In case all the Warner Bros. and Disney news made you forget, it was only a year ago that the world collectively sighed and declared the end of “Game of Thrones” a huge disappointment. Now, HBO wants you to remember not how it all ended, but how it began with an acclaimed series people couldn’t get enough of — because they’re giving you more of it. The “House of the Dragon,” prequel series has found its (mad?) prince: Matt Smith.
READ MORE: Paddy Considine Cast As Lead In ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Series ‘House Of The Dragon’
HBO announced Friday that Matt Smith (“Doctor Who“), Olivia Cooke (“Ready Player One“) and Emma D’Arcy (“Truth Seekers“) will take a trip to Westeros for the upcoming spin-off, set 300 years before the events of the show. Smith is set to play Prince Daemon Targaryen, the “younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne,” per HBO. “A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air.”
D’Arcy will play another dragonrider, Daemon’s niece, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the king’s first-born child. She “is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything … but she was not born a man.” As for Cooke, she’s our first cast member not playing a Targaryen. Instead, she’ll be playing Alicent Hightower, the daughter of the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower. “She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.”
The report also reveals that Greg Yaitanes (“Banshee“) will serve as a director and co-executive producer. Clare Kilner (“Snowpiercer“) and Geeta Patel (“The Witcher“) will also direct episodes of the show, joining “Game of Thrones” veteran Miguel Sapochnik who will return to direct and serve as co-showrunner with Ryan Condal (“Colony“).