Following the release of the first trailer for Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, fans were treated to their first look at Rhys Ifans’ character - and he looks rather different to usual. Ifans will play Ser Otto Hightower, Lady Alicient’s (Olivia Cooke) father and the Hand of the King.
The actor, who is best-known for his roles in Twin Town and Notting Hill, looks like he has bulked up for his latest role and is decked out in full Game of Thrones garb. In the new trailer, Ser Otto features briefly as he prepares to do battle with Doctor Who star Matt Smith's character, Daemon Targaryen. The two eye each other up as they look set to go head to head.
The synopsis for Ifans' character reveals that Ser Otto is a “bitter political rival of Prince Daemon” and you need look no further than the trailer to see evidence of this. The new series promises lots of combat, tyranny and of course, dragons. Unsurprisingly, the new trailer doesn't reveal too much information about House of the Dragon.
"We play an ugly game. You have the determination to win it," Ser Otto tells his daughter during the short trailer. With lots of violence, blood and gore shown in the trailer, House of the Dragon looks set to be just as horrifying as it's predecessor. The trailer ends with the words: 'History does not remember blood. It remembers names' and with that, fans are promised a truly epic show.
READ MORE: Game of Thrones trailer for House of the Dragon released
Showrunner Miguel Sapochink previously told the Hollywood Reporter that the new show “is something else and should be something else”. He has stressed that he wants to "complement" the original show rather than emulate it. The synopsis for the new show reveals that House of the Dragon tells the story of the Targaryen Civil War that took place 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
Considering how co-star Paddy Considine has called House of the Dragon, “the most demanding show” he's ever worked on, it looks like Ifans has his work cut out in the new series.
For Ifans, this isn’t his first foray into big franchises. Last year, he notably reprised his role as Curt Connors/The Lizard in the blockbuster, Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film was both a critical and financial success.
Since the announcement of Rhys Ifans’ involvement in the world of Game of Thrones, fans have been eager to see the actor in the new role. Writing on Twitter, one fan said: “Rhys Ifans gonna be playing a Hightower in the new game of thrones tv show, can’t wait to see that!”
Meanwhile, another wrote regarding the new series: “I apologise for the person I’ll become when house of the dragon drops”.
The series, which premieres on Sunday, August 21 , is a major initiative for HBO, which hopes to recapture the magic of Game of Thrones, which represented more than $1 billion in revenue during its run from 2011 to 2019. The company also has several other prequel projects set in the world of Westeros in various stages of development.
