Buckle up, Game Of Thrones fans. House Of The Dragon has officially started production.
Yep, it's the moment you've been waiting for. The hotly anticipated GOT prequel spin-off is now officially in the works, and one step closer to landing on our screens.
The show's official Twitter page confirmed that production had begun on Monday, sharing a picture of the cast beginning a read-through together.
Advert
Alongside the image, the account teased: "Fire will reign. #HouseoftheDragon is officially in production. Coming soon to @HBOMax in 2022."
The account then shared tweets introducing the cast, which includes Doctor Who's Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Flight Of Fury's Steve Toussaint as The Sea Snake and Peaky Blinders and Hot Fuzz star Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen.
Sound Of Metal newcomer Olivia Cooke also stars as Alicent Hightower, Truthseekers and Wanderlust star Emma D'Arcy is appearing as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Notting Hill and Harry Potter fave Rhys Ifans will feature as Otto Hightower.
.
The series is based on George RR Martin's book, Fire and Blood, and is being directed by Miguel Sapochnik.
Advert
House Of The Dragon is set 300 years prior to Game Of Thrones. It centres around King Viserys I Targaryen, and the Targaryen family at the height of their power.
According to the book's synopsis, we can expect it to cover several of the major historic battles, like the Dance of Dragons (aka the Targaryen civil war). The Doom of Valyria will also feature, as the book spans 150 years of the white haired family's reign.
"Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen - the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria - took up residence on Dragonstone," Fire and Blood's blurb reads.
"Fire and Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart."
The show is set to shoot primarily at Leavesden Studios in Watford, which is just outside London, and has been the set for the likes of Harry Potter, Inception and Paddington.
Advert
We know that George RR Martin is going to be fronting the Game Of Thrones prequel as showrunner, as are Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik - who is known for some of Game Of Thrones' most pivotal episodes, including "Hardhome" and "Battle of the Bastards." Sara Lee Hess (Orange Is the New Black) is also working on the writing team.
Sapochnik and Condal will serve as executive producers, too alongside Vince Gerardis and Martin.
Meanwhile, other directors on season one include Clare Kilner (EastEnders), Geeta Patel (The Witcher) and Greg Yaitanes (House).
"The Game of Thrones universe is so rich with stories," HBO programming president Casey Bloys said during an HBO Max unveiling. "We look forward to exploring the origins of House Targaryen and the earlier days of Westeros along with Miguel, Ryan and George."
Advert
The series is set to air for 10 episodes to start off with, but there's potential for it to go on for many more in the future if it gets a good reception. After all, Fire and Blood is over 700 pages, and tells of events over an 150 year time span.
Oh, and Martin still has plans for a second volume, one day.
You can read all the deets about the new series here.
Featured Image Credit: HBO MaxTopics: HBO, TV News, TV Entertainment, Game of Thrones