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Doctor Who's Matt Smith joins HBO's Game of Thrones prequel as a Targaryen prince
Westeros now has its hands on a bona fide Time Lord. According to Variety, former Doctor Who star Matt Smith has been cast in HBO's upcoming Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. Smith is just one of several new additions to the Targaryen-based series, which also hired Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One) and Emma D'Arcy (Truth Seekers).
Smith is set to play Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother to King Viserys (played by The Outsider's Paddy Considine). The character is described as "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…”
Cooke will portray Alicent Hightower, daughter to Viserys' Hand, Otto Hightower. Raised in the Red Keep, Alicent is “the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms” with a “courtly grace and a keen political acumen.”
Lastly, D'Arcy has been cast as the king's first-born child, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. The character is a pure-blood Valyrian and a natural dragonrider, but there's only thing she's missing: a Y chromosome.
Veteran Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik is co-showrunning/executive producing House of the Dragon with Colony's Ryan Condal.
Condal co-created the project with GoT author George R.R. Martin, who is on board as an EP along with Vince Gerardis and Rom Schmidt. Sapochnik will also helm the first episode in addition to an unspecified amount of follow-up installments. Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel, and Greg Yaitanes are also among the directing pool, with Yaitanes pulling double duty as a co-executive producer. Sara Lee Hess is writing and executive producing.
The series, which takes place hundreds of years before Daenerys Targaryen was ever born, is expected sometime in 2022. Check out some early concept art right here.
