'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon' is out in New Zealand tonight

House of the Dragon - the first of four planned spin-offs of HBO's smash hit Game of Thrones - is finally out tonight in New Zealand.

Set 200 years before the events portrayed in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will chronicle the events leading to the bloody downfall of the Targaryen empire. Just as in the original series, succession will be a major theme, with multiple powerful families all vying for control of the Iron Throne.

Two of these great families will be familiar to fans of GoT. One scene in the trailer - released in the lead-up to the series' debut - shows members of House Baratheon and House Stark swearing fealty to King Viserys Targaryen, played by Paddy Considine, and his female heir Princess Rhaenyra, played by Emma D'Arcy.

The highest-profile casting includes former Doctor Who, Matt Smith, whose role as the white-haired Prince Daemon Targaryen will undoubtedly be pivotal.

The 39-year-old actor told Rolling Stone UK magazine that he hated having to wear a wig every day to capture the Targaryen family's signature long blonde hair.

He said: "It looks great but it’s a f****** pain in the a***.

“It took an hour and a quarter to put on every day. I was like, ‘Obviously the Targaryens are known for their blonde hair — but can’t we just give them some highlights?’”

The British star has yet to see the finished show but he's hopeful it will be a hit.

He said: “I haven’t seen it yet — and often your experience of making it is different from your experience of watching it.

"But I hope it’s good. Obviously, you’re standing on the legacy of a show that had a big impact on people. And you’re never going to be able to recreate that. It’s a bit like being in a band: you’ve got to play the hits, but you’ve also got to hope the second album delivers something that moves the narrative forward.

"It’s a great cast. The characters are really, really interesting. And it’s based on George R.R. Martin’s book. That’s one thing we’ve got going for us: we’re not just plucking fantasy out of thin air. It comes from the mind of George, who’s really clever, and has created a world that feels like it’s translatable."

Inspiration for the series comes from George RR Martin's book Fire and Blood published by Harper Collins in 2018. The book gives us some idea of what to expect, mainly a violent civil war known as the Dance of Dragons that will break out amongst the Targaryen family leading to its downfall.

Martin said in a blog post "For what it's worth, those who have read [my novel] Fire & Blood will realise it contains enough materials for a dozen shows.

"I can say that there will be dragons. Everyone else has said that, so why not me?"

While the land of Westeros remains patriarchal, House of the Dragon appears to continue Game of Thrones' tradition of giving women crucial roles in a world dominated by men. Another scene portrays Eve Best's Princess Rhaenys confiding to her daughter that "Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne".

The highly anticipated 10-part series is available to be streamed on Neon and Sky's SoHo channel this evening.

House of the Dragon premieres on Neon and Sky, tonight, August 22.