The story of the prequel to Game of Thrones will take a different turn than that of the original series, which will allow for a more diversified cast of characters and creative team behind the scenes.
The events of House of the Dragon take place two centuries before those of the original series, which wrapped out its successful run of eight seasons in May of this year (2019). HBO in Singapore will begin airing the ten-episode prequel on Monday (August 22), and it will be available to stream on HBO Go beginning the same day.
The plot centers on the powerful House Targaryen, which was brought to prominence in “Game of Thrones” by Emilia Clarke’s character, Daenerys Targaryen, and her terrifying dragons. However, cast member Steve Toussaint has stated that viewers should not anticipate House of the Dragon to be a copy of Game of Thrones.
Toussaint, who portrays the role of the extremely wealthy Lord Corlys Velaryon, stated that “It’s been done, and they did it exceedingly well. You are aware that you are in that environment, but the narrative, the characters, and the reasons that you are experiencing are all different.”
Prince Daemon Targaryen, who is portrayed by Matt Smith, is one of the fresh faces to join the clan. According to the actor, the antagonistic role he plays is significantly more nuanced and nuanced than he appears to be at first glance.
“I think the reason I’ve had fun is because he’s maybe not just a villain,” he added. “I think he’s maybe not just a villain. I believe that there is actually a significant amount of vulnerability as well as depth and inner lunacy there…. It’s not as simple as black or white. At any one time, things with Daemon can go in either direction.”
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The novel Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin served as the inspiration for the television drama that was co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal. Among Condal’s previous works is the science fiction drama Colony, which aired from 2016 to 2019. Miguel Sapochnik, who is the director of the prequel and brings his experience working on Game of Thrones to the project, is a co-showrunner and executive producer alongside Condal.
The focus of House of the Dragon, much like that of its predecessor, is on the succession of a family’s power, with a female heir being disregarded. However, Sapochnik highlights a significant distinction between the two series: Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Greg Yaitanes are some of the directors that are participating in the production of the prequel, which has a more diverse cast of directors than the first film.
Sapochnik claims that there was a concerted effort made behind the scenes to be as inclusive as possible.
“We really tried to, as much as possible, hire as many female crew members as we could because we think that’s a really important shift that needs to be both recognized, acknowledged, and acted upon, maybe give opportunities to people who don’t get opportunities,” he explained. “We think that’s a really important shift that needs to be both recognized, acknowledged, and acted upon, maybe give opportunities to people who don’t get opportunities.”
The crew that is working on Dragon is just as diverse, and unusually for the fantasy genre, there are a significant number of female writers working on the project. Some of the female cast members have stated that the gender ratio has an impact on the show’s narrative and the overall atmosphere.
In the first episode of the series, an aristocratic council bypasses Viserys Targaryen’s older cousin Princess Rhaenys Velaryon in favor of selecting Viserys Targaryen (played by Paddy Considine) as the heir to the Iron Throne (Eve Best). However, Viserys must have his own heir, as Daemon, Viserys’ younger brother, and Princess Rhaenyra, Viserys’ daughter (Emma D’Arcy portrays the adult version, while Milly Alcock portrays the younger version), both have ambitions to succeed Viserys as ruler.
“You definitely don’t feel like a device or a tool and you don’t feel like the sexy wench or the mother,” said Olivia Cooke, who plays the adult version of Alicent Hightower, who has been Rhaenyra’s friend for a very long time. Rhaenyra is Rhaenyra’s best friend for a very long time. You get the impression that you’re playing a fully realized character, which is a really satisfying experience.
In addition to Sonoya Mizuno and Rhys Ifans, the ensemble cast also features Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, and Rhys Ifans.
Carey, who plays the younger version of Alicent, believes that the presence of women in every facet of production is “a step in the right direction” “pertaining to the genre of fantasy.
Carey emphasized that despite the fact that the majority of the female characters experience sexism, each one is “still a fully fledged, three-dimensional female character. They still have several other plot lines and an entire life outside of that sexist tale line,” the author said. “They have no need to change their minds. They are not merely included in the presentation for the sake of serving a function. And I believe it is what gives it such a unique quality.”
The screenwriter for “House of the Dragon,” Charmaine DeGraté, stated “George RR Martin, who is an executive producer for the prequel, felt that it was very crucial for it to be like this. Characters driven by women, television programs driven by women, and writing rooms dominated by women just naturally produce better stories. That’s an excellent strategy for making the cosmos even bigger.”
