Viserys Targaryen, King of the Targaryens, Is Seen For The First Time In Images From The “House Of The Dragon”

The first look at King Viserys Targaryan, as well as other characters from the Game of Thrones prequel miniseries, is revealed in a flood of new photographs for “House of the Dragon”. “House of the Dragon” is based on George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire & Blood,” which takes place 200 years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire, which encapsulated the original Game of Thrones series and focuses on House Targaryen’s demise as the ruling family of Westeros at the height of their power.

The “House of the Dragon“ was conceived by Martin and Ryan J. Condal of Colony, who also acts as co-showrunner with director Miguel Sapochnik. The 10-episode House of the Dragon season 1 is set to premiere on August 21st, and Martin just stated that he has seen preliminary cuts of “House of the Dragon” and enjoys what he has seen. The September 2nd premiere date means that the Game of Thrones spinoff will arrive just ahead of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings, which is planned to premiere on September 2nd.

Along with the release date, HBO Max has released a slew of new photographs from “House of the Dragon”, including the first look at Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen and a number of other key characters. Emmy D’Arcy will play Princess Rhaenyra, Viserys’ first child and heir, Matt Smith will play Prince Daemon, Viserys’ younger brother, Rhys Ifans will play Ser Otto Hightower, the King’s Hand, Olivia Cooke will play Lady Alicent Hightower, Otto’s daughter, Steve Toussaint will play Lord Corlys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel will play Ser Criston Cole, and Young Rhaenyra will be played by Milly Alcock, and Young Alicent will be played by Emily Carey. All of the cast members can be seen in the photos below:

“House of the Dragon” has only been greenlit for one season so far, with the assumption that it will be renewed depending on how well it succeeds. Matt Smith recently discussed the strain of living up to Game of Thrones’ anticipation, saying that he hopes “House of the Dragon” “evolves into something distinct” that will set it apart and allow it to succeed on its own terms. Meanwhile, The Sea Snake, the Ten Thousand Ships series, the Dunk & Egg series, now dubbed The Hedge Knight, and a number of animated projects, including one called The Golden Empire, are all in the works from Martin and HBO Max.

Viserys Considine’s portrayal of the character in full regalia as the character is an enticing preview of what’s to come in “House of the Dragon”. The events of his reign lead to a number of critical events, including the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, which will almost certainly play out if the show is renewed for another season. While it’s unknown whether “House of the Dragon” will be able to capture the same global zeitgeist as Game of Thrones, fans are nevertheless excited for a return to Westeros that will have them guessing, gasping, and waiting for the next episode (and season).