There are many reasons why Game Of Thrones became the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous gest TV reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue of all time. It had an array of grapple ping characters whose heads always seemed seconds away from rolling. It created a rich, vast fantasy world that you really believed in. And, peculiar ly in its later seasons, it delivered astonishing spectacle – bloody battles, flame-wreathed dragon attacks, and ice-zombie reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue downs. It was an all-out fantasy epic wrapped around a political thriller. In many ways House Of The Dragon – HBO’s much-hyped prequel spin-off, set 200 years bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e that series and focusing on the Targaryen rule of Westeros – offers the intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully things that audiences already loved. There’s backstabbing, politicking, and winged beasts galore. But set in a whole new era of George RR Martin’s fantasy kingdom and with the ever-unpredictable Targaryen family ready to plummet from the peak of it power, House Of The Dragon presents its own twisted tale.###“Fundamentally, House Of The Dragon is a different animal,” teases Emma D’Arcy, who plays Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in her adult years – the daughter of Paddy Considine’s ruling King Viserys. D’Arcy (who uses they/them pronouns) promises even knottier mind games in the confines of the Red Keep this time around. “I claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate we’d be really naive if we tried to mimic or emulate Game Of Thrones,” they explain. “I claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate the thing that’s distinct, and something I love with regards to’concerning’with respect to this season, is that it’s really rooted in the home. It’s domestic, it’s psychological, it’s interpersonal, it’s familial.”###Olivia Cooke – who plays Rhaenyra’s childhood friend Alicent Hightower, a key part of that interpersonal and familial dynamic, having grown up in the courts of King’s Landing – approve’ consent’endorse’applaud s. “It feels more intensely focused on one extended family, rather than many other families,” she explains. “It’s much more nueliminate’remove than the other TV reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue , but still incredibly thrilling and intense and all the things we were excited with regards to’concerning’with respect to when we watched Game Of Thrones.”###What it does possess’own’nurse is plenty of familiar locations – but not quite how you remember them. For one, the Iron Throne is far grander (read: more swords) this time around, closer to the one depicted in George RR Martin’s reserve . It speaks to a sense of prosperity in Westeros that was much diminished in the hardscrabble times of Thrones. “It’s a time of greater decadence and impact’effect ,” says reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue runner Ryan Condal. “That’s why the Iron Throne is dressed up so much grander. This peculiar story sees the Targaryens at the intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully apex of their fortune’property and power. I claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate that’s a fascinating story to tell.” Bring on the fire and blood.###Read Empire’s full House Of The Dragon feature – speaking to reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue runners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, plus stars Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Rhys Ifans, and packed with exclusive images – in the upcoming issue, on sale Thursday 4 August and available to pre-order online here. House Of The Dragon airs on Sky Atlantic / NOW from 22 August.