House of the Dragon: Release date, trailers and news for Game of Thrones spin-off
It's time to return to George R R Martin's world of dragons and warfare... Welcome back to Westeros.
HBO’s hotly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is finally upon us, introducing viewers to House Targaryen during their rule of Westeros almost 200 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.
Based on George R R Martin’s book Fire and Blood, the prequel tells the story of how a bitter civil war – the Dance of the Dragons – pitted Targaryen against Targaryen.
At the opening of the series, King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) sits upon the Iron Throne, but it’s not long before the family begin to tear themselves apart over the question of who should succeed him.
Among the various people with plans for life after Viserys are his wicked brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), his determined daughter Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy, Milly Alcock), the shrewd Hand of the King himself Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), and the Hand's daughter, the comely Lady Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, Emily Carey).
With dragons, romps and gore (yes, we mean that birth scene) aplenty, House of the Dragon already looks set to be a worthy successor to Game of Thrones. And, after opening to record-breaking viewing figures for HBO, the Game of Thrones spin-off has already been confirmed for a second season.
What's more, showrunners Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal themselves have confirmed that they plan for the show to run for three to four seasons, and may even turn to other chapters of Fire and Blood to tell more stories about the Targaryen dynasty once they are done recalling the Dance of the Dragons.
But in the meantime, here's everything you need to know about House of the Dragon, including its release date, plot and cast information.
House of the Dragon release date UK
House of the Dragon premiered on Monday 22nd August 2022 in the UK at 2am BST.
The episode aired on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK before airing once again at 9pm the same day on Sky Atlantic.
The series premiered at the same time (a day early) in the US on HBO.
There will be 10 episodes in the first season and these will be released weekly.
The following episode titles are available for House of the Dragon season 1.
- The Heirs of the Dragon
- The Rogue Prince
- Second of His Name
- King of the Narrow Sea
- We Light The Way
- The Princess and the Queen
- Driftmark
- The Lord of the Tides
- The Green Council
- The Black Queen
This page will be updated as further episode titles are made available.
How to watch House of the Dragon in the UK
Sky Atlantic, the same channel that aired Game of Thrones, has extended its deal with HBO after House of the Dragon's announcement.
Of course, you'll also be able to find the show on NOW.
To catch up, you can watch Game of Thrones seasons 1-8 on Amazon Prime or on NOW. You can also buy the DVD boxset for seasons 1-8 on Amazon for £73.48.
House of the Dragon cast
The following main House of the Dragon cast members have been confirmed for the Game of Thrones prequel.
- Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen
- Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen
- Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke as Lady Alicent Hightower
- Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower
- Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon
- Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
- Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole
- Milly Alcock as a younger Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Emily Carey as a younger Lady Alicent Hightower
- Graham McTavish as Ser Harrold Westerling
Character descriptions for each of these can be found below.
Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen
Viserys was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal.
A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather's legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.
Viserys is married to Queen Aemma Arryn and they share a daughter, Princess Rhaenyra.
Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen
The younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…
The noble family are known for their distinctive silvery white hair colour, which Smith recently revealed was actually quite the hassle.
When asked what his first decree as king would be at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Smith answered: "I’d allow them to dye their hair. The wigs were a pain in the arse."
Daemon is often called the "rogue prince" for his dangerous and unpredictable behaviour.
Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
The king’s first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.
Princess Rhaenyra is the only surviving child of King Viserys and Queen Aemma and he names her as his heir - despite her gender and despite the existence of Prince Daemon.
Milly Alcock portrays the character as a younger woman.
Olivia Cooke as Lady Alicent Hightower
The daughter of Ser Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.
Alicent is the best friend of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and then goes on to become her stepmother and Queen Consort of the Seven Kingdoms.
Emily Carey portrays the character as a younger woman.
Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower
The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm.
Ser Otto previously served under King Jahaerys before becoming the right-hand man of King Viserys.
As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king's brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.
Ser Otto is the father of Lady Alicent and uses his daughter to advance his position and also defeat his enemies.
Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon/"The Sea Snake"
Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen.
As “The Sea Snake,” the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.
Lord Corlys is keen to protect the interest of House Velaryon and their territory by any means.
Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
Princess Rhaenys is a dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon.
Dubbed "The Queen Who Never Was", Rhaenys was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favoured her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male.
She is the mother to two children by Lord Corlys: Ser Laenor and Lady Laena, both of whom are dragonriders themselves.
Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
Mysaria came to Westeros with nothing, sold more times than she can recall. She could have wilted... but instead she rose to become the most trusted -- and most unlikely -- ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne.
Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole
Ser Criston is of Dornish descent, the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven.
