first gained prominence through his role in the ITV crime drama '' The Knock'' (1994–2000). As of 2022, he plays Corlys Velaryon in the HBO fantasy series ''House of th ...
as Lord Corlys Velaryon, The Lord of Driftmark and head of House Velaryon, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the Seven Kingdoms. Known as “the Sea Snake”, he is the most famous seafarer in Westerosi history. *
Eve Best Emily "Eve" Best (born 31 July 1971) is an English actress and director. She is known for her television roles as Dr. Eleanor O'Hara in the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–13), First Lady Dolley Madison in the ''American Experience'' ...
as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen: King Viserys I Targaryen's older cousin and the wife of Lord Corlys Velaryon. Rhaenys is the only child of Prince Aemon Targaryen, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen's late heir apparent and oldest son, and Jocelyn Baratheon, Jaehaerys' half-sister. Known as the "Queen Who Never Was", she was once a candidate to succeed her grandfather as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, but was passed over in favor of her younger cousin Viserys due to her gender. She is a formidable dragonrider who rides the dragon Meleys, also known as the "Red Queen". *
Sonoya Mizuno Sonoya Mizuno (born 1 July 1986) is a Japanese-British actress, model, and ballet dancer. She notably starred in the miniseries '' Maniac'' and the '' Game of Thrones'' prequel series ''House of the Dragon'', and appeared in all the works direc ...
as Mysaria: A foreign-born brothel dancer who rose to become Prince Daemon Targaryen's
paramour Paramour may refer to: * A secret lover ** Extramarital sex partner ** Intimate relationship hidden partner * '' The Paramours'', a U.S. musical quintet * ''Paramour'' (Cirque du Soleil), musical theatre Broadway residency show * Paramour Mansi ...
and most trusted confidante until they eventually parted ways. She is later known as the "White Worm" and leads a network of spies throughout King's Landing. *
Fabien Frankel Fabien Joseph Frankel (born 6 April 1994) is a British actor. He is known for his role as Ser Criston Cole in the HBO fantasy drama series ''House of the Dragon'' (2022–). Early life Frankel was born at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in We ...
as Ser Criston Cole: A skilled swordsman from the Dornish Marches and the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven, who is hand-picked by Princess Rhaenyra to become a member of King Viserys I Targaryen's Kingsguard. *
Olivia Cooke Olivia Kate Cooke (born 27 December 1993) is an English actress. In television, she has starred as Emma Decody in the thriller '' Bates Motel'' (2013–2017), Becky Sharp in the period drama '' Vanity Fair'' (2018), and Alicent Hightower in ...
as Queen / Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower: Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen's childhood companion and best friend, and later the second wife and queen consort of King Viserys I Targaryen. She is raised in the Red Keep as part of the King's inner circle and is known as the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. **
Emily Carey Emily Joanna Carey (born 30 April 2003) is an English actor. She began her career as a child actor on stage and in the BBC One soap opera ''Casualty'' (2014–2017, 2021). She went on to play young versions of characters, such as Diana Prince in ...
portrays young Lady / Queen Alicent Hightower (season 1). *
Graham McTavish Graham McTavish (born 4 January 1961) is a Scottish actor and author. He is known for his roles as Dwalin in ''The Hobbit'' film trilogy, Vlad Dracula Țepeș in the Netflix animated franchise ''Castlevania'', Loki in various Marvel animated pr ...
as Ser Harrold Westerling: A seasoned knight of the Kingsguard who has served the Crown since King Jaehaerys I Targaryen. He was tasked with watching over and protecting Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. He later replaces Ser Ryam Redwyne as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. *
Matthew Needham Matthew George Timothy Needham (born 13 April 1984) is a British actor. He has worked on stage and screen, appearing in television series such as '' Casualty'', '' Endeavour'', and ''Sanditon''. For his performance in the play ''Britannicus'', h ...
as Lord Larys Strong: The younger son of Lord Lyonel Strong, he is known as "Clubfoot" due to a birth abnormality that causes him to walk with a limp. He is Queen Alicent's trusted confidante and later serves as the Lord Confessor. * Jefferson Hall as
identical twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
s ** Lord Jason Lannister: The Lord of Casterly Rock, head of House Lannister and Warden of the West. An arrogant hunter and a warrior he unsuccessfully vies for the hand of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. ** Ser Tyland Lannister: Lord Jason Lannister's younger twin brother and a cunning politician. He replaces Lord Corlys Velaryon as Master of Ships on King Viserys I Targaryen's small council. He later replaces Lord Lyman Beesbury as the Master of Coin following the ascension of King Aegon II Targaryen. *
Harry Collett Harry Collett (born 2004) is a British actor. He began his career as a child actor on the West End. He went on to play Oliver Hide in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty'' (2016–2022), Tommy Stubbins in the film '' Dolittle'' (2020), and Jaca ...
as Prince Jacaerys "Jace" Velaryon: The firstborn son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Laenor Velaryon. He is a dragonrider who rides the young dragon Vermax. ** Leo Hart portrays young Jacaerys Velaryon (recurring season 1). *
Tom Glynn-Carney Tom Glynn-Carney (born 7 February 1995) is an English actor and singer. He has appeared in Christopher Nolan's war film ''Dunkirk'' (2017), '' Tolkien'', '' The King'', and '' Rialto'' (2019), and as King Aegon II Targaryen in ''House of the ...
as Prince / King Aegon II Targaryen: The sixth king of the Seven Kingdoms. He is the firstborn son of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower, half-brother to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, husband of his sister-wife Helaena Targaryen, and father to her children Jaehaerys, Jaehaera and Maelor. Despite the best efforts of his mother, his hedonism and depravity is legendary in King's Landing's Street of Silk. He is a dragonrider who rides the young dragon Sunfyre. **
Ty Tennant Ty Peter Tennant (''né'' Martin-Moffett; born 27 March 2002) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Tom Gresham in the science fiction series ''War of the Worlds (2019 TV series), War of the Worlds'' (2019–present) and young Aegon ...
portrays young Prince Aegon Targaryen (recurring season 1). *
Ewan Mitchell Ewan Robert Mitchell is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the ITV period drama ''The Halcyon'' (2017), the medieval series ''The Last Kingdom'' (2017–2022), the BBC war drama '' World on Fire'' (2019–), and the HBO fantasy se ...
as Prince Aemond Targaryen: The third child and second son of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower. He aspires to be a dragonrider and later claims the dragon Vhagar. He is known as "Aemond One-Eye" after losing his left eye in a brawl with his nephews and has grown to become a fearsome and aggressive warrior. ** Leo Ashton portrays young Prince Aemond Targaryen (recurring season 1). * Phia Saban as Princess / Queen Helaena Targaryen: The secondborn child and only daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower, sister-wife of King Aegon II Targaryen, and mother to his children. She has a unique interest in bugs and often speaks in cryptic prophetic language. She is a dragonrider who rides the dragon Dreamfyre. ** Evie Allen portrays young Princess Helaena Targaryen (recurring season 1). *
Bethany Antonia Bethany Antonia (born 25 December 1997) is an English actress. As of 2022 she plays Lady Baela Targaryen in the HBO ''fantasy'' series ''House of the Dragon''. On television, she is known for her roles in the BBC iPlayer teen series '' Get Even ...
as Lady Baela Targaryen: The elder daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon. She is a dragonrider who rides the young dragon Moondancer. ** Shani Smethurst portrays young Baela Targaryen (recurring season 1). * Phoebe Campbell as Lady Rhaena Targaryen: The younger daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon. She is in possession of a dragon egg, although it has yet to hatch. ** Eva Ossei-Gerning portrays a young Rhaena Targaryen (recurring season 1).


