HBO has unveiled a new trailer for its upcoming “Game of Thrones” prequel spinoff “House of the Dragon,” set to premiere August 21. If fans thought the original series was action-packed with fire-breathing dragons and Targaryen tussles, the prequel trailer hints there’s plenty more in store.
Set two centuries before the events of “GoT” and based on author George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” “House of the Dragon” tells the story of Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors during a time when civil unrest and familial divides began to chip away at an otherwise peaceful empire.
While dragons have been extinct for 145 years by the time “Game of Thrones” begins, the flying behemoths are alive and well in the prequel’s timeline and key to the Targaryen’s iron grip on Westeros. But what can be used as a weapon against one’s enemies can also be used against questionable allies, as we’ve seen in the original series. If the show plans to follows Martin’s novel, “House of the Dragon” will explore the political and emotional catalysts that resulted in the Targaryen civil war known in Martin’s novels as the “Dance of the Dragons.”
Paddy Considine portrays King Viserys I Targaryen, a good man who struggles to be a great king, while Matt Smith plays his younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen — a legendary but temperamental warrior. Emma D’Arcy plays Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Viserys’ daughter who is positioned to be the first female ruler in the history of Westeros. Based on the trailer, succession is at the heart of the show’s premise as factions of the kingdom seemingly rise up in favor of Rhaenyra, while others support Daemon. The resulting conflict will undoubtedly thrust the realm into opportunistic chaos.
“When I am Queen, I will create a new order,” Rhaenyra says in the trailer. Sounds awfully familiar to Daenerys going on about breaking the wheel, no?
The show is the first “Game of Thrones” spinoff ordered to series by HBO in what is expected to be a significant franchising effort that will span multiple projects over various mediums. “GoT” was by far the premium cabler’s most popular original series ever over the course of its eight seasons.
The new series stars Considine, Smith, D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Martin serves as co-creator and executive producer alongside Ryan Condal, who will also act as co-showrunner. Veteran “Game of Thrones” director Miguel Sapochnik executive produces as well as serves as co-showrunner and director. Writer Sara Hess will also executive produce as will Jocelyn Diaz, Vince Gerardis and Ron Schmidt.
