Fiery Targaryen Drama Abounds in First Teaser for HBO’s House of the Dragon

After ages of development and only a handful of production photos to go off, we finally have some footage to drink in of HBO’s Game of Thrones follow-up, House of the Dragon. Set roughly 200 years before the time of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, House of the Dragon examines the time period of the Targaryen dynasty’s rule over Westeros, including its fracturing into civil war and eventual destruction, a period known as the Dance of Dragons.

Of course, one doesn’t really see much of that in the rather dark and muddy looking trailer below, which has the feel of a very dour show indeed—”fun” doesn’t seem to be a primary motivator here, if you were wondering. Instead, it evokes the dour feeling of the final Game of Thrones season, which hardly seems like the comparison the showrunners would want to evoke. And yet, here we are.

Still, House of the Dragon at least has a strong cast going for it, including the lovely Paddy Considine as reigning king Viserys I Targaryen—surely nothing bad will happen to that sweet old man, right? Other stars include Matt Smith as the ambitious Prince Daemon Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Olivia Cooke as Lady Alicent Hightower. Nor is the show likely to be crippled by not having a full outline and ending written in advance, as this entire series has the benefit (unlike the end of GoT) of being based on completed material from author George R.R. Martin.

House of the Dragon will arrive on HBO for its 10-episode first season on Aug. 21, 2022. Check out the first teaser below.