House of the Dragon cuts back on some sex scenes to give a family-drama vibe, says showrunner

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers. Proceed with caution if you have not watched the show/movie.

The first Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon which is set to premiere on August 21, 2022, is coming in an exclusive, new form. The series will feature an all-new cast, most of who attended the launch event of the show in Los Angeles.

HBO’s House of the Dragon will also have some changes in the plotline. Showrunner Miguel Sapochnik told The Hollywood Reporter that the new series "pulls back" on sex scenes. Sapochnik added he and fellow showrunner Ryan Condal "carefully" approached sexual violence on the show. He cleared that House of the Dragon feels like a family drama while Game of Thrones’s setup sounds more intimate.

The eight seasons of Game of Thrones feature several sex scenes and graphic portrayals of incest and sexual assault. However, House of the Dragon cast members recently explained to Insider how Miguel Sapochnik is tackling the issues of race and sexual violence in the new series.

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Sapochnik revealed that House of the Dragon "won't shy away from exploring the role of sex in the Targaryen court, as well as the sexual violence inflicted upon women in George R.R. Martin's books.

He described the frequent sexual assaults that occur in Westeros in this manner: "If anything, we're going to shine a light on that aspect. You can't ignore the violence that was perpetrated on women by men in that time. It shouldn't be downplayed and it shouldn't be glorified."

Sapochnik breaks down the prequel’s story in the simplest of terms: “The main characters are two women and two men. There’s the king (Viserys), his brother (Daemon), the king’s daughter (Rhaenyra) and her best friend (Alicent). Then the best friend becomes the king’s wife and thereby the queen. That in itself is complicated — when your best friend goes and marries your dad. But from the tiniest things, it slowly evolves this gigantic battle between two sides.”

Paddy Considine (as King Viserys Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Emma D'Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria), Steve Toussaint (Lord Corlys Velaryon), Eve Best (Rhaenys Velaryon), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), Emily Carey (Alicent Hightower young), Milly Alcock (Rhaenyra Targaryen Joven), Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole are the cast members of HBO's House of the Dragon.

House of the Dragon Season 1 will premiere on HBO on Sunday, August 21 at 9 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for more updates on the HBO series!

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