Zach Dean
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Winter is coming early for a few staples of the already-hit Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon.
If you haven’t already noticed, substantial time-jumps seem to be a thing with the new show just two episodes in. Just last week, the show jumped ahead six months, and the trailer for episode three hints at another lengthy leap.
In just a few more weeks, the jumps will be far enough that the show will be recasting several of the main characters. That decision, according to co-creator Ryan Condal, was made early on in the writer’s room.
“The people that are truly children in this are the ones that get recast,” he said. “And the people that are already adults when we meet them, we age them up through hair and makeup and sometimes the actors change their voice.”
House of the Dragon doing major recasts at halfway point of season
The most notable change will be with Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, who is currently played by Milly Alcock. Reportedly, that character will be re-cast by Emma D’Arcy after episode five.
Alicent Hightower, who (spoiler alert) is about to become Princess Rhaenyra’s stepmom, is also going to look a little different in a few weeks. That character, played by Emily Carey, will be replaced by Olivia Cooke.
The actors playing Laena Velaryon and Laenor Velaryon will also change at the season’s halfway point. That will reportedly lead into a 10-year time jump beginning with episode six.
Condal told Insider that while the changes could sound jarring, he believes they work.
“It’s a conceit but I think it does work, having watched it a bunch of times,” he said.
House of the Dragon has already been a ratings hit, with over 25 million viewers tuning into the first episode over the course of five days. And last week’s episode actually gaining viewers.
Dragon, which has already been renewed for a second season, premieres every Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max.
