Aussie star Milly Alcock plays a young Rhaenyra in all 10 episodes. Photo / HBO
Aussie star Milly Alcock plays a young Rhaenyra in all 10 episodes. Photo / HBO
The mother of dragons of trailers has finally landed.
Fans have been treated to a first look at the plot for HBO's hugely-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, with the official full-length preview dropping overnight.
The epic two-minute-long clip, packed with jostling, dragons and battles, has given the GoT fandom a sneak peek into the world of Westeros 200 years before the events of Thrones.
The 10-part series, which premieres express from the US on Neon and Sky August 22, opens with King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, before turning to contention over his successor for the Iron Throne.
Princess Rhaenyra is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, but faces being blocked due to the fact she's a woman. Photo / HBO
In the trailer, we see Viserys' firstborn Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) is the rightful heir but as a woman is not the preferable choice, opening the gates for Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), Viserys' power-hungry brother.
"I will not be made to choose between my brother and my daughter," Viserys says, before Daemon declares, "I'm your heir."
But there's a third player in the mix, with Viserys' second wife, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) eager to block Rhaenyra from becoming Queen so she can birth a rightful male heir.
"If Rhaenyra comes into power, she will block any challenge to her succession," Alicent says.
Australian actress Milly Alcock also features heavily in the preview, as a younger version of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.
The up-and-coming star is in all 10 episodes, suggesting flashbacks will form a significant part of the story.
Alicent (Olivia Cooke) wants to block Rhaenyra from becoming Queen, hinting at a showdown between the two women. Photo / HBO
Elsewhere, in what will delight viewers of the franchise, dragons can be seen flying freely over Westeros, something that was incredibly rare in the original series.
But, as was the case in GoT, only the Targaryen family are blessed with being able to ride them, and there's a suggestion their creation causes friction.
"They're [dragons] a power man should never have trifled with," Viserys is heard saying, as footage of a dragon egg flashes onscreen.
Diehard fans rushed to Twitter to express their excitement about the sneak peek:
haven't been this excited for a show since the last season of game of thrones. them dragons look mesmerizing & terrifying as ever
Gonna be better than Game of thrones in its peak. Can just tell by the trailer the writing is going to be incredible. This show is going to be GOT 2 essentially. Going to be the biggest show IN TELEVISION the day it airs.
Author George R.R. Martin has already endorsed the follow-up to the wildly popular series, which ended in 2019 with a lacklustre finale.
In a sit-down feature ahead of its debut, which was released by HBO on Wednesday, the legendary US author, 73, said he was "apprehensive" about adapting his book for television following the lacklustre Thrones finale in 2019, which infamously skipped ahead of his narrative.
Dragons. Everywhere. Photo / HBO
But Martin, alongside HOTD writer Ryan Condal and director Miguel Sapochnik, sought to assure diehard fans they have honoured the original source material.
"It's always a little apprehensive when you turn your baby over to foster parents," Martin said.
"But I'm involved in this. It's great to have Ryan, who's a great writer and someone who really knew my work. He's going to do his best to remain faithful to it.
"There's always a little suspense to … How good is it going to be? But I think I'm in good hands with Ryan and Miguel."
Based on George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood," the series, which is set 200 years before the events of GoT, tells the story of House Targaryen. Photo / HBO
House of the Dragon, which is based on Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire companion book Fire & Blood, focuses on the rise and fall of the Targaryen family during an internal civil war dubbed 'Dance of the Dragons'.
House of the Dragon premieres on Neon and Sky August 22
