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. King Viserys worsening health and lack of a male heir bring the future of House Targaryen into question. Additional cast members include Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia Saban, Gavin Spokes, and Savannah Steyn. The entire first episode is available to watch on YouTube though after HBO made it available in celebration of The Rings of Power premiere on 2 September.

House of the Dragon was said to be the second spin-off series idea that was floated in the aftermath of Game of Thrones' massive success (first up, there was the other prequel, starring Naomi Watts and John Simm, which was cancelled). This release marks the first time the series will be available to watch on a platform other than HBO Max.It's been confirmed that the Targaryen Civil War – known as the Dance of Dragons – will be the focus of the prequel. 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). We did expect House of the Dragon to take around four months, but it turns out that is not going to be the case.

Ryan Condal, Miguel Sapochnik, Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), and more speak to the time jump in the third episode, Viserys and Rhaenyra's mental states during the hunt, and Daemon's fight at the Stepstones. During 'The Heirs of the Dragon,' we caught up with a young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and BFF Lady Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), with the latter giving the rebellious Targaryen a history lesson on Dorne. Previously, she was a managing editor at ZDNET, and even earlier in her career, she was an editor at 9to5Mac and 9to5Google.Prior to this, Dorne was a mess of warring kingdoms, meaning Nymeria was the first to unify the last of the Seven Kingdoms' realms. 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.

Showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, director Clare Kilner, Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon Targaryen) and more unpack the moment when Alicent finally sees her father for who he is, Aemond’s underlying resentment for Aegon, and Rhaenys' escape from King's Landing in Episode 9.

Miguel Sapochnik and Condal are showrunners, and the pair also serve as executive producers along with Martin, Sara Hess, Jocelyn Diaz,Vince Gerardis, and Ron Schmidt.

A first-look trailer revealing the look and feel of the Game of Thrones prequel was previously released, teasing key characters like Matt Smith's Prince Daemon Targaryen and Olivia Cooke's Alicent Hightower. Sky Atlantic, the same channel that aired Game of Thrones, has extended its deal with HBO after House of the Dragon's announcement. Now, with schemes hatched on both sides – and the kingdom in the balance – viewers will see the house that dragons built and learn how they tore it all down. 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. Consumer Products by Snow Commerce, which is soley responsible for the site's content and all aspects of your purchase.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. Fire reigns in House of the Dragon as the first Game of Thrones spin-off has finally hit the airwaves.