House Of The Dragon Trailer: Time To Return To Westeros And House Targaryen

What's coming three years after the controversial conclusion of "Game of Thrones" while simultaneously taking place 200 years before the events of the ill-fated series? It's not winter, and it's not author George R.R. Martin's long-awaited sixth novel "Winds of Winter." Instead, it's "House of the Dragon."

Based on Martin's book "Fire & Blood," the upcoming HBO series will serve as a prequel to "Game of Thrones" and focus on the story of the platinum blonde, dragon riding, uncle-daddy-having House Targaryen.

Ahead of the show's release date later this year, HBO has released a new trailer for the series.

If the character descriptions on HBO's website are any indication, the series will follow some of the same gender dynamics depicted in its predecessor, with women being cast aside and overlooked in favor of less competent men, struggling to carve out their place in a world that doesn't value them. Take the character bios of Princess Rhaenys and Princess Rhaenyra, for instance:

"Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon. A dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon, "The Queen Who Never Was" was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male."

"Milly Alcock as Young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. She's the king's first-born child, of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything...but she was not born a man."

The series co-creators include George R.R. Martin himself, as well as screenwriter Ryan Condal.

Fans who were unhappy with the "Game of Thrones" finale are likely to breathe a cautiously optimistic sigh of relief at the realization that "Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will not be involved in this series.

In addition to a new team of people behind the camera, "House of the Dragon" will also feature a new lineup of characters including Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen.

Considering the less-than-stellar way women and girl characters were handled on "Game of Thrones" many are hoping for something better in "House of the Dragon." It would be a shame to just get "Game of Thrones ... now with 50% with more dragons!" rather than something fresh and exciting, especially given all the time and feedback the creators have been given to learn from the mistakes of the previous series. Sure, personal drama, political scheming, and dragons are also going to play an essential role, but will they captivate audiences the way "Game of Thrones" did, especially now that there are more than enough high fantasy and pseudo-medieval period pieces to satisfy fans of the genre?

Whatever the case may be, "House of the Dragon" will ride in on the back of the dragon to grace HBO and HBO Max on August 21, 2022.