GoT spin-off House of the Dragon is all set for an August release
Are you an avid Game of Thrones (GoT) fan? Well, we have great news for you! Its much-awaited spin-off called House of the Dragon is all set to premiere on 21st August on HBO Max. In case you don’t have access to that channel, worry not. It will also stream on Disney Hotstar, 22nd August onwards. In fact, recently, the long-anticipated trailer of this series arrived and offered all Thronies a journey down memory lane.
Here’s a glimpse of the trailer for you: Dragons as well as your favourite GoT characters such as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Prince Daemon Targaryen are all eyeing the sought-sought Iron Throne. Thus, they all end up getting involved in the Targaryen civil war, also deemed as the Dance of the Dragons. Notably, the first season of the series will have 10 episodes. Here’s more interesting stuffs about the upcoming show.
A sneak peek into House of the Dragon
This American fantasy drama is based on the 2018 novel Fire & Blood written by George R. R. Martin. What’s interesting is that, the upcoming television series has also been conceived and scripted by Martin himself, in collaboration with Ryan J. Condal. The show is directed by Condall alongside Miguel Sapochnik. You might remember the latter as the show-runner of many GoT episodes, including the fan favourite “The Battle of the Bastards.”
The plot of House of the Dragon is based almost two centuries before the events of GoT during the rule of first King Viserys I Targaryen. It primarily covers the beginning of the end of House Targaryen, ahead of the Dance of the Dragons. Now, let’s get to the specifics. The series will primarily focus on the infamous Targaryen civil war between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra to claim the throne after the sudden death of their father Viserys I. Surprise, surprise! There’s another contender as well, their uncle and Viserys’ brother Daemon. Looks like you got to be ready for the central conflict of the series, or what is popularly being regarded as the battle for succession to the Iron Throne. Okay, so what’s the catch? Traditionalists refuse to accept a woman as the rightful heir, while Rhaenyra is more determined than ever to sit on the throne, carry on with the Targaryen legacy, and above all restore order. Interestingly, members of other houses such as Stark and Lannister join either side, while Velaryon and Baratheon knit their own conspiracies.
If you watch the trailer closely, you will already be hooked, thanks to stunning shots of battles (ranging from sword-fighting to jousting), King’s Landing and airborne dragons. Most of them will perish and eventually go extinct, until Daenerys Targaryen would hatch three eggs centuries later.
House of the Dragon vs. Game of Thrones
Well, first things first: Game of Thrones was adapted from Martin’s ‘A Game of Thrones,’ the first book in the volume A Song of Ice and Fire, while House of the Dragon has been adapted from the novel Fire & Blood. The team behind the new show is trying to preserve the legacy of the original show, especially in terms of creativity. So, it will retain the essence of Game of Thrones, with many surprises in store for viewers. However, it’s definitely going to be entirely new, despite the original essence.
Furthermore, the makers of House of the Dragon aim to address the two most important drawbacks of the original show, one, the lack of diversity (racial) in the later seasons and more significantly, poor treatment of female characters. Maybe that’s why, House of the Dragon features a female protagonist, something that was vastly missing in GoT. It’s like the creators are trying their best to bring in some sense of gender equality and confront patriarchy spot on!
Oh, before we forget, House of the Dragon will also focus on enhancing the production value of the franchise by bringing in a new technology called virtual production stage technology. It will enable perfect virtual settings for scenes.