‘Game of Thrones’: Key Player Returning for ‘House of the Dragon’

The acclaimed Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi will be returning to Westeros for the spin-off series House of the Dragon. HBO announced on Tuesday that Djawadi has officially been locked in for the prequel, meaning that the new show will have the same epic soundtrack fans are accustomed to. With any luck, the new series can earn Djawadi another Emmy Award or two.

Djawadi was one of the most acclaimed creative minds behind Game of Thrones in its eight years on the air, composing the music and score for all of its epic moments. That streak will carry on in House of the Dragon — an upcoming prequel series set about 180 years before the events of the main series. HBO announced this news on Tuesday, and fans were elated.

Game of Thrones fans are understandably wary about House of the Dragon after the original series had such a poorly-received ending. Many of them put the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of the writers and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. So while fans were hoping for new creative faces on the prequel in many places, Djawadi was not one of them.

Djawadi was nominated for three Primetime Emmys for “Outstanding Music Composition For a Series” and won twice for his work on Game of Thrones — one in Season 7 for the episode “The Dragon and the Wolf” and once in Season 8 for the episode “The Long Night.” His music remained a beacon that fans were united by even when the last few seasons of the show disappointed so many.

By all appearances, House of the Dragon will be different. It is based on George R.R. Martin’s most recent book, Fire & Blood, a fictional history book about Westeros written by one of the maesters — the in-world scholars. Since the story the show will tell is completed, there is no risk of the series outpacing the books again.

Martin will serve as executive producer on the series but has hinted that his involvement will be minimal. He has put his confidence in screenwriter Ryan Condal, who will be the showrunner. Martin, meanwhile, promises fans that his main priority is his next book, The Winds of Winter.

House of the Dragon will center around a civil war within House Targaryen at the height of its power when 20 dragons and nearly as many dragon-riders fought against one another for supremacy. It stars Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as his daughter Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as his young wife Alicent Hightower and Matt Smith as the rogueish Prince Damon Targaryen. The show is filming in the U.K. now and is expected to air sometime in 2022.