Recurring

* Gavin Spokes as Lord Lyonel Strong (season 1): The Lord of Harrenhal and head of House Strong, and Master of Laws on King Viserys I Targaryen's small council. He later replaces Otto Hightower as the Hand of the King. *
David Horovitch David Horovitch (born 11 August 1945) is an English actor, perhaps best known for playing the character of Inspector Slack in ''Miss Marple''. He stars in the '' Game of Thrones'' prequel series ''House of the Dragon'' as Grand Maester Mellos. ...
as Grand Maester Mellos (season 1): A maester of the Citadel and Grand Maester on King Viserys I Targaryen's small council, as well as serving as his personal physician. * Bill Paterson as Lord Lyman Beesbury (season 1): The Lord of Honeyholt and head of House Beesbury, and Master of Coin on King Viserys I Targaryen's small council. *
Steffan Rhodri Steffan Rhodri (born 1 March 1967) is a Welsh film actor, best known for portraying Dave Coaches on ''Gavin & Stacey'', Reg Cattermole in ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1'' and as the voice of Drippy in '' Ni no Kuni: Wrath of ...
as Lord Hobert Hightower: The Lord of Oldtown and head of House Hightower, and the older brother of Ser Otto Hightower. *
John Macmillan John Victor Macmillan OBE DD (1877–1956) was the fifth Bishop of Dover in the modern era who was later translated to Guildford. Born into a publishing family (he was an uncle of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan), he was educated at Eton ...
as Ser Laenor Velaryon: The son of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, and later the husband of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. He is a dragonrider who rides the dragon Seasmoke. ** Theo Nate portrays young Laenor Velaryon (season 1). ** Matthew Carver portrays child Laenor Velaryon (season 1). *
Nanna Blondell Nanna Terese Blondell (born 6 August 1986)Sveriges befolkning 1990 is a Swedish stage, television, and film actress. Education Blondell earned a degree from Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts. As a child she wanted to be an actress, but she did ...
as Lady Laena Velaryon (season 1): The daughter of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, and later the second wife of Prince Daemon Targaryen. She is a dragonrider who rides the old, legendary dragon Vhagar. ** Savannah Steyn portrays a young Laena Velaryon (season 1). ** Nova Foueillis-Mosé portrays child Laena Velaryon (season 1). *
Elliott Tittensor Elliott John Tittensor (born 3 November 1989) is an English actor, best known for playing the role of Carl Gallagher in the Channel 4 comedy-drama series '' Shameless'' (2004–2013). Career Elliott Tittensor and his twin brother, Luke, appea ...
as Ser Erryk Cargyll: The twin brother of Ser Arryk Cargyll and a member of King Viserys I Targaryen's Kingsguard and later Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's Queensguard. *
Luke Tittensor Luke James Tittensor (born 3 November 1989) is an English actor best known for his role as Carl Gallagher in '' Shameless'' (a role he shared with his twin brother, Elliott Tittensor) and his role as Daz Eden in '' Emmerdale''. Career Tittens ...
as Ser Arryk Cargyll: The twin brother of Ser Erryk Cargyll and a member of the Kingsguard for both King Viserys I Targaryen and his successor King Aegon II Targaryen. *
Anthony Flanagan Anthony Flanagan (born 11 April 1972) is an English actor most widely known for his portrayal of policeman Tony in Channel 4's comedy-drama series '' Shameless''. Biography Flanagan was born in Stockport, Cheshire. At school he was called Anth ...
as Ser Steffon Darklyn: A member of King Viserys I Targaryen's Kingsguard and later Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's Queensguard. * Max Wrottesley as Ser Lorent Marbrand: A member of King Viserys I Targaryen's Kingsguard and later Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's Queensguard. * Ryan Corr as Ser Harwin Strong (season 1): The eldest son of Lord Lyonel Strong and heir to Harrenhal. Known as "Breakbones", he is said to be the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms. He was Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen's secret lover and the biological father of her first three sons. *
Wil Johnson Wilbert Charles Johnson (born 18 April 1965) is an English actor, who has had notable television roles in '' Waking the Dead'' and '' Babyfather'', and on stage in '' Othello''. He played Dom Andrews in ''Emmerdale'' from 2012 to 2014. Early ...
as Ser Vaemond Velaryon (season 1): The younger brother of Lord Corlys Velaryon, and a commander in the Velaryon navy. * Kurt Egyiawan as Grand Maester Orwyle: A maester of the Citadel who succeeds Mellos as Grand Maester on King Viserys I Targaryen's small council and continues to hold his position under King Aegon II Targaryen. * Elliot Grihault as Prince Lucerys "Luke" Velaryon (season 1): The secondborn son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Laenor Velaryon. He is a dragonrider who rides the young dragon Arrax. ** Harvey Sadler portrays young Lucerys Velaryon (season 1). * Paul Kennedy as Lord Jasper Wylde: The Lord of Rain House and head of House Wylde. Known as "Ironrod", he replaces Lyonel Strong as Master of Laws on King Viserys I Targaryen's small council and continues to hold his position under King Aegon II Targaryen. * Alexis Raben as Talya (season 1): Queen Alicent Hightower's lady-in-waiting and a spy for Mysaria. * Paul Hickey as Lord Allun Caswell (season 1): The Lord of Bitterbridge and head of House Caswell. *
Phil Daniels Philip William Daniels (born 25 October 1958) is an English actor, musician and singer, most noted for film and television roles playing Londoners, such as the lead role of Jimmy Cooper in ''Quadrophenia'', Richards in '' Scum'', Stewart in ''Th ...
as Maester Gerardys: The Maester of Dragonstone.


