HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, is set to premiere this Sunday, and it sounds like fans should prepare themselves for a Red Wedding-style shocker in the very first episode.
While speaking to Vanity Fair, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin teased a "visceral" scene reminiscent of the notorious sequence from the third season of GOT which saw several main characters, including Robb and Catlin Stark, cut down by order of The Lannisters.
"That scene is… you don't want to use the word 'enjoyable' for a scene like that, but it's incredibly powerful," he said. "It's visceral and it'll rip your heart out and throw it on the floor. It has the kind of impact that the Red Wedding had. It's a beautifully done scene of something horrible."
We're not entirely sure what's going to happen or which characters will be involved, but if you've read Martin's Fire and Blood or are at all familiar with Westeros history and the "Dance of Dragons," you might have some idea of what to expect!
For now, feel free to speculate in the comments, and be sure to check back for more House of the Dragon coverage later on today.
"The prequel series finds the Targaryen dynasty at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires—real and imagined—crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins almost 193 years before the events of Game of Thrones, when King Viserys Targaryen breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm."
House of the Dragon stars Paddy Considine (Peaky Blinders) as King Viserys Targaryen, Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One) as Alicent Hightower, Emma D’Arcy (Wanderlust) as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) as Prince Daemon Targaryen. The show is set to premiere on August 21.