Casting Begins on 'Game of Thrones' Spinoff

It is no secret that the ending of, Game of Thrones, one of the best TV shows of all time, was controversial, to say the least. There likely has not been as much astronomical hype for the ending of a TV show than there was for Game of Thrones. With some of the best TV moments of all time such as The Red Wedding, The Battle of the Bastards, and the fate of Ned Stark, some wondered whether the ending could live up to any of the hype the show had created over the course of the preceding eight years.

Despite the disappointment of the show's ending, there were still people who did not feel ready to say goodbye to Westeros once and for all. Even considering the fact that the last two books have not even been released, the people who do not want to spend time reading doorstoppers want to see more. The little bits we got from the show are teasers for the vast, rich world that Game of Thrones inhabits. The world's ancient history is rarely delved into very much.

That will all change with the creation of the latest Thrones show, House of the Dragon. Not only could it bring us back to the Thrones we know and love, but it is centered around the Targaryens, arguably the most fascinating of all of the Westerosi houses.

Like most of the houses, we only get small but tantalizing bits of information regarding the craziest house that Westeros has ever seen. With a show dedicated to them, set three hundred years before the original series, we could get information that not only fills in the blanks with this house, but also improves the original series by adding more context to the house, giving viewers the chance to further understand who they were and how their history could have led to Daenerys and her actions.

With the need for more Westeros still there, the TV show House of the Dragon is in development, and has reportedly begun casting. Nothing concrete about the cast of the show has been released, likely because no actors have been chosen yet. Regardless, this will be a great opportunity to add some fresh blood to the series. Given that the show takes place so far in the past, it is highly unlikely that we will see the likes of Kit Harrington or Emilia Clarke. Little about the series is known overall, but reports state that it will be largely based on George R.R. Martin's novel Fire and Blood.

The later seasons of Thrones went past the published books, meaning that a lot of what we saw on the screen was either Martin revealing the plot before releasing the book, or the showrunners creating new material. It will be interesting to see how much this new series draws from Fire and Blood, and whether it will be only a baseline for the showrunners to work with before they take it in their own direction. Given the audience reaction to that approach with the end of Thrones, they might decide that they want to keep as close to Martin's vision as they can.

As things stand, the show is set for a tentative 2022 release date. With the current state of the world in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing regarding entertainment is set in stone. Plus, a lot can change in two years. The cast that is chosen in the short term may not even be attached to the project once things get going. It has happened many times before. Either way, the return to the world of Westeros will be an interesting one.

Written By Pual Durbin

Syndicated From Culture Slate