‘House of the Dragon’: Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke Explain How the Show Differs From ‘Game of Thrones’
House of the Dragon is now upon us. The first Game of Thrones spin-off will make its debut on HBO in just a few weeks, on August 21, and the marketing campaign is now in its final push.
The new series is featured on the cover of the new issue of Empire Magazine, which also features interviews with the cast and crew and released an exclusive new image (see above). Emma D’Arcy, who plays the older version of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (the series will focus on two different timelines), described as follows the main differences between Game of Thrones and their new series, House of the Dragon (set 200 years before Jon Snow was born):
“Fundamentally, House Of The Dragon is a different animal. I think we’d be really naive if we tried to mimic or emulate ‘Game Of Thrones’. I think the thing that’s distinct, and something I love about this season, is that it’s really rooted in the home. It’s domestic, it’s psychological, it’s interpersonal, it’s familial.”
Rhaenyra’s childhood best friend, Alicent Hightower, is played by Olivia Cooke in her older years (Emily Carey plays the 13-year-old version of the character). Cooke added that the new series will be more focused on the inner workings of one particular family, rather than several of them like Game of Thrones was:
“It feels more intensely focused on one extended family, rather than many other families. It’s much more nuclear than the other TV show, but still incredibly thrilling and intense and all the things we were excited about when we watched ‘Game Of Thrones’.”
Co-showrunner Ryan Condal also explained how this time period differs from the age of Daenerys Targaryen and Ned Stark:
“It’s a time of greater decadence and influence. That’s why the Iron Throne is dressed up so much grander. This particular story sees the Targaryens at the very apex of their wealth and power. I think that’s a fascinating story to tell.”
The first reactions from House of the Dragon came out earlier this week after the premiere, where the first episode was screened to members of the press. For now, reactions lean on the positive side, which is never a bad sign. We will check it out for ourselves in just a few more weeks. Look forward to our review coming soon, and more coverage of the series from Empire Magazine in the next few days.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
