Today, HBO Max surprised GOT fans with a new teaser trailer for the highly anticipated prequel House of The Dragon. The one-minute teaser was accompanied by a series of fiery promotional posters and is true to the form of the Targaryen pledge “fire and blood,” giving fans a sneak peek of betrayal, war, and of course, dragons (finally)!
What’s New In The HBO Max House of The Dragon Trailer
Unlike the first teaser, which was released 7 months ago, today’s House of the Dragon trailer gives us a more in-depth look into the story and visuals for the show, which has been cleverly kept under wraps up until this point.
Today’s trailer is packed with a few firsts:
- This is the first time we see a dragon in action since GOT (at the trailer’s opening, Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen can be seen riding a dragon, who may or may not be Caraxes- Daemon’s dragon in the books. Daemon can also be seen at the end of the trailer, barely escaping the fiery breath of a caged dragon).
- The first time we see a clear vision of the updated Iron Throne (whose pronounced swords and elongated seat are a closer resemblance to the original concept of the Iron Throne.)
- It’s the first time we see a live depiction of Dragonstone since GOT, including its gloomy shores and the candlelit Chamber of the Painted Table.
We’re also shown a pivotal moment in the House of the Dragon storyline: the controversial moment in which Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen is named successor to the Iron Throne.
What Today’s Trailer Tells Us About The Plot
We already know that House of the Dragon will be based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling spin-off, Fire & Blood, a book that chronicles the rise and fall of the Targaryen dynasty from the reign of Aegon the Conqueror all the way to the Mad King Aerys. However, TV shows often stray from their source material.
According to today’s trailer, we know for a fact that the warring families in House of the Dragon will be the Hightowers and the Targaryens. This is proven throughout the teaser as we see the Hightowers at the center of all the trailer’s drama:
- At one point, we’re shown a clip of a tense standoff between Daemon Targaryen and Hand of the King Otto Hightower on the shores of Dragonstone, each backed by his own army.
- In the trailer, we see Otto Hightower visit his daughter and privately encourage her to make a play for the Iron Throne: “we play an ugly game,” he tells her, “you have the determination to win it.”
- If you look closely, Queen Alicent Hightower can be seen lunging at a fearful Princess Rhaenyra with a jeweled dagger.
As far as which sides Houses Stark, Velaryon, and Baratheon will choose, who makes the first move, and who emerges victorious on the Iron Throne, we’ll have to wait a few more months to find out.
House of The Dragon stars Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, and Milly Alcock. The GOT prequel premieres on HBO Max on August 21st.
