It took quite a while, but winter eventually made its way to the world of Game of Thrones,  at least much sooner than it’s taken George R.R. Martin to finish The Winds of Winter. No matter how long winter may be in that world, HBO is making strides to put an end to the franchise’s hiatus from TV as House of the Dragon gets ready to begin filming.

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In this case, exactly four new cast members will be jumping on board for the Game of Thrones prequel, namely Steve Toussaint (Prince of Persia), Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Eve Best (Nurse Jackie) and Sonoya Mizuno (Ex-Machina and Crazy Rich Asians). These four would be joining the previously confirmed Paddy Considine (Vyseris I Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), and Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen).

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House of the Dragon will see Toussaint play Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake,” from a Valyrian noble house as legendary as the Targaryens. Ifans will serve as Otto Hightower, King Vyseris’ hand; Best will be Rhaenys Velaryon, Corlys Velarion’s wife known as “The Queen Who Never Was”, due to preference for Viserys as a male heir. Lastly, Mizuno plays Mysaria, a foreigner to Westeros who’s also Daemon Targaryen’s love interest.

With all these announcements, one of the few vacant roles remaining is that of Aegon Targaryen, King Viserys, and Alicent Hightower’s son, who goes on to have a more than a complicated relationship with his sister Rhaenyra. House of the Dragon is set a few centuries before any of the events in Game of Thrones took place and is based on Martin’s Fire & Blood novel, of which only the first volume has been published so far.

Aside from House of the Dragon, HBO is said to be working on more Game of Thrones spin-offs, including an adaptation of Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg and an animated Game of Thrones series, both in early developments according to most sources. With so much to come from HBO’s biggest hit, 2022 doesn’t feel as far as those long winters from Westeros.

Game of Thrones is now available on HBO Max.

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Source: Variety