Cole has no claim to land or titles; all he has to his name is his honor and his preternatural skill with a sword.
Due to his renowned sword fighting and bravery in the battlefield, Ser Criston rises to become a member of the Kingsguard and the personal guard of Princess Rhaenyra.
Graham McTavish as Ser Harrold Westerling
Westerling has served in the Kingsguard since the days of King Jaehaerys; he is a paragon of chivalry and honour.
The knight has long looked out for Princess Rhaenyra and is also suspicious of the behaviour of Prince Daemon.
Sian Brooke as Queen Aemma Targaryen
The Queen Consort of King Viserys I Targaryen and the mother of his only living child at the start of the series, Princess Rhaenyra.
When the series opens, Aemma is heavily pregnant after multiple traumatic pregnancies.
Will she give the King the son he so craves?
Bethany Antonia as Lady Baela Targaryen
The eldest daughter of Laena Velaryon and rider of the young dragon Moondancer.
Phoebe Campbell as Lady Rhaena Targaryen
The second daughter of Lady Laena and sister to Baela.
Harry Collett as Prince Jacaerys Velaryon
The eldest son of Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Ryan Corr as Ser Harwin "Breakbones" Strong
'Breakbones', Harwin is said to be the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms. Ser Harwin is the eldest son to Master of Laws Lyonel Strong and heir to Harrenhal.
Tom Glynn-Carney as Prince Aegon Targaryen
The first-born son of King Viserys.
Jefferson Hall as Ser Tyland Lannister
The crafty and calculating politician, twin to Lord Jason Lannister.
Jefferson Hall as Lord Jason Lannister
The Lord of Casterly Rock and twin to Ser Tyland Lannister.
David Horovitch as Grand Maester Mellos
The voice of reason and trusted advisor to King Viserys.
Wil Johnson as Ser Vaemond Velaryon
The younger brother to Lord Corlys Velaryon and commander in the Velaryon navy.
John Macmillan as Ser Laenor Velaryon
The son of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.
Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen
The second-born son of Viserys, nephew to Daemon, and half-brother to Rhaenyra.
Theo Nate as Ser Laenor Velaryon
The son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen.
Matthew Needham as Larys Strong
The younger son of Master of Laws Lyonel Strong, brought to court by his father.
Bill Paterson as Lord Lyman Beesbury
The Lord of Honeyholt and Master of Coin on King Viserys's small council.
Phia Saban as Princess Helaena Targaryen
The second-born daughter of Viserys, sister to Aegon and Aemond, half-sister to Rhaenyra.
Gavin Spokes as Lord Lyonel Strong
The Master of Laws to King Viserys and Lord of Harrenhal.
Savannah Steyn as Lady Laena Velayron
The daughter of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen.
House of the Dragon trailers
A first-look trailer was finally released in October 2021, soundtracked to a slow version of the classic Game of Thrones theme but introducing a host of new characters and story ideas, including a different design of the Iron Throne. You could say it's looking pretty sharp...
The following teaser trailer was released on 5th May 2022, which showed off more from the dragons and teased the beginning of the bloody Targaryen civil war otherwise known as The Dance of Dragons.
It looks like fans have lots of action scenes, fire and political scheming to come.
On Monday 18th July 2022, HBO released a behind-the-scenes video for the series titled 'A New Reign',
During the clip, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R. R. Martin discusses his thoughts on the series and showrunners explain how House of the Dragon differs to Game of thrones.
On Thursday 18th August 2022, a new promo was released titled 'Fire Will Reign'.
The clip teases the havoc we will see brought about by the dragons and their owners the Targaryens, particularly Matt Smith's roguish prince, Daemon.
Catch the clip above.
House of the Dragon plot
It's been confirmed that the Targaryen Civil War – known as the Dance of Dragons – will be the focus of the prequel. This conflict took place after two rival claimants for the Iron Throne rose up (sound familiar?) from different branches of the Targaryen family, leading to a bloody clash of men, women and dragons.
Thrones author George R R Martin said: "For what it's worth, those who have read Fire & Blood will realise it contains enough materials for a dozen shows.
"I can say that there will be dragons. Everyone else has said that, so why not me?"
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Miguel Sapochnik revealed: "The main characters are two women and two men. There’s the king (Viserys), his brother (Daemon), the king’s daughter (Rhaenyra) and her best friend (Alicent). Then the best friend becomes the king’s wife and thereby the queen.
"That in itself is complicated — when your best friend goes and marries your dad. But from the tiniest things, it slowly evolves this gigantic battle between two sides."
