Scratching a years-long itch endured by fans of the hit HBO fantasy series “Game Of Thrones,” the network finally released a full trailer for its prequel series, “House Of The Dragon.” Based on George R.R Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the narrative of “House Of The Dragon” will unfold 200 years before the events of “Game Of Thrones,” focusing on the story of House Targaryen and the events preceding the Targaryen civil war. Now, the release of the official trailer for the series’ first season, which will consist of 10 episodes, gives fans further reason to anticipate an imminent return to Essos and Westeros.
READ MORE: ‘House Of The Dragon’ Will Feature Multiple ‘Crown’-Like Time Jumps In Its First Season
The trailer for “House Of The Dragon” comes at a time when fans are also eagerly anticipating the release of “The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power,” a prequel series to “The Lord Of The Rings” set to debut on Amazon Prime on September 2, prompting speculation of a perceived rivalry between the two fantasy epics. Martin, who serves as an executive producer on “House Of The Dragon,” has addressed this apparent face-off; “I hope both shows succeed. I’m competitive enough. I hope we succeed more. If they win six Emmys, and I hope they do, I hope we win seven…But nonetheless, it’s good for fantasy. I love fantasy. I love science fiction. I want more shows on television”. With a second installment in the “Dune” franchise just recently beginning production, it certainly seems like a healthy time for the genre.
“House Of The Dragon” boasts an impressive central cast. Paddy Considine, whose most high-profile television role to date came as the villainous Father Hughes in season 3 of “Peaky Blinders,” will take on the role of King Viserys I Targaryen. Matt Smith, whose standing with critics has fluctuated over the past year having appeared in Edgar Wright’s “Last Night In Soho” and “Morbius” in quick succession, completes the main cast alongside Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans.
“House Of The Dragon” debuts on August 21 on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Watch the trailer below:
Update: The extended version of the “House Of Dragon” trailer from Comic-Con is now online.