House of the Dragon (Series)

House of the Dragon is an American television series produced in the fantasy drama genre. Adapted from George R.R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood, the series is set within the universe of Game of Thrones. The plot is centered around events approximately 200 years before those depicted in Game of Thrones and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. The series focuses on the division within House Targaryen and the power struggle for the Iron Throne among the children of King Viserys I Targaryen.

The central conflict of the series revolves around the question of succession to the Iron Throne following the death of King Viserys I Targaryen. A succession crisis erupts between the king’s firstborn child, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and his other heirs and supporters, leading to a political split within the house. This period explores the beginning of the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons within House Targaryen and the erosion of absolute power based on dragon dominance.

House of the Dragon is an original production created for the American network HBO. The original streaming platform is HBO Max, and the series is made available to audiences worldwide through this digital service. The creative development of the series is led by Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin. The directing team includes Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel, and Greg Yaitanes. The project is planned to be completed over four seasons. The series is rated TV-MA.

The main cast features actors portraying members of House Targaryen and key political figures around them:

• King Viserys I Targaryen is portrayed by Paddy Considine.
• Prince Daemon Targaryen is portrayed by Matt Smith.
• Queen Alicent Hightower is portrayed by Olivia Cooke.
• Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen is portrayed by Emma D'Arcy.

With the third season, new characters have been added to the cast. In this context, James Norton plays Lord Ormund Hightower, Tommy Flanagan portrays Lord Roderick Dustin, and Dan Fogler takes on the role of Ser Torrhen Manderly.

The premiere of the first season of the television series took place on 21 August 2022. According to the ongoing production schedule, the premiere date for the third season has been announced as 21 June 2026.

According to aggregated data from the media review platform Rotten Tomatoes, House of the Dragon holds an 87% "Tomatometer" score among critics. Based on viewer evaluations on the same platform, it has achieved a 77% "Popcornmeter" score.