Guests

*
Sian Brooke Sian Brooke (born Sian Elizabeth Phillips; born 1980) is a British actress. Her television work includes '' Cape Wrath'' (2007), '' Sherlock'' (2017), '' Doctor Foster'' (2017), ''Good Omens'' (2019), ''Guilt'' (2019), and '' Trying'' (2020–). ...
as Queen Aemma Arryn (season 1): The queen consort and first wife of King Viserys I Targaryen and Rhaenyra's mother. She is a granddaughter of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen through her mother, Princess Daella Targaryen, making Viserys her first cousin. * Michael Carter as King Jaehaerys I Targaryen (season 1): The fourth king of the Seven Kingdoms. He is the grandfather of King Viserys I Targaryen, Prince Daemon Targaryen, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and Queen Aemma Arryn. Known as the "Conciliator" or the "Old King", he ruled for over half a century and ended up outliving all his children, and eventually had to organize a great council to choose an heir from his grandchildren. He was a dragonrider and rode the dragon Vermithor. * Garry Cooper as Ser Ryam Redwyne (season 1): The aging Lord Commander of King Viserys I Targaryen's Kingsguard. *
Julian Lewis Jones Julian Lewis Jones (born 21 August 1968) is a Welsh actor. He trained at the Welsh College of Music & Drama. He has appeared largely in British television in shows such as '' Where the Heart Is'' and '' Caerdydd''. In 2009, he starred in Clint ...
as Lord Boremund Baratheon (season 1): The Lord of Storm's End, head of House Baratheon and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. He is also a maternal cousin of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and is the great-grandson of house-founder Orys Baratheon, the half-brother of King Aegon the Conqueror. * Daniel Scott-Smith as Craghas Drahar (season 1): A Myrish prince-admiral who leads the Triarchy in conquering the Stepstones, plaguing the Westerosi sea trade. He is known as the "Crabfeeder" for his practice of crucifying and feeding his captured enemies to crabs. * Solly McLeod as Ser Joffrey Lonmouth (season 1): A knight of House Lonmouth, the battle companion and lover to Ser Laenor Velaryon. *
Rachel Redford Rachel Leonie Ford (born 1990/1991), known professionally as Rachel Redford, is a Welsh actress. She is best known for her theatre work. Early life Redford is from Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan. Her mother Jennifer Lewis is also an actress a ...
as Lady Rhea Royce (season 1): The heir to Runestone, the seat of House Royce, and Prince Daemon Targaryen's estranged first wife. * Owen Oakeshott as Ser Gerold Royce: A cousin of Lady Rhea Royce. * Arty Froushan as Ser Qarl Correy (season 1): A household knight and lover of Ser Laenor Velaryon. * Dean Nolan as Prince Reggio Haratis: The ruler of the Free City of Pentos. * Maddie Evans as Dyana (season 1): A handmaid raped by then Prince Aegon Targaryen. * Roger Evans as Lord Borros Baratheon: The son of Lord Boremund Baratheon who succeeds him as Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. * Nicholas Jones as Lord Bartimos Celtigar: The Lord of Claw Isle and head of House Celtigar. He is part of a council of lords and knights that support Rhaenyra's claim to the throne.


