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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
David Mac Redmond

House of the Dragon: Everything you need to know ahead of the Game of Thrones prequel release

The House of the Dragon, the new Game of Thrones prequel, is set for its US release this Sunday, 21 August.

The new series takes place around two hundred years before the events of the last show, during the reign of the Targaryen family.

The stars of House of the Dragon will be out on the rep carpet tonight for the official premiere, which is an indication of how much hype there is around the series. Not every TV show gets a big London premiere.

Read More: The top 5 most-anticipated TV shows hitting our screens in August and September

With a week to go before it hits our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the latest TV adaptation of George RR Martin’s fantasy novels.

When is it on?

While the first episode is due to be released in the US via HBO on Sunday, Irish viewers will have to wait until Monday 22 August to catch the premiere on Sky Atlantic or the streaming service NOW.

Who’s starring in House of the Dragon?

The show boasts a talented cast including some familiar faces, like Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown) and Paddy Considine (The Death of Stalin, In America).

Ironically, Considine, who plays the king in the new show, turned down the possibility of starring in the original Game of Thrones without even reading the script, telling the Sunday Times that he wasn’t interested once he heard it was about dragons.

Where does the story take place?

We’re going back to the capital of Westeros, King’s Landing, where the Targaryen dynasty is firmly in control thanks to their affinity with Dragons.

Any familiar characters returning?

That seems unlikely as the events of this series take place centuries before those of the original series. That being said, this is the realm of fantasy, so you never know.

Fans of Games of Thrones will no doubt be curious to see Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors vying for the throne she managed to claim in the last series. Fans will also surely be hoping that the show’s ending doesn’t fall flat like it’s predecessor’s did.

Is this being made by the same creative team that made GOT?

No, Game of Thrones co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have moved on and this new project is being steered by Ryan Condal and the author of the books, George RR Martin, something that will surely please fans after the bungling of the last couple of GOT seasons.

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