HBO's House of the Dragon: Trailer, release date, and everything we know so far

Buzz and excitement surrounding the highly-anticipated series House of the Dragon, a prequel to the wildly popular HBO show Game of Thrones, is palpable.

Set in a timeline before the original show, this new series promises to explore the brilliant and bloody history of the House Targaryen, amidst the political and social unrest created by Viserys I Targaryen's (played by Paddy Considine) impending decision to choose a successor. It is set to release on August 21, 2022.

The new trailer for the HBO show depicts a power-hungry battle for the Iron Throne, something Game of Thrones fans are very familiar with. It also sees another white-haired woman fight for her birthright (familiar much?). The trailer gives glimpses of historical battles, dragons, and complicated decisions that will shape the future of Westeros.

Read on for more details about the upcoming HBO show, House of the Dragon.

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House of the Dragon trailer: A civil war in the making?

The House of the Dragon trailer is a masterpiece in itself. It introduces viewers to a Westeros embroiled in controversy during one of its most complicated eras. While the power struggle here is limited to one house, that does not seem to reduce the brutality of the situation.

The struggle for power is nothing new in the Game of Thrones universe, but it will be quite interesting to see how it affects the dynamics within a family.

The main crisis, as pointed out in the trailer, is King Viserys' decision regarding his heir. While it is customary for the king's firstborn to take his place, the situation is complicated by the fact that Viserys' firstborn is a girl, namely Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy). A councilman is seen in the trailer stating, "No queen has ever sat on the Iron Throne."

Rhaenyra's claim is challenged by her uncle, Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), who believes that he is the rightful heir to the throne. This is again something that we have seen before in Game of Thrones, but there is no doubt that this is going to be a more intimate struggle.

If the trailer for House of the Dragon is anything to go by, we will once again be treated to flawless battle sequences as the series adds to this impressive universe.

The trailer also reveals that the dragons will be a constant part of this civil unrest, which will lead to multiple battles. Showrunner Ryan Condal has confirmed that the bloody civil war set to be depicted in the series will be known as the "Dance of the Dragons" henceforth. Condal explained:

"[They] wanted to tell a story about the height of Rome before the fall and see the Targaryen dynasty at its very apex so that we can understand the thing that was lost when it all fell."

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Cast and release date

The large cast of the HBO show features some big names like Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, John Macmillan, Ewan Mitchell, Phia Saban, Savannah Steyn, Bethany Antonia, Harry Collett, and Fabien Frankel, alongside many others.

House of the Dragon will premiere on August 21, 2022, on HBO Max. The first season will consist of ten episodes. Stay tuned for more updates.