House of the Dragon, the highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, has revealed the UK channel it is set to air on and a release date.
The upcoming fantasy series is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, at the height of the reign of the House Targaryen in Westeros.
Matt Smith stars as Prince Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother of the king and heir to the throne, while Emma D’Arcy plays the king’s first-born child Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Olivia Cooke is cast as Alicent Hightower, the daughter of the Hand of the King.
The first official photos from the production were recently released, featuring several key cast members in full costume, including Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower and Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, otherwise known as ‘The Sea Snake’.
While it was previously expected that House of the Dragon would premiere in 2022, with the TV show currently in production, that has now been confirmed.
In addition to its 2022 air date, it has also been announced that the epic saga will be shown on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK.
In the picture of Emma and Matt taken on set, the Targaryen relatives are seen standing on what appears to be a beach, with Rhaenyra dressed in the signature blood-red shade of her House.
The dragon-riders both have matching silvery blonde hair reminiscent of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd) in the original Game of Thrones series.
On-screen father and daughter Olivia and Rhys are pictured standing in front of a large body of water, both wearing deep shades of green.
Rhys’ character, Otto, is extremely loyal to King Viserys Targaryen, played by Paddy Considine, and perceives the monarch’s younger brother Daemon as a threat.
Meanwhile, another photo depicts Steve striking a strong pose on a rocky terrain as Lord Velaryon, wearing an ensemble that represents his character’s skills as a nautical adventurer.
In George RR Martin’s world, House Velaryon has a Valyrian bloodline just as old as House Targaryen, while the Sea Snake boasts the largest navy in the world.
House of the Dragon is currently filming, with crews spotted setting to work in Cornwall.
Just days into production, the show experienced an unexpected delay when a crew member got stuck in water on his way up a mount and had to be rescued.
The incident was seemingly resolved with no injuries.
House of the Dragon will premiere on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in 2022.
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