Episodes


Production


Development

In 2015, with ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'' still in production,
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
executives approached ''
A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who init ...
'' writer
George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...
regarding possible successors or
spin-offs Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
to the series. In November 2018, Martin stated that a "potential spin-off series would be solidly based on material in ''
Fire & Blood Fire and Blood may refer to: * ''Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico'', a 1973 book by T. R. Fehrenbach * ''Fire and Blood'' (Manowar DVD), a 1998 music DVD by Manowar * ''Fire and Blood'' (Daugherty), a 2003 composition for solo violin and orche ...
''." ''Game of Thrones'' creators
David Benioff David Friedman (; born September 25, 1970), known professionally as David Benioff (), is an American writer, director and producer. Along with his collaborator D. B. Weiss, he is best known as co-creator and showrunner of '' Game of Thrones'' (2 ...
and
D. B. Weiss Daniel Brett Weiss (; born April 23, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer. Along with his collaborator David Benioff, he is best-known as co-creator of ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), the HBO adaptation of George R. ...
stated they wanted to "move on" from the franchise and declined involvement in subsequent projects. By September 2019, a ''Game of Thrones'' prequel series from Martin and
Ryan Condal Ryan J. Condal (born ) is an American screenwriter and an executive producer who is a creator and a showrunner for the 2022 TV series ''House of the Dragon'', a prequel to the TV series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019). Condal and Carlton Cuse ...
that "tracks the beginning of the end for
House Targaryen George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' saga features a large cast of characters. The series follows three interwoven plotlines: a dynastic war for control of Westeros by several families; the rising threat of the superhuman Others beyo ...
" was close to receiving a pilot order from HBO. The following month, ''House of the Dragon'' was given a straight-to-series order. Condal and
Miguel Sapochnik Miguel Sapochnik (born 1 July 1974) is an English film and television director of Argentine origin, and former storyboard artist. For his work as a director on the HBO epic fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'', he won the award for Outstanding ...
, who won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for directing the episode "
Battle of the Bastards "Battle of the Bastards" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' and its 59th episode overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and dire ...
", were selected to serve as
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
s. In 2016, Condal pitched the idea of a series based on Martin's ''
Tales of Dunk and Egg ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' is a series of fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, set in the world of his ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels. They follow the adventures of "Dunk" (the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) ...
'', however HBO initially passed on it. Sapochnik was also hired to direct the series premiere as well as additional episodes. The series begins 172 years before the events of ''Game of Thrones'' during the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen, ultimately leading to the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. The project is a reworking of the rejected spin-off concept from ''Game of Thrones'' writer Bryan Cogman, on which HBO officially passed. Inspiration for the series came from English medieval history and
The Anarchy The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between 1138 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adelin, the only legiti ...
, a
war of succession A war of succession is a war prompted by a succession crisis in which two or more individuals claim the Order of succession, right of successor to a demise of the Crown, deceased or deposition (politics), deposed monarch. The rivals are typic ...
between the King's nephew Stephen in England and the King's only surviving child, a daughter, who had fled to
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
in the 12th century. In January 2020, Casey Bloys, HBO's President of Programming, stated that the writing process had begun. Writers for the show include Condal and
Sara Hess Sara Hess is a television writer and producer. She has worked in both capacities on the drama series ''House'' and ''Orange Is the New Black''. Career Hess joined the crew of the HBO western drama '' Deadwood'' as a writer for the second season ...
, who previously wrote for ''Deadwood'' and ''
Orange Is the New Black ''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Wo ...
''. Martin was also involved in the pre-production, providing input on storylines and reviewed scripts and
rough cut In filmmaking, the rough cut is the second of three stages of offline editing. The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when film stock was physically cut and reassembled, but is still used to describe projects that are recorded and ...
s. On August 26, 2022, less than a week after its premiere, the series was renewed for a second season. On August 31, Miguel Sapochnik stepped down as director and co-showrunner for the second season, but remained an executive producer. Sapochnik stated, "It was incredibly tough to decide to move on, but I know that it is the right choice for me, personally and professionally." Alan Taylor, who directed multiple ''Game of Thrones'' episodes, will join in season two and serve as an executive producer and direct multiple episodes. Following the second season renewal, Bloys stated that the second season will premiere sometime in 2024.


