House of the Dragon: Game of Thrones Prequel Trailer Released

HBO has released the first trailer for House of the Dragon, its upcoming Game of Thrones prequel. The prequel series, based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, chronicles House Targaryen almost two centuries before the War of the Five Kings that would result from the House losing its grip on the Iron Throne. The trailer features narration by Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince, as he reflects on what made the Targaryens kings: dragons. You can watch the trailer below.

Per HBO’s official synopsis, “The prequel series finds the Targaryen dynasty at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires-real and imagined-crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins almost 193 years before the events of Game of Thrones, when King Viserys Targaryen breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.”

HBO gave House of the Dragon a straight-to-series order for 10 episodes. Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal will serve as co-showrunners as well as executive producers with Martin and Vince Gerardis. HBO hopes to see the series debut in 2022. Production began in April.

Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin co-created the new prequel series, one of several in development, with Condal, based on Martin’s book Fire & Blood. The show’s cast also includes Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, and Fabien Frankel.

“The Game of Thrones universe is so rich with stories,” said HBO programming president Casey Bloys in a statement announcing the series in September 2019. “We look forward to exploring the origins of House Targaryen and the earlier days of Westeros along with Miguel, Ryan and George.”

WarnerMedia CEO Ryan Kilar talked up the series at a recent Variety event. “I’m just so excited because the world that exists in Westeros and the broader landscape and the characters,” Kilar said. “The Targaryens are about as crazy as they get. It’s literally the essence of good drama.”

What do you think of the first trailer for House of the Dragon? Are you looking forward to the first Game of Thrones spinoff show? Let us know how you feel about it in the comments. House of the Dragon will debut on HBO in 2022.