‘House of the Dragon’ Will Not Look Completely Unfamiliar to True ‘Game of Thrones’ Fans
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- ‘House of the Dragon’ takes place nearly two centuries before ‘Game of Thrones’
- ‘Game of Thrones’ mentioned the Dance of the Dragons
- ‘House of the Dragon’ will not look completely unfamiliar to true fans of the original series
House of the Dragon is currently in production and is scheduled to premiere on HBO in 2022. When the highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel does arrive on the premium cable network, it won’t look completely unfamiliar to true fans of the original series.
‘House of the Dragon’ takes place nearly two centuries before ‘Game of Thrones’
House of the Dragon is based on George R. R. Martin’s novel Fire & Blood, which chronicles the rule of House Targaryen. The story begins a little more than a century after Aegon I’s conquest of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Which is about 180 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
The focus of the story is the Dance of the Dragons, a brutal Targaryen civil war that occurred at the height of the family’s power. The family fights among themselves for the Iron Throne after the death of King Viserys I Targaryen.
‘Game of Thrones’ mentioned the Dance of the Dragons
Game of Thrones fans will recall that the original series in Westeros mentioned the Dance of the Dragons in episode five. When Princess Shireen Baratheon reminded her father Stannis of the bloody power struggle, she said that “brothers fought brothers, dragons fought dragons. By the time it was over, thousands were dead.”
The war had serious consequences for the House Targaryen, as almost all of their dragons died. Then, they became extinct for a century and a half until Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) hatched her three in Game of Thrones.
‘House of the Dragon’ will not look completely unfamiliar to true fans of the original series
Even though House of the Dragon takes place nearly two centuries before the original series, the prequel won’t look completely unfamiliar to true Game of Thrones fans. According to Hoy, House of the Dragon will be shooting in the Spanish city of Cáceres in mid-October. And they will reportedly be filming in various locations throughout the city’s historic center.
Game of Thrones was filmed in the same city during its eight-season run. Depending on the episode, Cáceres stood in for both Oldtown and King’s Landing. Those two locations are just as important in the prequel as they were in the original series.
Fans in Portugal can be an extra in the prequel
House of the Dragons will also be filming in Trujillo, Spain in mid-October. There are crowd scenes planned on October 19, and production is hiring extras.
At the end of the month, they’ll move to Monsanto Castle in Portugal. Currently, there is a casting call for extras who are available between October 26 and 31. Casting is looking for men and women between the ages of 18 and 70, and they prefer that the extras live locally. The male extras should also be willing to let their facial hair grow.
According to Jornal do Fundão, all House of the Dragon extras must be available for long periods of filming, which will focus on the castle of Monsanto. Those long hours can take place either day or night. And, individuals who are selected will be required to undergo a wardrobe test days before filming begins.
‘House of the Dragon’ has a massive ensemble cast
In addition to the large number of extras, House of the Dragon will also feature a massive ensemble cast just like Game of Thrones. The prequel recently announced the addition of seven more cast members. Including Graham McTavish, Ryan Corr, Jefferson Hall, Matthew Needham, Bill Patterson, Gavin Spokes, and David Horovitch.
They join previously announced cast members Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, and Rhys Ifans.
House of the Dragon is expected to premiere on HBO in 2022. All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are available on HBO Max.
