Everything to know about House of The Dragon

Less sex and more feminist politics, here's everything we know about the Game of Thrones prequel. 

Ollie Upton/HBO

Less sex and more feminist politics, here's everything we know about the Game of Thrones prequel. 

Buckle up and get ready to rinse that Twitter "muted words" function, nerds. It's been three years between drinks for Game of Thrones fans (just enough time to process that below-par final season).  House of the Dragon will arrive on Binge this month. 

When is it set?

House of the Dragon will take place 200 years before Game of Thrones, and will trace the decline of the Targaryen Dynasty.

What is House of the Dragon about?

The series is based on George R. R. Martin’s  2018 novel, Fire and Blood. Which was, in essence, a history of the royal Targaryen line that once held the Iron Throne of Westeros. 

Co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik said that House of the Dragon will focus on four characters: “There’s the king, his brother, the king’s daughter and her best friend. Then the best friend becomes the king’s wife and thereby the queen.”

A bit of Machiavellian power play, and thorny family dynamics à la Succession: except with fleets of free-roaming dragon, siblings knocking each other off, old women castrating rapists, and enviable icy-blonde locks that will lead you to dangerous Priceline impulse-buying territory.

Who is involved in making it? 

Miguel Sapochick, who directed some of Game of Thrones most impressive, gory battle scenes (he scooped up an Emmy and a Directors Guild Award for directing ‘Battle of the Bastards’) and Colony’s Ryan Condal are showrunners, with George R. R. Martin keeping a watchful eye over the scripts.

Writers Wes Tooke, Claire Kiechel (Watchmen), and Ti Mikkel flesh out the elaborate world. 

The prequel will see four episodes helmed by female directors, a first for the series. Claire Kilner (The Alienist), Geeta V. Patel (The Witcher) and Greg Yaitanes (House) will all direct. 

Jany Temime, who manned the wardrobe for the Harry Potter films, and a series of movies in the James Bond franchise, will costume the House of the Dragon. 

Who is in House of the Dragon?

Australia’s own Milly Alcock (who currently stars alongside Tim Minchin in Upright), is the young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy will play her as an adult.)

There's a feminist undercurrent to the new series: Rhaenyra, the first-born of King Viserys (Paddy Considine), is primed to rule: a staunch dragon-rider of pure Valyrian blood, but she is born into a patriarchal society that would rather collapse than see a female leader.

Prince Daemon Targaryan is primed as the series' antagonist: a scrupulous dragonrider, notorious Casanova, and heir to the Iron Throne. 

Milly Alcock as Young Rhaenyra, Emily Carey as Young Alicent

Olivia Cooke (Thoroughbreds) and Rhys Ifans (THE Spike from Notting Hill) are father-daughter duo Otto and Alicent Hightower.

If Olivia Cooke's interview with Vogue is anything to go off, the storyline of her character will have a decidedly feminist tilt: "To play someone who believes in tradition and has been molded and groomed by her father to be a pawn in his political ambitions was really interesting,” she said.

“Partway through the show, she truly begins to understand her role within her father’s life. She realizes that she has power and she has influence—so what does she actually want deep down in her core? And what has been repressed all these years?”

From hopeless housemate to the King's first hand.

There’s also Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (not to be confused with Rhaenyra), and her husband, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), dubbed the Sea Snake courtesy of his voyages around the world. 

Rounding out the cast is Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, a trusted confidante to Daemon and Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, a member of the Kingsguard. 

What is the House of the Dragon budget?

Opulent. The Original Game of Thrones seasons ran budgets in the US $100 million ballpark. House of the Dragon reportedly cost HBO US $200 million for the first season alone.

When is House of the Dragon coming out and where can I watch it?

House of the Dragon will premiere on BINGE on August 21. There will be 10 episodes in the first season, released in installments, with a running time of around 60 minutes.

Whilst you wait, why not check out our guide to all the best shows streaming for free right now?