It’s almost time to return to Westeros as HBO Max unveiled on Tuesday, October 5, the first official teaser for House of the Dragon, the highly-anticipated upcoming prequel series to Game of Thrones. 

While the one-minute clip doesn’t reveal much about the show’s plot details, it gives fans a first look at the series’ characters – Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenya Targaryen, and Olivia Cooke as Alice Hightower. 

The teaser also features a lot of sword fighting, robed people staring forebodingly into fires, men involved in jousting battles, and snippets of the Iron Throne. “Gods. Kings. Fire. And blood. Dreams didn’t make us kings, Dragons did,” Smith’s character Prince Daemon Targaryen can be heard saying in the clip. 

Based on George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel Fire and Blood set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is set to tell the history of House Targaryen and the Targaryen civil war that became known as the “Dance of the Dragons.” 

Alongside Smith, D’Arcy, and Cooke, the series also stars Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, and Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria.  

The 10-episode prequel series, created by Martin with Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal, is scheduled for release in 2022. A specific release date has yet to be announced.

Aside from House of the Dragons, HBO also announced that three other Game of Thrones spinoffs are also in the works. 

Game of Thrones, a medieval fantasy series, was a global phenomenon for HBO. It bagged several awards during its eight-year run, including Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019, as well as Golden Globe nominations in the same years.

The series’ finale, which aired in May 2019, was polarizing for fans. – Rappler.com