The news was announced by HBO Monday evening, with the premium cable network revealing the English-born Considine is stepping into the crown of Viserys I after playing Mr. Martin on HBO’s The Third Day. The actor has previously appeared in The Outsider, The Death of Stalin, and Hot Fuzz. Aye, if you know your Westerosi history—and even if you don’t—Viserys I is crucial to what will likely be the series-long conflict of House of the Dragon. A well-meaning figure, Viserys I emulated the Philosopher King image of his grandfather, but his fecklessness was symbolized by the fact he never bonded with another dragon after the death of Balerion the Black Dread, his one mount which was already old and graying before it died prior to Viserys’ coronation. It’s long been speculated by fans that the Dance of Dragons would be the basis for the new HBO television series. While press materials continue to say House of the Dragon will be based on all of George R.R. Martin’s fictional history of the Targaryen dynasty, Fire & Blood, and set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, it seemed doubtful the series would actually be based on the whole book, which spans centuries, or the events literally 300 years prior to Game of Thrones. After all, in that era Aegon the Conqueror and his two sisters spent years doing what Daenerys Targaryen did once to King’s Landing in a highly controversial series finale. House of the Dragon was co-created by Ryan J. Condal (Rampage, Colony) and George R.R. Martin, with Condal writing the 10-episode series alongside Sara Lee Hess. Condal serves as co-showrunner beside director Miguel Sapochnik, who directed many of the blockbuster episodes of Game of Thrones, including “The Battle of the Bastards,” “Hardhome,” and the contentious “The Bells.”
