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House of the Dragon teaser reveals Game of Thrones author's influence on show

It's almost time to go back to Westeros.

19 Jul 2022

House of the Dragon's makers have weighed in on the influence that Game of Thrones and its author, George R R Martin, have had on the prequel.

"I feel incredibly loyal and responsible to the original show," Emmy-winning GoT director and executive producer Miguel Sapochnik said in a new featurette from Sky.

"I have a great kind of desire to even be in the same room as that show because it was a game changer."

emma d'arcy as rhaenyra targaryen, matt smith as daemon targaryen, house of the dragon

HBO

House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of HBO's hit show, following the Targaryen family at the dawn of a succession war — events that are hinted at in Game of Thrones and are the focus of George R R Martin's novel Fire & Blood.

"George and his writing [were] a huge influence on me," House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan J Condal said, explaining that he feels the pressure of honouring the original show, also inspired by Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.

"The idea of going back to Westeros was almost too much of a challenge. You have to start by respecting [the original show], you can't start by doing different for different sake," Sapochnik added.

Getty Images

On his part, Martin, who serves as executive producer on the prequel, said he feels "apprehensive" but that he's "in good hands with Ryan and Miguel".

Condal also teased the upcoming series includes some of the "biggest" sets and locations he's ever been on, suggesting that fans of the original story are in for a treat.

Game of Thrones seasons 1-8 are available on DVD and Blu-ray. Spin-off House of the Dragon is now filming and will premiere on August 21, 2022 in the UK.