Changes from the novels

In the novels, members of House Velaryon are generally described as having "silver-gold hair, pale skin, and violet eyes", similar to the Targaryens. However, Condal and Sapochnik wanted to introduce more racial diversity with its casting. ''Game of Thrones'' was criticized for lacking a diverse cast and including cultural
stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
s. As a result, House Velaryon are portrayed as black in the television series. According to Condal, Martin, while writing the novels, considered making the Velaryons a house of Black
aristocrats Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word' ...
who traveled to Westeros from the culturally diverse area of
Valyria The fictional world in which the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels by George R. R. Martin take place is divided into several continents, known collectively as The Known World. Most of the story takes place on the continent of Westeros and in ...
. Despite initial fan criticism of the ethnicity change, publications and commentators stated it helped distinguish between the large number of characters between the two families. ''Fire & Blood'' is written in the style of a
history book History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
authored by an in-universe fictional historian studying the Targaryen dynasty and various civil conflicts. The novels of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' are however more immersive, with each chapter written in a third-person limited perspective from the immediate
point of view Point of view or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the prono ...
of a character. As a result, some accounts of events recorded in ''Fire & Blood'' are second-hand narrations that are potentially speculative or distorted, therefore making the narrator unreliable from the reader's perspective. In an effort to make the story more clear for viewers, the show writers decided to portray the book events in a chronological order from a third-person perspective.


Casting

Casting began in July 2020. In October 2020,
Paddy Considine Patrick George Considine (born 5 September 1973) is an English actor, director, and screenwriter. He frequently collaborates with filmmaker/director Shane Meadows. He has received two British Academy Film Awards, three Evening Standard Britis ...
was cast as Viserys I Targaryen. Considine was offered a role in ''Game of Thrones'' but declined it due to the fantasy elements of the series. Condal in a 2020 interview stated that Considine was their first choice for Viserys. By December,
Olivia Cooke Olivia Kate Cooke (born 27 December 1993) is an English actress. In television, she has starred as Emma Decody in the thriller '' Bates Motel'' (2013–2017), Becky Sharp in the period drama '' Vanity Fair'' (2018), and Alicent Hightower in ...
,
Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as the Eleventh Doctor, eleventh incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the BBC series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Daemon Targarye ...
, and
Emma D'Arcy Emma Zia D'Arcy (born 27 June 1992) is an English actor. They are known for their roles in the BBC drama ''Wanderlust'' (2018), the Amazon Prime series ''Truth Seekers'' (2020), and the HBO fantasy series ''House of the Dragon'' (2022–), t ...
were cast as Alicent Hightower, Daemon Targaryen, and Rhaenyra Targaryen, respectively. In an interview with ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', Smith stated he was initially hesitant to starring in a ''Game of Thrones'' prequel. He then accepted the role after learning Considine was attached to the project. In February 2021,
Rhys Ifans Rhys Ifans (; born Rhys Owain Evans; 22 July 1967) is a Welsh actor and musician. He was the frontman of Welsh rock music bands the Peth and Super Furry Animals. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in ''Notting Hill'' (1999), ''Kevin & ...
,
Steve Toussaint Steve Toussaint (born 22 March 1965) is a British actor and writer. He first gained prominence through his role in the ITV crime drama '' The Knock'' (1994–2000). As of 2022, he plays Corlys Velaryon in the HBO fantasy series ''House of th ...
,
Eve Best Emily "Eve" Best (born 31 July 1971) is an English actress and director. She is known for her television roles as Dr. Eleanor O'Hara in the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–13), First Lady Dolley Madison in the ''American Experience'' ...
, and
Sonoya Mizuno Sonoya Mizuno (born 1 July 1986) is a Japanese-British actress, model, and ballet dancer. She notably starred in the miniseries '' Maniac'' and the '' Game of Thrones'' prequel series ''House of the Dragon'', and appeared in all the works direc ...
were added to the main cast. By April,
Fabien Frankel Fabien Joseph Frankel (born 6 April 1994) is a British actor. He is known for his role as Ser Criston Cole in the HBO fantasy drama series ''House of the Dragon'' (2022–). Early life Frankel was born at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in We ...
joined the cast as Ser Criston Cole. In May,
Graham McTavish Graham McTavish (born 4 January 1961) is a Scottish actor and author. He is known for his roles as Dwalin in ''The Hobbit'' film trilogy, Vlad Dracula Țepeș in the Netflix animated franchise ''Castlevania'', Loki in various Marvel animated pr ...
was spotted on set in full wardrobe. In July 2021,
Emily Carey Emily Joanna Carey (born 30 April 2003) is an English actor. She began her career as a child actor on stage and in the BBC One soap opera ''Casualty'' (2014–2017, 2021). She went on to play young versions of characters, such as Diana Prince in ...
and
Milly Alcock Amelia May Alcock (born 11 April 2000) is an Australian actress. She received an AACTA nomination for her performance in the Foxtel comedy-drama ''Upright'' (2019–2022). She made her international debut as young Rhaenyra Targaryen in the HB ...
were added to the cast as younger counterparts of Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen respectively. The time jump midway through the first season necessitated the casting multiple characters with two or three different actors.


