In a new deep-dive profile exploring the creation of the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, the cast and crew discuss getting to this point with Entertainment Weekly. The series is scheduled to premiere on August 21 on HBO.

　　Out of the gate, House of the Dragon faces a bit of an uphill climb in getting and keeping fan attention. In its final seasons and particularly its finale, Game of Thrones was discussed more in disdainful than excited tones. But in this lengthy piece, both cast and crew speak in a sincerely excited way to also convey that the prequel series--based on George RR Martin's 2018 novel, Fire & Blood adapting the early history of the Targaryens and their infamous civil war--is a major reset and also, somehow, will be even more brutal than Game of Thrones.

　　"I wanted to tell a story about the height of Rome before the fall and see the Targaryen dynasty at its very apex so that we can understand the thing that was lost when it all fell apart," said showrunner Ryan Condal. "Nobody alive in this story has ever seen a war or a meaningful conflict… We're watching a period of time where every man has been trained for battle since birth, but battle doesn’t happen."

　　Condal adds that his mention of "man" specifically here is intentional. House of the Dragon will be "really interested in the dynamic forces that a certain medieval level of innate chauvinism puts on… women." In the series, that lens will be specifically trained on Rhaenyra Targaryen ("the most important role in the show, in many ways) and Alicent Hightower. These "two women are at once credited and also blamed with this particular war," says Condal.

　　In addition to House of the Dragon, HBO has four other Game of Thrones spin-off shows in development, including the Jon Snow series, which is tentatively titled "Snow." The others include Ten Thousand Ships, Sea Snake, and The Hedge Knight/Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. There is no guarantee that any of the shows will actually be made, however, but scripts are being written.

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