Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) looking at Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) on House of the DragonHouse of the Dragon is gearing up to return on HBO and Max very soon, picking up shortly after the events of the first season. Ahead of the season’s premiere, star Ewan Mitchell shared some insight into how he plays his character, Aemond Targaryen.

In an interview with ComicBook.com, Mitchell commented on where the inspiration comes from for how he portrays Aemond. The actor gives credit to Michael Myers, the masked murderer from the Halloween movie series. As a mute killer, the Michael Myers character is made scary through his “physicality,” and as Mitchell explained, this was what he was thinking about when bringing his Targaryen to life in House of the Dragon.

“I see Michael Myers from Halloween,” Mitchell said. “He said some inspiration for Aemond … Just through his physicality, you know, no matter how slow he walks, he always catches up with Jamie Lee Curtis. You know, he doesn’t have to say much. He’s just super scary. The way he inhabits space was something that I used with Aemond for sure.”

The concept of Halloween is a simple one, but it has long been effective. The movie series kicked off in 1978 with the original film from director John Carpenter, presenting a story about a homicidal maniac escaping from custody to embark on a Halloween night killing spree. This was instrumental in launching the slasher movie boom of the 1980s, directly inspiring other big genre films like the Friday the 13th series. As Mitchell shared, the franchise’s inspiration even goes beyond the horror genre.

Aemond is one part of an ensemble of characters featured in House of the Dragon. The series also stars Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Rhys Ifans (Ser Otto Hightower), Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon), Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen), Fabien Frankel (Criston Cole), Graham McTavish (Harold Westerling), and Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower).

There Was a Change Behind the Scenes for Season 2

The second season will also come with a change behind the scenes. With Season 1, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik served as co-showrunners. Sapochnik has since departed from that role, leaving Condal as the sole showrunner for Season 2. Actor Matt Smith has suggested that it was a struggle moving on with the change, as it set a different tone for the second season.

Season 2 of House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO and Max on June 16, 2024.