House of the Dragon: Brand new glimpse at GoT prequel released

There’s been a major announcement ahead of the highly-anticipated House of the Dragon premiere – and a young Aussie actress is taking centre stage.

A rising Aussie star has taken centre stage in the latest announcement about the highly-anticipated new Game of Thrones prequel series.

Milly Alcock, 22, who currently stars alongside Tim Minchin in Foxtel original drama series Upright (which is available to watch on Foxtel and Binge), will next appear as a young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon.

Based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novel Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon tells the story of House Targaryen and is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones.

We don’t know too many details about the hugely-anticipated spin-off yet – but based on the fresh glimpse fans have been given today, Alcock is set to be a major player.

New images from the big-budget show have been released, showing the actress – as Rhaenyra – standing alone in front of an enormous dragon, with melting swords covering the ground on either side of them.

The new poster for House of the Dragon. Picture: HBO

Alcock joined the cast in mid-2021, which by then already included Emma D’Arcy as the older Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, Oliva Cooke as Alicent Hightower and Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower.

Milly Alcock as young Rhaenyra and Emily Carey as young Alicent. Picture: HBO/BINGE

Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen. Picture: HBO

The series also stars another Australian actor, Ryan Corr, (The Water Diviner, Packed to the Rafters) as Ser Harwin ‘Breakbones’ Strong.

In another announcement today, Foxtel revealed that the House of the Dragon will be released in 4K Ultra HD, which has four times the resolution of HD and enhanced sound.

Game of Thrones will also soon be available in 4K Ultra HD, meaning the entire catalogue of 73 episodes can be watched with lifelike clarity on Foxtel.

The gripping first trailer for House of the Dragon was released in October, signalling plenty of drama ahead for the residents of Westeros.

The show will premiere in August.

In the one-minute trailer, fans were given glimpses of epic sword fight scenes, with a jousting contest and narration by former The Crown and Dr Who star Matt Smith.

Amid the dark and moody scenes, his character, Prince Daemon Targaryen, says: “Gods … Kings … fire … and blood. Dreams didn’t make us Kings … Dragons did.”

One thing is for certain: there will be blonde wigs galore. Picture: HBO

As he uttered the final line, the iconic Iron Throne flashed on screen, before the “House of the Dragon” symbol burst forward in a ball of fire.

Early details about the plot of the prequel series suggested it will explore how the House begins to fall apart and what sparked the Dance of the Dragons civil war.

A slightly longer trailer dropped in May this year, showcasing more of what’s to come in the fantasy series.

In the dramatic clip, King Viserys I is seen naming his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra, as the heir to the throne, but his brother, Prince Daemon, is clearly not thrilled.

It becomes evident that Targaryen factions form, as Rhaenys Targaryen tells the young royal: “Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne.”

Sounds extremely ominous – which is right on theme for the popular franchise.

House of the Dragon will premiere on Monday 22 August at the same time as the US, streaming on Binge. The series will also be available to watch on Foxtel in 4K Ultra HD.