HBO Max just released a curious featurette in which George R.R. Martin expounds on his view of how magic works best in fantasy universes; the fire and blood magic practiced by the Valyrians; and more. Also: lots of new dragon footage!
House of the Dragon may arrive tomorrow (at last!) but HBO is still churning out promotional material to teach us how the world of Westeros was almost two centuries before Game of Thrones, this time focusing on the two main families we never met in the original show: House Hightower and House Velaryon.
Hey there, friend! It’s me again. Remember me? We used to hang out weekly after Game of Thrones episodes premiered? I was the guy that told you what everyone thought about the latest Game of Thrones episode. And then you told me why they were wrong, and sometimes even why I was wrong? Yes, those times! Hey, don’t blame me, I’m not the reviewer here (except when I am). Anyway, wanna see what the critics had to say about the first 6 episodes of House of the Dragon? Me too! Let me just real quick remind everyone how this works…
Every week, I’ll be deconstructing the multitude of reviews out there, boiling them down to one short summary sentence that will perfectly encapsulate what the original author was saying, no questions asked…and by that I mean that I will deconstruct whole essays down to one sentence apiece, often quoting them verbatim. What I will do is attempt to summarize the original review as best I can, and if my tease whets your appetite for their style of review, you are encouraged to head over to their site and let them know…after of course letting us know your thoughts in the comments below. One more note: This week is the only time the review roundup will be for multiple episodes at once, given it’s the first time in a loooong time critics have been provided the episodes in advance. Moving forward, this list will pertain to weekly reviews of individual episodes.
All squared? Jolly good, let’s dive in.
A new trailer is here, just a few days from the premiere! Well, not quite a trailer, but a 50 second promo. Still, it’s an impactful one, with lots of new footage and action!
With mere days remaining until the premiere of House of the Dragon, HBO has released four more featurettes introducing us to the main players of season one: Corlys Velaryon, Rhaenys Velaryon, Otto Hightower and young Alicent Hightower, with an emphasis on her relationship to Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Writer George R.R. Martin speaks frankly to Vanity Fair’s Anthony Breznican in a new interview, on writing in the age of COVID and speculations on his future. House of the Dragon co-showrunner Ryan J. Condal joins the writer for a conversation full of hints and outright spoilers of things to come. Don’t worry, we’ve hidden the book spoiler stuff at the end so you can avoid it if you want to! Here are some of the interview highlights. Enjoy!
We’re in House of the Dragon premiere week already and you can tell! HBO has released five new videos, each of them focusing on one of the show’s main players, with their actors explaining what they’re all about: Emma D’Arcy as the older Princess Rhaenyra; Matt Smith as Prince Daemon; Paddy Considine as King Viserys I; Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria; and Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole.
In the latest barrage of press interviews, House of the Dragon showrunners share their favorite scenes from this first season; the untamed dragons that freely roam Dragonstone are teased for the future; Matt Smith and Emma D’arcy discuss how Rhaenyra and Daemon use High Valyrian as their secret language; and more.
Steve Toussaint recently spoke with both Tony Teflon and Jason Concepcion about his character, Corlys Velaryon; the racist backlash against his casting, and how he didn’t want to wear a helmet during his battle scenes.
The latest House of the Dragon featurette released by HBO has author George R.R. Martin giving us a history lesson about the Targaryen dynasty at its height; co-showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik discussing the setting of this new show as well as its all-new cast and impressive sets; and cast members Paddy Considine (Viserys I), Milly Alcock (Young Rhaenyra) and Matt Smith (Daemon) briefing us on their characters. And new footage, with a new character revealed!