Are you ready to return to Westeros? HBO is banking on the fact that the same audience that made Game of Thrones a television phenomenon will be willing to put aside their disappointment with how that show concluded and dive back into George R.R. Martin‘s fantasy world. House of the Dragon is the first of several Game of Thrones spin-offs in the works, and the show has now officially begun production. To mark the occasion, here are a few photos of the cast during a table read. Put some faces to names and learn about the characters at the forefront of this series below.

House of the Dragon Begins Production

Fire will reign ?
The @HBO original series #HouseoftheDragon is officially in production. Coming soon to @HBOMax in 2022. pic.twitter.com/tPX8n2IvGW

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) April 26, 2021

Before we get to the photos of the cast members, here’s an extremely brief overview of the show. Set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon focuses on the Targaryen dynasty and the political backstabbing and power grabs that sparked a civil war within the family.

Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.
The @HBO original series #HouseoftheDragon is officially in production and coming to @HBOMax in 2022. pic.twitter.com/lZ4ERgAy5H

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) April 26, 2021

Rhaenyra’s character is described as “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.”

Steve Toussaint as The Sea Snake.
The @HBO original series #HouseoftheDragon is officially in production and coming to @HBOMax in 2022. pic.twitter.com/9jq1O6wEA6

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) April 26, 2021

The Sea Snake’s real name is Lord Corlys Velaryon, and he is described like this: “The lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen, ‘The Sea Snake,’ is the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros. He built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.”

Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen.
The @HBO original series #HouseoftheDragon is officially in production and coming to @HBOMax in 2022. pic.twitter.com/ZtS8zpkfS1

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) April 26, 2021

King Viserys was ““chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.”

Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen.
The @HBO original series #HouseoftheDragon is officially in production and coming to @HBOMax in 2022. pic.twitter.com/7TLn4cSru5

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) April 26, 2021

Daemon is 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.”

Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower.
The @HBO original series #HouseoftheDragon is officially in production and coming to @HBOMax in 2022. pic.twitter.com/bzqrG1vYic

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) April 26, 2021

Otto Hightower is “the Hand of the King, who 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.”

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower.
The @HBO original series #HouseoftheDragon is officially in production and coming to @HBOMax in 2022. pic.twitter.com/FOUBieuhE5

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) April 26, 2021

And finally, Alicent is “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.”

House of the Dragon will debut on HBO and HBO Max sometime in 2022.

The post ‘House of the Dragon’ Begins Production at HBO – See Photos of the Cast at a Table Read appeared first on /Film.