A ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Actress Says The Show Won’t Have ‘Egregious Graphic Violence Towards Women’

Game of Thrones was criticized for its excessive violence against women, but Olivia Cooke is certain that won’t be an issue with the prequel series.

The Sound of Metal actress, who plays Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon, told the Telegraph that she “wouldn’t feel comfortable in being a part of anything that has just egregious graphic violence towards women for no reason whatsoever, just because they want it to be tantalizing in a way that gets viewers. I was lucky enough to read the script before, and it has changed a lot from the first few seasons [of Thrones]. I don’t think they’d be in their right minds to include any of that any more.” Cooke is also aware of the public reaction to the Thrones finale, which she admits made her “nervous.” But, she added, you’re “never gonna please everyone, so I’ve just got to not listen to that stuff.”

House of the Dragon, which takes place roughly 200 years before Jaime pushes Bran out of a tower, is centered on House Targaryen. The series stars Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans, while Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik will serve as showrunners. It’s expected to premiere on HBO in 2022.