Non-binary actor Emma D’Arcy stars in the first trailer for HBO’s upcoming series House of the Dragon.
Back in 2011, the popular cable network released the fantasy drama Game of Thrones to critical acclaim.
Based on Geroge R.R. Martin’s best-selling novel, the beloved show followed the residents and royal figureheads of Westeros and their interconnecting storylines.
After delivering an array of shocking twists, controversial deaths and epic battles, the show aired its eighth and final season in 2019.
A few months after the series finale, HBO announced that a prequel series titled House of the Dragon was officially picked up for an entire season.
The show, which is based on Martin’s Fire and Blood book, is set to follow the infamous House Targaryen 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
After nearly three years of silence, the premium cable network finally dropped the highly-anticipated trailer on 20 July.
At the start of the trailer, the coveted Iron Throne is ominously shown before King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) begins to reflect on his dream of selecting a new heir.
“The dream… it was clearer than a memory. And I heard the sound of thundering hooves, splintering shields and ringing swords. And I placed my heir upon the Iron Throne, and all the dragons roared as one,” he says.
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The teaser then introduces the king’s daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock and D’Arcy) and his brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) as potential heirs to the throne.
Towards the end of the trailer, tensions begin to run high over who will succeed Viserys and rule over Westeros.
“When I am queen, I’ll create a new order,” a younger Rhaenyra says in a voiceover.
Like its predecessor, the series is expected to feature a bevvy of battle scenes, scandals and political games.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, D’Arcy opened up about their character Rhaenyra and revealed how her story arc relates to their own gender identity journey.
“Rhaenyra has an ongoing battle with what it means to be a woman and is a fundamental outsider,” they explained.
“She’s terrified of getting locked into motherhood and is aware of how her position would be different if she were male.
“I’m a non-binary person. I’ve found myself both pulled and repelled by masculine and feminine identity, and I think that plays out truthfully here. She can’t attend court in a way that comes easily to other people.”
House of the Dragon is set to debut on 21 August via HBO in the US and on 22 August via Sky Atlantic in the UK.
Check out the full trailer for the highly anticipated series here or below.
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