House of the Dragon, the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel, will feature a 10-year time jump midway through its first season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Season 1 will open with its two female leads, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Lady Alicent Hightower, as teenagers, played by Milly Alcock and Emily Carey. Midway through the season, however, the story jumps 10 years into the future and the roles are taken over by Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy. There will also reportedly be further time jumps in other episodes.
The series' male leads, King Viserys I Targaryen and Prince Daemon Targaryen, are both older characters and will be played by the same actors throughout (Paddy Considine and Matt Smith).
"This is how you tell this story correctly," co-showrunner Ryan Condal told The Hollywood Reporter. "We’re telling a story of a generational war. We set everything up so by the time that first sword stroke falls, you understand all the players."
Set around 200 years before the events of the original HBO series, House of the Dragon will tell the story of House Targaryen and the famed Targaryen civil war that became known as the 'Dance of the Dragons'. Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, and Rhys Ifans round out the main cast as members of House Hightower and House Velaryon, the other big players at that time in Westeros' history.
House of the Dragon premieres on August 21. In the meantime, why not check out our guide to the other best new TV shows coming your way this year.
