Game Of Thrones cast: who stars in House Of The Dragon prequel - and where it’s being filmed?

Production has started on the Game Of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon, HBO has confirmed.

The network marked the occasion by sharing a photo of a socially distanced table read, which included stars from the upcoming series.

Here’s what you need to know about the production, including who will star in it and where it will be filmed.

What is House Of The Dragon about?

House Of The Dragon is based on author George R R Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood, who created the show alongside showrunners Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan J Condal.

The ten-episode series is set 300 years before the events of Game Of Thrones and will tell the story of the Targaryen family.

One of their descendants, Mother of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen, was a major character in the main series and was played by Emilia Clarke.

While few details have been revealed about the show, fans who watched the original show, adapted from Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy books, will know that the Targaryen family becomes embroiled in a deadly civil war.

Who is in the cast?

The picture shared by HBO on social media showed the cast going over the script while seated at separate, socially distanced tables, including Paddy Considine and Matt Smith.

Considine, 47, will play the role of the “warm, kind and decent” King Viserys Targaryen in the series, who was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, and wished to continue his grandfather’s legacy.

Considine is best known for his films including Dead Man’s Shoes and The Death Of Stalin, and also featured in the popular television series Peaky Blinders as Father John Hughes.

Smith, 38, who has previously played the lead role in Doctor Who and portrayed the late Duke of Edinburgh in The Crown, will star as Prince Daemon Targeryen.

Stars Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint and Olivia Cooke were also pictured at the table read, who will star as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Corlys Velaryon and Alicent Hightower, respectively.

The rest of the cast includes Rhys Ifans, who played Xenophilius Lovegood in the Harry Potter film series, as Otto Hightower, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, and Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole.

Where will it be filmed?

Filming of the series is due to take place on the coast of Cornwall.

The production crew were recently pictured in Holywell Bay, with a wooden shack and boast constructed for a location shoot.

It is also reportedly going to be filmed at Leavesden Studios in Watford, alongside shoots in Croatia and Morocco.

When will it be released?

House Of The Dragon is scheduled for release in 2020 on the HBO Max streaming service

It is just one of many Game Of Thrones spin-off television projects HBO currently has in the works, with a stage show for the West End also in production.

Game Of Thrones was a pop culture phenomenon during its eight-season run, but its critically panned finale in May 2019 left many fans bitterly disappointed.

More than a million people signed an online petition in response to the ending to try and get the final series remade.

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