See Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy as Targaryens in House of the Dragon

Filming on House of the Dragon, HBO’s follow-up to Game of Thrones, has officially begun. The Daily Mail got its hands on some photos of a shoot in Cornwall, England, featuring two of the leading actors: Doctor Who veteran Matt Smith as the temperamental Daemon Targaryen and Emma D’Arcy as his niece Rhaenyra Targaryen, the daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and the presumptive heir to the Iron Throne.

This is first time we’ve gotten a look at these actors in full costume and hair, two things that are very important to setting the mood of the story. The wigs are important for Targaryens in particular; if you don’t get that iconic white-blonde hair right, you’re in trouble.

Did the team succeed? Judge for yourself:

Indeed, Rhaenyra and Daemon do have a special bond. In the grand tradition of icky Song of Ice and Fire romances, the paid of them eventually start a relationship, although it’s unclear whether they’ll get to that in the first season of the show.

Set over 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the story of the Dance of the Dragons, a brutal Targaryen civil war that tore Westeros apart. Rhaenyra is one of two main claimants to the Iron Throne after the death of her father the king, the other being her half-brother Aegon; we don’t yet know who’s playing him. Daemon joins Rhaenyra is fighting against Aegon. By the time their war is over, the realm bleed almost dry.

Up close and personal with the Targaryen costumes and hair on House of the Dragon

Let’s take a closer look at these get-ups, starting with Matt Smith as Daemon:

"The Rogue Prince, Matt Smith as Daemon! from HouseOfTheDragon"

That jawline just doesn’t quit, does it?

Everything looks pretty good and in keeping with the costumes we’ve grown accustomed to on Game of Thrones. And Matt Smith is a fine actor who can hopefully pull off the intensity he’ll need for Daemon, who has plentiful appetite for blood, women and glory.

Next up, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen:

"The Realm’s Delight, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen! from HouseOfTheDragon"

I love the deep red gown she’s wearing, and the hair looks on point.

D’Arcy isn’t as well known an actor as Smith, but if the producers chose her to play Rhaenyra, she must have impressed them, because this is a meaty, crucial role. In many ways, Rhaenyra is the wheel on which this story turns, and I can’t wait to see what D’Arcy brings to the character.

As for what Daemon and Rhaenyra are doing in this scene, it’s anyone’s guess. I’m assuming they’re talking on the beach at Dragonstone, which is Rhaenyra’s home base. The show will start before the death of King Viserys; I can see him dying at the end of the first season, marking the start o the wars to come. I’m just speculating, though; your guess is as good as mine.

We can probably expect more peeks behind the curtain as filming continues.

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