‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off series ‘House of the Dragon’ starts filming

House of the Dragon has begun shooting!

The new fantasy drama is a spin-off from the hugely successful Game of Thrones.

Based on the series of novels by George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones launched in 2011 and ran for eight seasons, concluding in 2019.

House of the Dragon is based on Martin’s book Fire & Blood, which takes place 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones.

Co-created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal (Colony, Hercules), the upcoming TV series is now “officially in production,” according to the show’s brand new Twitter account.

The main cast for House of the Dragon and detailed character descriptions were announced last December.

Paddy Considine (Peaky Blinders, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher) is playing King Viserys Targaryen, with Olivia Cooke (Vanity Fair) is playing Alicent Hightower.

They’ll be joined by Emma D’Arcy (Truth Seekers) as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and The Crown star Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen.

Smith commented last year: “I think it’s a wonderful legacy to be part of and it’s a great part. And without saying too much, I’m just sort of looking forward to riding a few dragons…if I get to.”

The cast also includes Steve Toussaint (It’s a Sin) as Lord Corlys Velaryon, alongside Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill),Eve Best (The King’s Speech), and Sonoya Mizuno (La La Land).

House of the Dragon will tell the story of House Targaryen – the House that gave us Daenerys Targaryen – eventually chronicling the house’s civil war.

Known as the legendary Dance of the Dragons, it’s described as “a massive civil war in the Seven Kingdoms held between two rival branches of House Targaryen.”

A photo showing a table read of the script was released on Twitter yesterday:

The 10-part first season premieres on HBO and HBO Max in the US next year.

House of the Dragon is expected to air on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK.

The complete Game of Thrones box set is available on DVD on Amazon.