House of the Dragon trailer gives first full look at the Game of Thrones prequel

Get ready for fire. And blood. The new House of the Dragon trailer has given us the first sneak peek at the Game of Thrones prequel – and a Targaryen dynasty that’s being set up for an almighty fall.

Set 200 years before the events of the mainline series, Westeros is in the iron grip of the Targaryens. The current figure on the Iron Throne is Viserys (Paddy Considine) but, this being the Game of Thrones franchise, expect many plotters working in the shadows to get their slice of power. Chief among them might be Matt Smith’s heir-in-waiting Daemon Targaryen, who lends his voice to the trailer.

It’s full of the Game of Thrones fare we’ve come to know and love, too: jousting, sword fights, Machiavellian plots aplenty, and more than one character eyeing up the Iron Throne.  

But there’s some added spice – or should that be flame? – being added to proceedings. Where Daenerys only had three dragons, House of the Dragon promises more. Much more.

"We had three of them in Game of Thrones, but now we got like 17 of them," author George R.R. Martin told The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of podcast (H/T ComicBook.com).

Four new cast members have also been confirmed. Ser Laenor, son of Corlys and Rhaenys, will be played by John Macmillan (King Lear). His siblings, Laena and Laenor, will be played by Savannah Steyn (Crawl) and Theo Nate (Time). Their uncle, Ser Vaemond Velaryon, is portrayed by Wil Johnson (Waking the Dead).

House of the Dragon is set to air on HBO in 2022. While you wait, check out the HBO Max price deals going on right now.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.