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House of the Dragon: Matt Smith reveals new series is ‘really different’ to Game of Thrones

Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, as seen in Season 1 of HBO's House of the Dragon
Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, as seen in Season 1 of House of the Dragon. Pic credit: HBO/Ollie Upton

House of the Dragon actor Matt Smith has just revealed details about Season 1 of HBO’s upcoming epic fantasy series.

The new series is a prequel set hundreds of years before the events that unfolded in HBO’s original series, Game of Thrones. It will focus on House Targaryen, of which Smith will star as Prince Daemon Targaryen.

However, according to Smith, just because the two shows are set within the same universe, viewers need not expect to see two similar shows.

House of the Dragon will not be the same as Game of Thrones

Speaking to ComicBook, Smith revealed further details about the new TV series.

“I think [House of the Dragon] really different to the original series, to be honest with you,” Smith said.

“I mean it has to be. The original series was its own thing and it was, it was so brilliant and, and sort of left a mark in a way that it would be impossible to repeat.”

It is not entirely clear how different the new series will be from Game of Thrones. Although Olivia Cooke, who portrays Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon, has previously revealed that there is less violence toward women in the new series.

Matt Smith stars as Prince Daemon Targaryen in Season 1 of HBO's House of the Dragon
Matt Smith stars as Prince Daemon Targaryen in Season 1 of House of the Dragon. Pic credit: HBO/Ollie Upton

Matt Smith also hasn’t seen House of the Dragon yet

While Smith has acted in House of the Dragon and has a general idea of what to expect when the series premieres in August, he has admitted that he hasn’t seen any of the final cut yet.

“The truth is I haven’t seen any so it’s difficult for me,” Smith admitted.

“Essentially it’s in the same world, it has to take on a slightly different identity. But who knows? I have no idea.”

While Matt may have not yet seen a cut of Season 1 of House of the Dragon, someone who has is Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin.

The author revealed this information in one of his blog posts and referred to the raw cut as “dark,” “powerful,” and “visceral.”

And, for everyone else, the wait now has a countdown, and fans will have to wait 144 days until they can decide for themselves just how different House of the Dragon is from Game of Thrones.

ComicBook also supplied the following synopsis from HBO for House of the Dragon.

“The prequel series finds the Targaryen dynasty at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires-real and imagined-crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins almost 193 years before the events of Game of Thrones, when King Viserys Targaryen breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.”

Season 1 of House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO Max on August 21, 2022.

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