HBO unveils the extended House of the Dragon trailer that debuted at San Diego Comic-Con. The upcoming series is a prequel to fantasy juggernaut Game of Thrones and will focus on the rise (and eventual fall) of House Targaryen. Much like its predecessor, House of the Dragon is based on one of author George R.R. Martin's novels; however, while Game of Thrones spanned (nearly) the entire A Song of Ice and Fire series, the prequel will instead draw from Fire and Blood, Martin's companion novel that is a written history of House Targaryen.

House of the Dragon is the first of many planned Game of Thrones spinoffs. It picks up hundreds of years before the flagship series, when the peaceful King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) sits on the Iron Throne. Going into the show, one of the biggest questions involves who will be Viserys' successor to the crown: His brother Daemon (Matt Smith), or his daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy). House of the Dragon is said to cover the history that leads to the infamous Dance of the Dragons, which is the Targaryen civil war that tore Westeros apart. Ahead of its August premiere, HBO has begun pulling back the curtain more and more on what lies ahead for House of the Dragon.

On Saturday, House of the Dragon arrived at San Diego Comic-Con for a major panel. During the panel, the series revealed fresh footage from the prequel, which HBO then released during Sunday night's Shark Week programming on Discovery (via the Game of Thrones YouTube channel). Check out the extended trailer down below.


The new clip is almost identical to the House of the Dragon trailer that was released last week, but with a few notable changes. Some moments have been extended, such as glimpses of a young Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey). Viserys is heard warning someone (perhaps Rhaenyra) that the Iron Throne is "the most dangerous seat in the realm," among other things. Rhaenyra, who looks poised to be House of the Dragon's ostensible lead, also has a new line herself, and it speaks to the overall themes of the show: "Targaryens are closer to gods than to men."

When Game of Thrones begins, House Targaryen is comprised of only two people (not including the eventually revealed Aegon Targaryen, aka Jon Snow). House of the Dragon seeks to show this family at its height, and the extended trailer does an excellent job of emphasizing the power they once held. Beyond the many, many dragons featured in the series, the Targaryens will find themselves plotting and conspiring against each other. There seems to be a conflict brewing between Viserys and Daemon, but the House of the Dragon trailer puts far more focus on the splintering friendship between Rhaenyra and Alicent. Their broken bond will lay the groundwork for a massive conflict, which will be shown in all its incredible, fiery glory when House of the Dragon arrives.