Filming

Principal photography on the ten-episode first season of the series began in April 2021. The series was filmed primarily in the United Kingdom. ''House of the Dragon'' was the first production to be shot at Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios' new virtual production stage. On July 18, 2021, a positive
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
case forced the pausing of production for two days. The Spanish publication ''
Hoy Hoy ( sco, Hoy; from Norse , meaning "high island") is an island in Orkney, Scotland, measuring – the second largest in the archipelago, after Mainland. A natural causeway, ''the Ayre'', links the island to the smaller South Walls; the tw ...
'' reported that ''House of the Dragon'' would be filmed in the
Province of Cáceres The province of Cáceres ( ; es, provincia de Cáceres, ) is a province of western Spain, and makes up the northern half of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Its capital is the city of Cáceres. Other cities in the province include Pla ...
in western Spain between October 11–21, 2021. The provincial capital of Cáceres along with the town of Trujillo were used in scenes for King's Landing. From October 26–31, the series was filmed in Portugal at the Castle of Monsanto. Additional filming locations included
Trujillo, Cáceres Trujillo is a municipality located in Extremadura, an autonomous community of Spain in the Province of Cáceres. In 2013, the municipality had 9,086 inhabitants (INE Census, 2013). Originally settled on a granite knoll which was readily fortified ...
, a medieval town. Locations in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, England included
St Michael's Mount St Michael's Mount ( kw, Karrek Loos yn Koos, meaning " hoar rock in woodland") is a tidal island in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The island is a civil parish and is linked to the town of Marazion by a causeway of granite se ...
, Holywell Beach and
Kynance Cove Kynance Cove ( kw, Porth Keynans, meaning ''ravine cove'') is a cove on the eastern side of Mount's Bay, Cornwall, England. It is situated on the Lizard peninsula approximately two miles (3 km) north of Lizard Point.Ordnance Survey,Explore ...
. Other locations included
Castleton, Derbyshire Castleton is a village in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England, at the western end of the Hope Valley on the Peakshole Water, a tributary of the River Noe, between the Dark Peak to the north and the White Peak to the south. The pop ...
, in areas such as
Cave Dale Cave Dale (sometimes spelt Cavedale) is a dry limestone valley in the Derbyshire Peak District, England. It is located at grid reference . The northern end of the dale starts at the village of Castleton where the valley sides are almost perpend ...
, Eldon Hill Quarry and the Market Place. Some scenes were shot in
Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
, Hampshire. In February 2022, HBO confirmed that the first season of ''House of the Dragon'' had wrapped production.
Visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...
for the series were produced by
Pixomondo Pixomondo (PXO) is an Academy and Emmy award-winning international visual effects and virtual production company with studios in Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and London. The company provides virtual production ...
and MPC Episodic, the former which worked on ''Game of Thrones'' and gained an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Outstanding Visual Effects. The second season is set to begin filming in Spain in early 2023.


Music

It was announced in September 2022 that
Ramin Djawadi Ramin Djawadi (, fa, رامین جوادی; born 19 July 1974) is an Iran, Iranian and Germans, German film score, score composer. He is known for his scores for the 2008 Marvel film ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man'' and the HBO series ''Game o ...
will compose the series score. Djawadi composed the music for all eight seasons of ''Game of Thrones'' which garnered him three
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nominations and two
Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
wins. Djawadi, along with the showrunners, decided to keep the original
theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
, "
Game of Thrones Theme "''Game of Thrones'' Theme", also referred to as "''Game of Thrones'' Main Title Theme", is the theme music of HBO's fantasy television series '' Game of Thrones'' and its prequel ''House of the Dragon'', and plays during title sequences to bot ...
", which was first featured in the second episode of ''House of the Dragon''. In an interview with ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'', Djawadi stated that the original theme song was used in order to "tie the shows together". For the first season, Djawadi, along with Condal and Sapochnik, watched each episode and made notes on when the music should occur and what mood the music should set. Character motifs from ''Game of Thrones'' are also featured in ''House of the Dragon'', including the Dragon theme " Dracarys".


Language

''Game of Thrones'' linguist
David J. Peterson David Joshua Peterson (born January 20, 1981) is an American conlanger who has constructed languages for television series such as '' Game of Thrones'' and ''The 100'' and movies such as '' Thor: The Dark World'' and '' Dune.'' Life Peter ...
returned to continue his work on the
constructed language A constructed language (sometimes called a conlang) is a language whose phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, instead of having developed naturally, are consciously devised for some purpose, which may include being devised for a work of fiction. ...
High Valyrian The Valyrian languages are a fictional language family in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, and in their television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'' and later ''House of the Dragon''. In the novels, H ...
. Peterson stated that, unlike ''Game of Thrones'', ''House of the Dragon'' features scene-long dialogue in High Valyrian. In the series, High Valyrian is spoken by both Targaryens and Velaryons, requiring cast members to learn the language.
Emma D'Arcy Emma Zia D'Arcy (born 27 June 1992) is an English actor. They are known for their roles in the BBC drama ''Wanderlust'' (2018), the Amazon Prime series ''Truth Seekers'' (2020), and the HBO fantasy series ''House of the Dragon'' (2022–), t ...
reportedly enjoyed learning it, while
Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as the Eleventh Doctor, eleventh incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the BBC series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Daemon Targarye ...
initially dreaded it and found it daunting.


Budget

The overall production budget of the first season of ''House of the Dragon'' was nearly $200 million, which equates to under $20 million per episode. In comparison, its parent series ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'', cost around $100 million per season beginning with nearly $6 million per episode from seasons one to five, around $10 million for every episode in seasons six and seven, and up to $15 million each episode in its eighth and final season, earning $285 million in profits per season over its eight seasons. The marketing budget, according to ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
'', was in excess of $100 million, comparable to the marketing budget for a
blockbuster Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to: *Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived. Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain ** Bl ...
theatrical film.


