House of the Dragon: HBO Releases First Game of Thrones Prequel Photos

Production on Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is underway, and today HBO released the first official images from the series. Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood series, set 300 years before the A Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon chronicles the history of House Targaryen, focusing on the civil war called "The Dance of the Dragons." House of the Dragon recently began filming to debut on HBO and stream on HBO Max in 2022. House of the Dragon is one of several spinoff projects set in the Game of Thrones universe in the works at HBO and will be HBO's first-ever existing franchise extension.

The photos offer looks at the main character. Check out the photos and character descriptions from HBO below:

• Emma D'Arcy as 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.
• Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen: The younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. 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…

• Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, "The Sea Snake": Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. As "The Sea Snake," the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.

• Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower: The daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. 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.
• Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower: The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king's brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.

What do you think of the first photos from HBO's Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon? Let us know what you think of them in the comments section. House of the Dragon will debut on HBO and HBO Max in 2022.