HBO has released a new trailer for the upcoming spinoff series House of the Dragon. The new trailer comes on the eve of San Diego Comic-Con, where author George R. R. Martin and the cast of the series will take the stage at Hall H.
Based on Martin's Fire and Blood and developed by Martin and Ryan J. Condal for HBO, House of the Dragon is set several hundred years before the events of the Emmy-award-winning series Game of Thrones and tells the story of the rise and fall of House Targaryen. The series stars actors Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Martin is set to appear this Saturday along with the cast and director Miguel Sapochnik during the House of the Dragon panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
The new trailer for House of the Dragon opens with a familiar image: the legendary Iron Throne. Sitting upon this throne is King Viserys Targaryen (Considine), who reminisces about how he conquered the throne through splintering shields and roaring dragons. We then see a dragon flying over the capitol city of Westerors, where the Targaryen family currently reigns. The House Of The Dragon trailer then takes us inside the inner workings of this kingdom, where one of King Visery's chief advisors, Ser Otto Hightower (Ifans) tells him of the need to choose an heir. However, there's just one problem: there's more than one eligible heir to the throne.
The House of the Dragon trailer continues as we are introduced to the dueling heirs. First theirs Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (D'Arcy), the King's firstborn child. However, no Queen has sat upon the throne and it is forbidden (don't tell Daenerys Targaryen). The other eligible heir is the King's younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (Smith), who is eager to prove himself. These two prospective heirs are obviously making things a little complicated, as the king emphatically states that he will not choose between his daughter and his brother. The House of the Dragon trailer escalates as swords cross and family is pitted against family, all before ending on an ominous image of a fierce dragon who stares down the camera before cutting to the logo engulfed in flames.
The release of the new House of the Dragon trailer comes as a bit of a surprise. Many studios and networks are expected to premiere teasers and trailers during Comic-Con, which are then released later online. However, with the inevitable leaks that come with a high-profile event like Comic Con, some studios likely see it as more beneficial to release trailers ahead of time to further generate excitment. There is a lot riding on House of the Dragon, as it is the first of many Game of Thrones spinoff series and will have to live up to one of the most successful shows of all time. HBO seems eager to promote the show as much as possible in the hope that it will continue to generate excitement from the already massive Game of Thrones fanbase.
House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max on August 21st, 2022.
Source: HBO