House Of The Dragon Teaser: The Game Of Thrones Prequel Arrives With Fire And Blood

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. "Game of Thrones" may have ended with more of a whimper than a bang for many disappointed fans, but that's not stopping HBO from redoubling their commitment to author George R.R. Martin's popular fantasy works. This time, "House of the Dragon" is taking viewers on a trip centuries into the distant past of Westeros — a time when the Targaryen dynasty, the very same lineage that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) belonged to in "Game of Thrones," ruled the land with an iron grip and their prized dragons. HBO just released the first fiery trailer footage from "House of the Dragon" as the centerpiece of today's HBO Max Europe presentation, which you can watch below.

It's hard to imagine even the most jilted fans of the "Game of Thrones" finale being able to stay away from "House of the Dragon," let's just put it that way. The familiar bleached-white visage of the Targaryens are front-and-center in this footage, courtesy of Matt Smith's Prince Daemon Targaryen and Emma D'Arcy's Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. The trailer also features glimpses of an even more ostentatious (and more book-accurate) Iron Throne, some intriguing cast member reveals, and — of course — a tantalizing hint of dragons.

Whereas "Game of Thrones" took its cues from Martin's still-unfinished "A Song of Ice and Fire" series of novels, "House of the Dragon" will be an adaptation of Martin's more history-oriented "Fire & Blood" collection. You can think of it, essentially, as "The Silmarillion" to author J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." Set 200 years before the events of "Game of Thrones" and "the fall of the throne," as the trailer puts it, "House of the Dragon" will chart the peak (and, presumably, the eventual downfall) of the Targaryen rule over Westeros.

In addition to Matt Smith and Emma D'Arcy, previously announced cast members include Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon (also known as "The Sea Snake"), and Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen. Newly revealed cast members are as follows:

• Wil Johnson as Ser Vaemond Velaryon, "younger brother to Coryls Velaryon and commander in the Velaryon navy"
• John Macmillan as Ser Laenor Velaryon, "son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen"
• Savannah Steyn as Lady Laena Velayron, "daughter of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen"
• Theo Nate as Ser Laenor Velaryon, "son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen"

"House of the Dragon" comes to HBO Max in 2022. To get more of a hint of the direction the show may take, here's the synopsis for Martin's "Fire & Blood" novels:

Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire & Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.