Game of Thrones prequel casts Paddy Considine as Viserys Targaryen

Though the Game of Thrones prequel series starring Naomi Watts was scrapped, a different prequel series, House of the Dragon, is well on its way, with a first official cast member.

Paddy Considine (Hot Fuzz, Peaky Blinders, Journeyman) has been cast as King Viserys Targaryen. The character description for the role reads:

King Viserys Targaryen is chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.

The upcoming series will be set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and draw heavily from George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, which covers almost 140 years of the Targaryen dynasty.

Martin and Ryan Condal are the show’s co-creators, with Condal and Miguel Sapochnik serving as co-showrunners.

House of the Dragon is expected to hit HBO in 2022.