HBO Max has been attempting to get a Game of Thrones spinoff off the ground since the TV phenomenon ended back in 2019, but after an initial false start, the GoT universe is finally about to expand with House of the Dragon, a prequel series detailing the beginning of the end of the House of Targaryen, taking place 200 years before the events of the original series.
Promo images released over the summer already gave us our first look at the show’s main cast, led by The Crown‘s Matt Smith as Prince Daemon. Now, HBO Max has dropped the first teaser, which was released this Tuesday morning as part of an event previewing the streaming platform’s European launch later this month. The trailer puts all the emphasis on Smith’s Targaryen heir, with Daemon decreeing, “Dreams didn’t make us kings… dragons did.” See it for yourself if you haven’t already via the video above.
Though HBO is clearly using the former Doctor Who star as the show’s big selling point, the teaser also features glimpses of Smith’s various co-stars in action. Emma D’Arcy is playing Princess Rhaenyra, Daemon’s niece who is determined to become the Seven Kingdom’s first ruling queen. Then there’s Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Lord Velaryon/ the Sea Snake and Paddy Considine as King Viserys I. The cast also includes Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, Graham McTavish and Sonoya Mizuno.
As based on George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel Fire and Blood, House of the Dragon will depict the Targaryen Civil War that became known as the “Dance of the Dragons” and ultimately led to the creatures’ extinction. The first season is set to consist of 10 episodes and, while a specific release date has yet to be supplied, we know it’s coming sometime in 2022. Hopefully towards the beginning of the year, if HBO is already promoting it.
