HBO’s House of the Dragon has been released. The controversial Game of Thrones Season 8 finale may still have a bad taste in people’s mouths, but this new prestige series is counting on the show’s broad appeal and cultural influence to kill off those depressing feelings from 2019.
Here is everything you need to know about the news HBO series, including the plot, cast, and how to watch.
House of the Dragon plot: What is it about?
House of the Dragon is based on author George R.R.Martin’s 2018 companion novel, Fire & Blood. According to News24, it is set roughly 200 years before the power-grabbing events we have already witnessed in the Seven Kingdoms. The series is the bloody history of the crazy kings and their dragon-riding, platinum-haired House Targaryen clan.
It includes the conflict between rival siblings Prince Aegon Targaryen and Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen over the right to sit on the Iron Throne following the death of their father, Viserys I.
The series will revolve around one of the remaining families from Old Valyria, House Targaryen. These silver-haired dragon-riding nobles managed to flee the doomed city of Old Valyria before a volcanic eruption obliterated the kingdom. They made their home on the craggy island of Dragonstone, where they erected their fortifying fortress.
House Targaryen seized the Iron Throne at Kings Landing and established a 300-year dynasty, terrorising any opposition with their stable of fire-breathing animals.
Original Game of Thrones co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were not involved in the making of the show.
Who stars in ‘House of the Dragon’?
Here is a list of the cast of the new series:
- Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen
- Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen
- Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Tom Glynn-Carney as Prince Aegon Targaryen
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
- Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
- Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon
How to watch in South Africa
Much like GOT, House of the Dragon is not a family-friendly show, so if you have young ones in the home, you may want to schedule this one at adult viewing time after they have gone to bed.
The show will air on DSTv’s M-Net, channel 101, at 21:30 on Mondays.
Unfortunately, the show is not yet available on Showmax, but the box set will be, and you can watch it all at once sometime near the end of the year. Dates for the releases will be confirmed later.