Casey Bloys, president of HBO programming, said after the show's announcement: "The Game of Thrones universe is so rich with stories. We look forward to exploring the origins of House Targaryen and the earlier days of Westeros along with Miguel, Ryan and George."
Meanwhile, Olivia Cooke says the current script is different from the first draft she saw years ago, after writers toned down scenes featuring violence towards women.
Writers and directors experienced backlash over Game of Thrones scenes featuring Emilia Clarke's dragon queen character Daenerys Targaryen, after she was brutally raped by Jason Momoa's Khal Drogo.
Cooke told The Telegraph: "I wouldn’t feel comfortable in being a part of anything that has just egregious graphic violence towards women for no reason whatsoever, just because they want it to be tantalising in a way that gets viewers.
"I was lucky enough to read the script before, and it has changed a lot from the first few seasons (of Game of Thrones). I don’t think they’d be in their right minds to include any of that any more."
We’ve gone into a bit more depth here on Game of Thrones spin-off potential storylines…
Will any Game of Thrones characters return in House of the Dragon?
Probably not – unless the Night King or some Children of the Forest make a cameo.
The series is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, meaning that none of the characters we’ve grown to know and love would appear.
However, we will see ancestors of the Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons and other families that we’re more familiar with. Depending on exactly how much ground is covered we could also see original Westerosi conquerors Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys Targaryen, as hinted by early casting announcements, though this hasn't been confirmed.
And there is one familiar face that we might seen again – that of famously large dragon Balerion the Black Dread, Aegon’s mount whose skull resided in the dungeon’s of King’s Landing throughout most of Game of Thrones, and who was "historically" ridden by King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) at one point. Though he might have a little bit more skin on his bones this time.
The first concept art released for the show seemed to suggest that it will indeed live up to its name.
Who’s making House of the Dragon?
George R R Martin, who wrote the original A Song of Ice and Fire book series that Game of Thrones is based on, has been working on the series with Ryan Condal, the creator of sci-fi TV series Colony.
"[The series] has a script and a bible, and both of them are terrific, first rate, exciting," Martin said. "They’re the work of Ryan Condal."
"He’s a helluva strong writer, and a huge fan of A Song of Ice and Fire, Dunk & Egg, and Westeros in general. I’ve loved working with him, and if the Seven Gods and HBO are kind, I hope to keep on working with him for years to come on this new successor show."
Director Miguel Sapochnik will also serve as co-showrunner with Condal, and has been tapped to direct the first episode as well as several others, having previously helmed prolific Game of Thrones chapters including Battle of the Bastards and Winds of Winter.
Regular Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman reportedly worked on an earlier version of the idea that has now been shelved.
Will there be a Game of Thrones sequel series?
A spin-off series set after the events of Game of Thrones is in development at HBO.
The series is set to focus on Jon Snow following the events of the central series and currently has a working title of 'Snow' according to George R R Martin.
Kit Harington is expected to reprise his role as the hero from the original series.
To catch up, you can watch Game of Thrones seasons 1-8 on Amazon Prime or on NOW. You can also buy the DVD boxset for seasons 1-8 on Amazon for £73.98.
Read More
- House of the Dragon: Targaryen family tree explained
- Matt Smith says “daunting” Doctor Who prepared him for House of the Dragon
- House of the Dragon planned to last three or four seasons
- House of the Dragon review: Game of Thrones prequel soars
- When is House of the Dragon set? Game of Thrones timeline explained
- What time is House of the Dragon released in the UK?
- What is the Dance of the Dragons? House of the Dragon war explained
- House of the Dragon episode 1 recap: The Heirs of the Dragon
- Where was House of the Dragon filmed?
- What is Dark Sister in House of the Dragon?
- Who is the opening voiceover in House of the Dragon episode 1?
- What book is House of the Dragon based on? Fire and Blood book changes
- Who is Queen Aemma in House of the Dragon and who plays her?
- Your guide to the dragons of House of the Dragon
- What is Aegon’s Dream and the Prince That Was Promised in House of the Dragon?
- House of the Dragon cast have had “conversations” about season 2
- Beyond the Dragon: House of the Dragon episode 1 review and reaction
- House of the Dragon release schedule: When is episode 2 released?
- What is Old Valyria, the Doom and High Valyrian in House of the Dragon?
- Why doesn't House of the Dragon have a title sequence?
- When do Olivia Cooke and Emma D'Arcy appear in House of the Dragon?
- Game of Thrones books in order: A Song of Ice and Fire and more
We'll keep this page updated with more House of the Dragon news as soon as we have it. Looking for something to watch tonight? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Fantasy hub for more news.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.
