Winter, as HBO viewers know all too well at this point, is no longer coming.
But dragons?
Well, that’s another story altogether.
About two and a half years after Game of Thrones aired its wildly disappointing finale, the cable network has shared its first-ever look at the show’s wildly anticipated prequel, House of the Dragon.
The series takes place 200 years before the events of the original program, and it tracks the rise and reign of the Targaryen family as rulers of Westeros.
In the brief teaser featured here, Matt Smith is seen as Prince Daemon Targaryen … as he narrates images of Targaryens in the throne room, jousting, fighting and engaging in some seriously intense moments.
We also see a Targaryen king sitting on the Iron Throne, which is depicted in the preview as a much larger and more imposing structure in this series than the one in Game of Thrones.
“Gods. Kings. Fire. Blood,” teased HBO in the Tweet that announced this trailer.
Daemon’s ominous voiceover, meanwhile, makes the following dramatic statement about the Targaryen dynasty to close out the video:
“Dreams didn’t make us kings; dragons did.”
The 10-episode series will air at an unspecified date in 2022.
In addition to the preview, HBO also announced several new cast members for House of the Dragon, including:
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Wil Johnson as Ser Vaemond Velaryon, the younger brother to Coryls Velaryon and commander in the Velaryon navy.
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John Macmillan as Ser Laenor Velaryon, the son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen.
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Savannah Steyn as Lady Laena Velayron, the daughter of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen.
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Theo Nate as Ser Laenor Velaryon and son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen.
Previously announced cast members include Smith… Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen… Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon… Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower … and Rhys Ifans as her father, Otto Hightower.
In an earlier release, HBO described Daemon as the “younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon.
“But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…”
Rhaenyra is “the king’s first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider.
“Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.”
This teaser was unveiled on Tuesday as part of a promo event for HBO Max’s rollout in Europe
Check it out now!