Release

''House of the Dragon'' premiered on August 21, 2022. It is HBO's first new series to stream in 4K,
Dolby Vision Dolby Vision is a set of technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories for high dynamic range (HDR) video. It covers content creation, distribution, and playback. It includes dynamic metadata that are used to adjust and optimize each frame of the ...
HDR and
Dolby Atmos Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology developed by Dolby Laboratories. It expands on existing surround sound systems by adding height channels, allowing sounds to be interpreted as three-dimensional objects with neither horizontal, nor verti ...
on its streaming platform
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
. The first episode was released for free on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
on September 2, 2022. The first-season finale was leaked online the week before the actual air date, with the full episode appearing on torrent sites. According to HBO, the leak came from a
Europe, the Middle East and Africa EMEA is a shorthand designation meaning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The acronym is used by institutions and governments, as well as in marketing and business when referring to this region: it is a shorthand way of referencing the two ...
partner and it will "aggressively" monitor for additional leaks.


International broadcast

In New Zealand, the series is distributed by
Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...
's
SoHo Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...
TV channel and
Neon Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypton ...
streaming service. In the Philippines,
SKY The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...
broadcasts the show via its main cable television services and other digital streaming platforms. In India,
Disney+ Hotstar The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
distributes the show. In the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the series airs on
Sky Atlantic Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HBO ...
and its accompanying streaming service
Now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Now ...
. In Canada, ''House of the Dragon'' is available on
Bell Media Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies. Establishment (2011–13) On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
's Crave streaming service and its
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
linear channel. In Australia, the series is available for streaming on
Binge Binge or Binges may refer to: Behavior Binge, a behavior engaged in excessively over a short period of time, such as: * Binge drinking * Binge eating * Binge-watching Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Binge'' (EP), a 2018 EP by Machine Gun Kel ...
and
Foxtel Foxtel is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995. The service was establi ...
.


Home media

The first season was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and DVD on December 20, 2022, and contains over an hour of behind-the-scenes features.


Reception


Critical response

On the review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the series holds a "Certified Fresh" approval rating of 93%, based on 858 reviews, with an average rating of 8.10. The website's critical consensus said, "Covering an era of tenuous peace with ferocious -- albeit abbreviated -- focus, ''House of the Dragon'' is an impressive prequel that exemplifies the court intrigue that distinguished its predecessor." On
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which uses a weighted average, the series has received a score of 69 out of 100 based on 43 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Reviews for the first season were generally positive, with critics praising the writing, directing, and cast performances.
Lucy Mangan Lucy Katherine Mangan''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' (born 1974) is a British journalist and author. She is a columnist, features writer and TV critic for ''The Guardian''. A major part of her writing is related t ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called the show a "roaring success" with Lorraine Ali of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' stating the show mirrors the acclaim of the early seasons of ''Game of Thrones''. Reviews pointed out the reliance on Martin's novel was one of the reasons the series fared better critically than the later seasons of its predecessor, specifically the last season. The cast also received praise, with Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, and Olivia Cooke being singled out for their performances. In an interview with '' GQ'', Considine stated that Martin told him that "Your Viserys is better than my Viserys". The diversity of the characters was met with praise, with
Jeff Yang Jeff Yang () (born ) is an American writer, journalist, businessman, and business/media consultant who writes the ''Tao Jones'' column for ''The Wall Street Journal''. Previously, he was the "Asian Pop" columnist at the ''San Francisco Chronicle' ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' stating that diversification of the cast can help the series gain a more diverse audience. Despite the praise, the show's first season did receive criticism for the depiction of violence, pacing and cinematography. Reviewing the early episodes, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' and ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' said the series leaned too much on grand imagery and lacked the breakout supporting characters that ''Game of Thrones'' had''.'' Before the premiere, Martin stated that the series is similar to a
Shakespearean tragedy Shakespearean tragedy is the designation given to most tragedies written by playwright William Shakespeare. Many of his history plays share the qualifiers of a Shakespearean tragedy, but because they are based on real figures throughout the his ...
with each character being morally grey with no "character everybody's going to love". ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' stated the "dullness" of the characters makes the series more of a
period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...
than an action-adventure fantasy. The ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''The New York Times'' cited the constant actor changes as a reason for the lack of emotional attachment to characters. The
graphic violence Graphic violence refers to the depiction of especially vivid, brutal and realistic acts of violence in visual media such as film, television, and video games. It may be real, simulated live action, or animated. Intended limitedly for mature ...
in the season premiere with a failed
caesarean section Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or mo ...
was criticized for being excessive and, according to ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
,'' "exploitive and in poor taste". The time jumps throughout the first season were also noted for being jarring and causing confusion, while George R. R. Martin defended them as being "handled very well". In addition, the dark cinematography in Episode 7 was a point of criticism from both critics and fans alike. HBO responded that the dimmed lighting in those scenes was an "intentional creative decision". ''Game of Thrones'' faced similar criticism regarding the lighting of scenes in Season 8, with one of the show's cinematographers stating it was a "deliberate choice".


