Here’s everything we know about HBO’s House of the Dragon.
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(Pocket-lint) – And so it begins!
HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off series, House of the Dragon, has now started and will run over the next couple of months.
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To help you get into the mood before you start to watch, here’s everything we know about it.
There are spoilers ahead though, so be careful.
House of the Dragon: What to watch (and read) before the Game of Thrones prequelHouse of the Dragon: What you need to know
Based on the novel Fire and Blood
Set 170 years before the events of the original show
Focuses on the Targaryen civil war
The House of the Dragon is a HBO show headed to the HBO Max streaming service. It is based on some of the events from George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones universe, specifically his companion novel Fire and Blood. It’s separate from the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, which is the basis for the original series.
Fire and Blood is instead set up as a history book on the Game of Thrones Universe. It specifically focuses on the 300-year rule of the Targaryen Kings, with a large portion dedicated to the history of the great Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
That civil war occurs in the aftermath of King Viserys Targaryen naming his eldest daughter Rhaenyra as heir to his throne, breaking Westeros’ misogynistic rules of inheritance. Two years after naming his Rhaenyra his heir, the king takes a new bride, has a son, and dies still wanting his daughter to succeed him, which is where the game for the Iron Throne begins. However, both sides have dragons this time.
If you want to learn more about the Dance of the Dragons, HBO produced an animated short that’s included in the Histories and Lore section of the Game of Thrones’s fifth-season DVD. It’s narrated by Michelle Fairley, Pedro Pascal, and Mark Addy. (You can watch it above, via a third-party source on YouTube).
House of the Dragon: Release date
Release date: Debuted on 21 August 2022 – release each Sunday in US, Monday in UK
Number of episodes: 10 episodes in season 1
House of the Dragon premiered in the US on 21 August 2022, the UK a day later.
