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Entertainment Now | August 20 - 26, 2022 By Dana Simpson TV Media W hile winter may be coming (though hopefully not for a while yet), it isn't the Starks who are currently top of mind for "Game of Thrones" fans. More than three years since au- thor George R.R. Martin's original TV series ended, and nearly as long since a spinoff was an- nounced (October 2019), the newest addition to the GOT fran- chise begins. "House of the Dragon" pre- mieres Sunday, Aug. 21, on HBO and HBO Max. Set approximately 200 years before the events of "Game of Thrones" take place, "House of the Dragon" — hereby shortened to "HOTD" for the sake of brevity — is classified as a prequel. That said, it doesn't stray too far from the original material as fans of Martin's book series might be able to attest. "HOTD," which centers on House Targaryen and its lengthy rule over Westeros, is based on Martin's novellas "The Princess and the Queen" and "The Rogue Prince," as well as his full-length (736-page) historical novel "Fire & Blood," all of which stand separate from (but are re- lated to) his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series that inspired HBO's "GOT." Martin is once again behind the adaptation of his story for television, as is Ryan Condal ("Colony"), who serves as show- runner on the production. While working together on the new se- ries, Martin took to his blog to praise Condal and his decisions regarding "HOTD." "I've now watched rough cuts of nine of the 10 episodes and I continue to be impressed," Mar- tin wrote. "The acting, the direct- ing and the writing are first-rate. ... I think Ryan Condal and his writers made good choices. Even some improvements." (Jokingly, Martin added, "Here- sy, I know, but being the author, I am allowed to say so.") As for the plot of the series, fans can expect a lot more than just dragons — although, yes, there will be many of those on- screen, as is evidenced by the offi- cial HBO trailer. "HOTD" kicks off around 103 AC (the "AC" stands for "After Conquest," the time when Aegon the Conqueror flew across the ocean with his wives/sisters to take Westeros by the force of his dragons). In 103 AC, the Seven Kingdoms are united under one ruling faction, House Targaryen, for the very first time and have been this way for just over a cen- tury. Of course, diehard Martin fans will know that House Tar- garyen's reign only lasts for an- other 177 years or so at this point. Thus the story begins. The new HBO series aims to cover the events leading from 103 AC to the iconic Dance of the Dragons, a battle between mem- bers of the Targaryen family that tore the dynasty and the Seven Kingdoms apart and led to the ex- tinction of the dragon species as a whole — until Daenerys (Emilia Clarke, "Last Christmas," 2019) comes along a couple of decades later in "GOT," that is. And even though Clarke will not be starring in "HOTD," due to Daenerys's birth occurring much later in the "GOT" timeline, there is sure to be no shortage of pale, blond-haired, blue-eyed dragon lovers for fans to enjoy. Chief among them, quite liter- ally, is King Viserys Targaryen, played by Paddy Considine ("The World's End," 2013). Chosen by the lords of Westeros as the king- dom's newest leader, Viserys is described as a "warm, kind and decent man" who "wishes to car- ry forward his grandfather's lega- cy." While, in another story, these might be admirable traits, this is the "GOT" universe, where "de- cent" has very little place. Next in line — though equally as blond — are Matt Smith ("Doctor Who") and Emma D'Arcy ("Truth Seekers") as Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenyra. While Daemon, the king's little brother, is described as a "peerless warrior and dragon rider [who] possesses the true blood of the dragon," Rhaenyra, were she not born female, would likely have Daemon matched on all counts. In a battle of succession famil- iar to all "GOT" fans (and even modern-day shows such as "Suc- cession" and "Billions"), viewers must remember that many mem- bers of House Targaryen are plagued with a madness from within. Anything could happen depending on how the winds of fate blow. Rounding out the cast are Rhys Ifans ("Snowden," 2016) and Ol- ivia Cooke ("Bates Motel") as Otto and Alicent Hightower; Eve Best ("The King's Speech," 2010) as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen; Steve Toussaint ("Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," 2010) as the "Sea Snake," Lord Corlys Valery- on; Fabien Frankel ("The Ser- pent") as Ser Criston Cole; and Sonoya Mizuno ("La La Land," 2016) as Mysaria. Audiences looking forward to "HOTD" may also delight to know that Clarke herself plans to watch, though she did admit in an interview with BBC that, having been the only Targaryen on TV for so long, "it's going to be weird." Clarke was also one of the first people to openly discuss fellow "GOT" actor Kit Harington's in- volvement in the upcoming Jon Snow series, currently still in the development stages at HBO, say- ing, "It's been created by Kit, as far as I can understand, so he's in it from the ground up." When asked if she would ever consider returning to the screen as the Breaker of Chains herself, however, Clark declined: "No, I think I'm done." Don't miss the premiere of "House of the Dragon" when it airs Sunday, Aug. 21, on HBO and HBO Max. Olivia Cooke in "House of the Dragon" HBO takes viewers on new 'GOT' adventure in 'House of the Dragon' 2 | Cover story Grindstone Charlie's 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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