Viewership

The day after the series premiere, HBO said the episode had been viewed by an estimated 9.99 million viewers in the U.S. on its first night of availability – including linear viewers and streams on HBO Max – which HBO said was the largest single-day viewership for a series debut in the service's history. When renewing the show for a second season four days later, the network said the episode had been watched by over 20 million linear, streaming, and on-demand viewers in the U.S. by that point. After one week of availability, the viewership rose to nearly 25 million in the U.S. across all platforms. Internationally, the series premiere drew more than 1 million viewers when it aired on
Sky Atlantic Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HBO ...
in the United Kingdom, becoming the biggest drama premiere on the channel. According to Nielsen, the episode had a viewership of 327 million minutes or an estimated 5.03 million viewers on HBO Max in the U.S. during its first day. It later estimated that the episode was watched by 10.6 million viewers on HBO Max in the first four days, with the number increasing to 14.5 million when including the viewership on the main HBO channel.
Samba TV Samba TV is a television technology company that offers real-time insights and audience analytics. It was founded in 2008 by early employees of BitTorrent, including Samba TV's current CEO, Ashwin Navin. It develops software for televisions, set ...
meanwhile stated that 4.8 million U.S. households streamed the episode in the first four days. The size of the audience during the show's premiere caused HBO Max to crash for some users, particularly those using
Amazon Fire TV Amazon Fire TV (stylized as amazon fireTV) is a line of digital media players and microconsoles developed by Amazon. The devices are small network appliances that deliver digital audio and video content streamed via the Internet to a connecte ...
devices. Downdetector reported 3,700 instances of the application not responding. There were also reports of widespread streaming issues on Canadian partner service Crave.
Whip Media Whip Media Group is a private American company selling enterprise software for content distribution, as well as TV- and film-related user data. It operates physical offices in the US, the UK, and the EU. Background Whip Media Group is the result ...
, who track viewership data for the 22 million worldwide users of their
TV Time Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, e ...
app, stated that it was the most-viewed debut for a show in the app's history based on viewership over three days following the premiere. The series was also popular on
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
, with the show premiere being the number one
trending topic Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, a ...
on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
and
Google Trends Google Trends is a website by Google that analyzes the popularity of top web search query, search queries in Google Search across various regions and languages. The website uses graphs to compare the search volume of different queries over time. ...
. The finale of the first season was watched by 9.3 million viewers across all platforms during its premiere night according to HBO, which was the highest viewership for any finale of a HBO show since the
series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...
of ''Game of Thrones''. The show averaged 9–9.5 million viewers for an episode on premiere night and 29 million total viewers after a week of release. Nielsen stated in November 2022 that 35% of the viewers of the show were in the age range of 18–34.


Comparisons with ''The Rings of Power''

Critics, fans, and publications have drawn comparisons between ''House of the Dragon'' and fantasy series '' The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'' on
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
. Like ''House of the Dragon'', ''The Rings of Power'' is a prequel series set thousands of years before the events of
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
's ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the '' ...
'' and ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
''. The similar fantasy genre, close release dates, and extensive fan bases were cited in articles comparing the two series. Commentators and fans alike have described these comparisons as the "biggest battle in TV history". More negative criticism from the two fan bases also included the character diversity, with some publications describing some of the criticism as
racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
. Martin stated that although he hopes both shows are successful, he wants to see ''House of the Dragon'' "succeed more." Lindsey Weber, an executive producer for ''The Rings of Power'', stated that the head-to-head conflict between the two shows are "totally manufactured by the media for headlines". Show co-creator J. D. Payne said the only competition he sees is with "themselves" however he wishes well for "anyone else working on storytelling". Financially, the budget for ''The Rings of Power'' is almost $450 million more than ''House of the Dragon''. Both series fared successfully in the ratings. ''The Rings of Power''s first two episodes had more than 1.25 billion minutes of streaming minutes, compared to more than 780 million for ''House of the Dragon'' according to Nielsen and first-party data. Following the season finale for ''House of the Dragon'', streaming viewership passed 1 billion viewing minutes for the first time. According to Nielsen data, ''The Rings of Power'' is more popular with older viewers, with more than 70% of viewers being over the age of 35. Following both series finales, streaming viewership for ''The Rings of Power'' decreased throughout the first season while ''House of the Dragon'' viewership increased. Despite the age gap in viewership, commentators have stated one of the reasons both shows did well was in part due to a consistent release schedule which helped create social media buzz. Both shows have highlighted the "
streaming wars Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
" between both Amazon and HBO and the entertainment industry as a whole.


Critics' top ten list


Accolades


See also

* The novella ''
The Princess and the Queen ''The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens'' is an epic fantasy novella by American novelist George R. R. Martin, published in the 2013 Tor Books anthology '' Dangerous Women''. The novella is presented in the form of writing ...
'' (2013) and its prequel ''
The Rogue Prince ''The Rogue Prince, or, a King's Brother'' is a novelette by George R. R. Martin, published in the 2014 Bantam Spectra anthology '' Rogues''. It is set on the continent of Westeros of Martin's '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, hundreds of ye ...
'' (2014), both of which are authored by George R. R. Martin, later incorporated within the "Dance of the Dragons" plotline in ''
Fire & Blood Fire and Blood may refer to: * ''Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico'', a 1973 book by T. R. Fehrenbach * ''Fire and Blood'' (Manowar DVD), a 1998 music DVD by Manowar * ''Fire and Blood'' (Daugherty), a 2003 composition for solo violin and orche ...
''.


Footnotes


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control 2020s American drama television series 2022 American television series debuts American adventure television series American epic television series American fantasy drama television series American fantasy television series American prequel television series Dark fantasy television series Dragons in popular culture English-language television shows Family saga television series Game of Thrones HBO original programming High fantasy television series Incest in television Serial drama television series Television series about dragons Television series about dysfunctional families Television series based on American novels Television series by Home Box Office Television shows about death Television shows filmed in California Television shows filmed in Portugal Television shows filmed in Spain Television shows filmed in the United Kingdom Works based on A Song of Ice and Fire