Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy have been cast in the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, shining a spotlight on the imposing House Targaryen.
Throughout the eight series of Game of Thrones, we were introduced to the few surviving members of the Targaryen family, having been ousted from their position of power in Westeros.
Set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will shine a spotlight on the mighty dragon-riding Targaryen clan.
It has been announced that Doctor Who star Matt will be joining the cast as Prince Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother of King Viserys Targaryen.
Prince Daemon is described as being a ‘peerless warrior’ who ‘possesses the true blood of the dragon’.
However, he is also known for having a tempestuous disposition, a recognisable attribute among members of the Targaryen family.
Bates Motel actor Olivia will play Alicent Hightower in the series, the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King.
While not born a Targaryan, Alicent is closely connected to those who reign over the Seven Kingdoms.
Meanwhile, Truthseekers star Emma will portray Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, a fierce dragonrider.
Despite being the eldest child of King Viserys, she is not heir to the throne, as that position is taken by her uncle, Prince Daemon.
As for King Viserys himself, it had already been confirmed that the role will be played by Hot Fuzz star Paddy Considine.
Miguel Sapochnik, one of the showrunners on the series, has previously directed six episodes of Game of Thrones, including the critically acclaimed Battle of the Bastards from season six.
Following the news that Matt, Olivia and Emma had been cast in the show, several Twitter users expressed their excitement.
‘Amazing cast! This is going to be fun,’ one person said.
‘Doctor Who playing Daemon Targaryen… Uh, yes,’ another wrote.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that House of the Dragon is due to go into production next year.
House Of The Dragon will be adapted from George RR Martin’s book Fire and Blood, which ends with an enormous battle known as The Dance of the Dragons.
However, further details on the plot for House of the Dragon currently remain a secret.
In 2019, it was announced that another Game of Thrones prequel starring Naomi Watts had been cancelled.
During a recent interview, Naomi said that she binged the entire Game of Thrones series as preparation before her show was axed.
House of the Dragon is expected to be released in 2022.
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