Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon casting lead roles

HBO is reportedly looking for actresses to play Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon, its Game of Thrones prequel show!

It’s still early, but the rumors about HBO’s House of the Dragon, created by Ryan Condal with input from George R.R. Martin, are starting to fly. The upcoming Game of Thrones prequel is set over 100 years before the series we know, back when the Targaryens were still in full control of Westeros and dragons ruled the sky.

Or at least, that’ll be the situation at the start of the series. House of the Dragon is gearing up to tell the story of the Dance of the Dragons, a brutal Targaryen civil war that tore the realm apart. It starts when the old king Viserys I Targaryen dies, and his heirs fight over who should succeed him. Should it be Rhaenyra Targaryen, his first-born child and the girl he groomed to take on the throne? Or should it be Aegon II Targaryen, his son by his second wife, Alicent Hightower?

By the time that question is answered, a lot of people on both sides will be dead, and Westeros changed forever. It’s a great story full of betrayal, drama and ambition. It’s definitely a worthy follow-up to Game of Thrones.

And according to the site Recapped, HBO is actively for people to play Rhaenrya and Alicent, two of the principle players. The actor who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen should be in her late 20s while the person playing Alicent Hightower should be a little older.

Recapped also reports that shooting is set to begin next year in the UK and in Spain. Now, while this site has been right about things in the past, we have to stress that this a rumor, although it’s one that others sites have been running with — reliable site The Wertzone is reporting it independently — so it’s as good an opportunity as any to talk about how HBO should go about casting these characters.

When we dreamcast House of the Dragon, our first thought for Rhaenrya was Charlize Theron. Rhaenrya is powerful, domineering and utterly committed to becoming the ruler of Westeros. With her years of experience playing badasses in movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and more recently in the Netflix hit The Old Guard, Theron has the presence and charisma to pull off this character.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 12: Charlize Theron attends the Africa Outreach Project Fundraiser hosted by Charlize Theron at The Africa Center on November 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)

That said, at 44, she’s outside the age range. We don’t think that would matter much — HBO was happy to age some characters up for Game of Thrones, and if someone as talented as Theron says yes you count yourself lucky — but just for fun, let’s play by the rules of this rumor and find someone a little younger for Rhaenrya. Theron could play Alicent Hightower, an equally powerful personality.

For Rhaenrya, why not someone like Margot Robbie? She’s a tremendous actor with a couple of Academy Award nominations under belt, playing everything from Tarzan’s wife Jane to Tonya Harding, and always doing a terrific job. She definitely has that Targaryen look, and consider how she throws herself into playing Harley Quinn on the big screen, you know she could throw in a bit of a Targaryen madness.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 09: Margot Robbie attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California.

Or perhaps it’d be better if House of the Dragon went the Game of Thrones route (minus Sean Bean) and cast lesser-known actors in the roles. What do you think?

The Wertzone also has it that early work on the series is happening under the codename “Red Gun.” Things seem to be moving.

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