Watch the first behind-the-scenes featurette for House of the Dragon

The long-awaited Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon draws ever closer. With just over a month left to before the show’s late August premiere date, HBO has just released the first behind-the-scenes featurette, giving us a more intimate look at the makings of this ambitious series. From dragons flying over King’s Landing to the black skull of Balerion the Black Dread, new looks at the throne room and hints of the battles to come, this teaser is packed full of tantalizing details.

But don’t take my word for it. Here’s the featurette in all it’s glory:

“A New Reign” featurette shows a different Westeros with the same bloody problems

In addition to all the great new footage and behind-the-scenes glimpses at the production, this latest teaser also gave us plenty of face time with House of the Dragon’s two showrunners: Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik.

“I feel incredibly loyal and responsible to the original show. I have a great kind of desire to even be in the same room as [Game of Thrones], because it was a game changer,” said Sapochnik, who directed several of the best episodes of the original show. “The idea of going back to Westeros was almost too much of a challenge. You have to start by respecting it. You can’t start by doing different for different’s sake…It really was seeing it through a different perspective that interested me.”

Sapochnik and Condal share a vision of honoring the original series and the work of George R.R. Martin while still forging ahead. “[Miguel] saw some of the things that I saw, and it wasn’t just a prequel for prequel’s sake,” said Condal, who handles most of the writing duties while Sapochnik focuses on the directing. “There was actually a reason to tell the story.”

While Sapochnik directed great Game of Thrones episodes like “Hardhome,” “Battle of the Bastards” and “The Winds of Winter,” Condal came personally recommended by Martin. “George and his writing was a huge influence on me,” Condal explained. “It’s an incredible feeling to achieve my dream job. You get that great call which is the thing that every writer is hoping for, telling you ‘We’re gonna go make this thing.’ And you’re happy for a few seconds…and then you realize the responsibility that’s on your shoulders.”

House of the Dragon will “evolve” on what Game of Thrones did right (and wrong)

That responsibility is no joke; Game of Thrones reshaped the television landscape and won more Emmys than any drama in history. “Realizing what worked on Thrones and what didn’t. What do we want to better? How do we want to evolve?” Sapochnik reflected. “What a great new chapter in the Game of Thrones saga.”

Among those feeling the pressure is George R.R. Martin himself, who wrote the book that House of the Dragon is based on, Fire & Blood. “I’m excited,” the author said. “It’s always a little apprehensive when you turn your baby over to foster parents, but I’m involved in this. It’s great to have Ryan, who’s a great writer and someone who really knew my world. He’s gonna do his best to remain faithful to it. I knew Miguel Sapochnik was an amazing director. He’d won an Emmy, he’d done some of our best episodes. There’s always a little suspense to: How good is it gonna be? But I think I’m in good hands with Ryan and Miguel.”

This return to Westeros is something that could pay off big for HBO and the various other Game of Thrones spinoffs that the network has in the works. The Dance of the Dragons — the brutal Targaryen civil war at the heart of House of the Dragon  — is one of the few periods of Westeros’ history that has just as much drama, backstabbing, and bloodshed as the original series. It’ll require a lot of care…but from the glimpses we’ve seen so far, it’s easy to be optimistic.

House of the Dragon premieres August 21 on HBO and HBO Max.

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