HBO’s upcoming fantasy drama series ‘House of the Dragon‘ is a prequel spinoff series of ‘Game of Thrones.’ The show, which was co-created by Ryan J. Condal and George RR Martin, the author of the books on which the series is based, takes place hundreds of years before the original story.

While ‘House of the Dragon‘ also has a conflict for the Iron Throne, this one is within the Targaryen family. And this one has a lot of dragons because dragons had not gone extinct 200 years before Robert’s Rebellion, but only the Targaryens had them. ‘GoT‘ disappointed with its final season, but fans are still optimistic about ‘HotD.’

What is the story of  House of the Dragon?

The A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin is loosely based on the War of the Roses, a period in English history when two powerful Houses vied for control of the throne of England left vacant at the end of the lengthy Plantagenet dynasty’s reign.

Also Read: 10 best Mirzapur like Hindi web series to watch online

Martin drew inspiration for the Targaryen dynasty from the Plantagenets, a line of kings that began with Henry II. Aegon the Conqueror is a crude allegory of William the Conqueror of Normandy, whose invasion and dominance of England drastically altered the social, political, and linguistic landscape of that island.

Listening to someone speak Old English will quickly reveal that it sounds nothing like the language we know today. The Targaryens are a cross between the early Norman conquerors and the Plantagenet dynasty, which arose from that conquest and ruled over England and large swaths of France for hundreds of years.

When comparing the Plantagenet line to the Targaryens of Martin’s fiction, specifically the story of House Of The Dragon, it’s not always a perfect match. For example, the show begins at the end of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen’s reign, a man who ruled Westeros in peace and prosperity for decades but died without a son as an heir.

Also Read: 7 Best TV Shows That Got Cancelled, Got High Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes

Unlike many other uncertain successions, his grandson, Viserys I Targaryen, took power peacefully.

Viserys (who, in Game Of Thrones, is the polar opposite of his namesake) ruled over a peaceful kingdom and, as we learn in House Of The Dragon, struggled to produce a male heir, triggering The Dance Of Dragons, a civil war that erupted after his death between rival factions vying for the Iron Throne.

The issue of succession between Viserys‘ daughter, Rhaenyra, and her half-brother, Aegon, takes center stage in House of the Dragon, which has been compared to HBO’s other hit show, Succession.

Of course, all of this is detailed on numerous Wikis and in Martin’s fictional historical tome Fire & Blood, though that book covers 300 years of Targaryen history, and this show—or, at least, this season of this show—only covers a small portion of it.

This means that, unlike Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will focus on court dealings and the backstabbing, treachery, and politics of a vast and powerful dynasty in crisis. This is far more intriguing to me than prophecies, White Walkers, and Faceless Men. “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die,” Cersei warns Eddard early in the main show.

Also Read: Recent OTT Releases

House of the Dragon is also set in a time when dragons were still plentiful, albeit not in the thousands as in Valyria, nor as large as the dragons of antiquity. Nonetheless, instead of three, we can expect to see up to twenty of the grand, winged beasts, the majority of whom will be flying around with Targaryen dragon-riders.

The story of House of the Dragon takes place roughly 200 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, though it will cover a much larger time span than the far Game of Thrones (which was originally intended to have a much larger time jumps in Martin’s original outline).

Who is responsible?

The creators are, as previously stated, Ryan J. Condal and George RR Martin. Furthermore, Miguel Sapochnik, who directed some of the best ‘Game of Thrones episodes, will direct the pilot and possibly many more episodes throughout the show’s run. Ramin Djawadi, the original show’s composer, returns.

Cast of House of the Dragon

‘House of the Dragon’ stars Paddy Considine as Viserys Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Milly Alcock as young Rhaenyra, Emily Carey as young Alicent, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rh

Will any of the original cast members appear again?

Not likely, given that the show takes place two centuries before the original and no one from the original has yet been born. However, there may be surprises and callbacks.

Budget of House of the Dragon

‘House of the Dragon,’ like ‘Game of Thrones,’ has cost HBO a lot of money. We will see a lot more dragon battles than in the original show because Westeros had an abundance of dragons and dragon riders during this time period. Each episode of Season 1 will cost HBO $20 million, bringing the total cost of the first season to $100 million, which is more than most movies.

Also Read: Top 10 Most Expensive OTT/TV Series Ever Made

How many seasons are there?

We don’t know for sure, but Dance of Dragons does not have enough material to warrant a film as long as the original. However, future seasons may wish to explore other stories in Westeros or other points in the long history of the Targaryens, including their time in Valyrian Freehold before coming to Westeros. The first season will have ten episodes, just like the first season of ‘Game of Thrones.’

House of Dragon will feature some mind-boggling and epic dragon battles. Since the announcement of its release, the much-anticipated series has been the talk of the town. It sparked international excitement among viewers of all ages. The guests at the launch event were blown away by the visual spectacle and exclaimed their excitement for the season to begin streaming in the coming days!

House of Dragon will undoubtedly be a treat for Game of Thrones fans who have been waiting for the show’s sequel since it officially ended in 2019. Though the final season of Game of Thrones did not go over well with fans, they can now pin their hopes on this prequel series to make up for it.