TV

Lady Gaga as Targaryen: AI Answer to Your House of the Dragon Withdrawal

Lady Gaga as Targaryen: AI Answer to Your House of the Dragon Withdrawal
Image credit: Legion-Media

She looks surprisingly at home.

House of the Dragon Season 1 is over, and Season 2 does not even have a release date yet, but given that filming has not begun at the moment of this article's writing, and is estimated to begin in early 2023, it is extremely unlikely we're going to see it before summer of 2024, with late 2024 being the more probable date.

For now the fans caught in the grip of House of the Dragon withdrawal have the usual venues to Westeros open for them – speculation, theory-crafting, and various types of fan creativity.

And let us present you a fine example of the latter, courtesy of AI image-generating tool: Lady Gaga of House Targaryen.

Very impressive. "I'd bend the knee," as one commenter summarized the general sentiment. Lady Gaga might have had a good shot at the role of older Rhaenyra, appearance-wise, if only she cared about such things. But it was agreed that among all known Targaryens, the better fit for her would be Queen Visenya (one of Aegon the Conqueror's two sister-wives, for those who aren't big on Westeros lore).

Westeros-themed revamps of Lady Gaga's songs have followed on Reddit immediately, like:

"I wanna hold 'em like they do in Esos, please

Burn 'em, let 'em crown me, raze it baby, slay with me (I love it)

Drogon conflagration, play the game of thrones to start

And after Drogo's hooked, I'll eat straight from the horse's heart"

Or, for another example:

"Oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh

I'll rule them all, bring the fire and blood

Oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh

I'll rule them all, through peace or through war"

Despite the potential benefits that the inclusion of celebrities such as Gaga in House of the Dragon might bring, many fans of the series have voiced their opposition to the idea.

Many argue that the presence of well-known actors and performers could distract from the immersive world and complex characters that have made the show so beloved. Some have even suggested that such casting choices could be seen as pandering to a wider audience at the expense of the series' dedicated fan base.

Others have pointed out that Game of Thrones (and House of the Dragon first season, for that matter) has featured talented actors who were not necessarily household names, and that this approach has contributed to the show's success and authenticity. One still surely remembers a disaster that was GoT's Ed Sheeran cameo.