HBO promises big battles, big drama and even bigger dragons in the trailer for Season 3 of “House of the Dragon,” which was released Thursday. 

The series, based on George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire & Blood,” returns to HBO in June, nearly two years after we last saw the Targaryen heirs go to battle over the iron throne. “Fire & Blood” is a prequel to the books in the “A Song of Fire and Ice” series that were the basis of “Game of Thrones.”

The trailer opens with Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower returning to King’s Landing after visiting her stepdaughter and former best friend, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) at the latter’s command post in Dragonstone. At the end of Season 2, Alicent apologizes to Rhaenyra about the conflict between the two sides of the family over the throne and offers to open the gates of King’s Landing and let Rhaenyra take the capital of King’s Landing from her son, King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney). 

Though Aegon has left King’s Landing after being horrifically burned by dragon fire in Season 2—presumably abdicating the throne—Rhaenyra insists she must kill her half-brother to end the threat to her claim to the throne. 

Upon her return to King’s Landing in the Season 3 trailer, Alicent is met by her younger son, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), who questions her whereabouts. Later in the trailer, Alicent warns her son that Rhaenyra will send her dragons to King’s Landing, and “it will be the end.”

Back at Dragonstone, Rhaenyra begins making her plans to take the throne, telling her advisers about Alicent’s offer to help. But viewers soon see, a surrender will not go so smoothly. 

“You cannot trust her,” Rhaenyra’s eldest son, Jace (Harry Collett), insists as Matt Smith’s Daemon looks on. 

Armies assemble and dragon riders take flight as the so-called greens and blacks head to full-on war over the iron throne this season. 

“You are the queen of dragons,” Daemon tells Rhaenyra in the trailer. “You have absolute power within your grasp.”

Also returning this season to “House of the Dragon” are Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, Matthew Needham, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell and Phia Saban. Joining the cast this season are James Norton, Tommy Flanagan, Dan Fogler, Tom Cullen, Joplin Sibtain, Barry Sloane and Annie Shapero. 

HBO has not given a specific release date for Season 3. 

About the author

Danielle Haynes is the co-founder and co-editor of Booked & Screened, covering book-to-screen adaptations, film and TV development. She’s 100% Team Black, though she’s sure Rhaenyra will commit some new atrocity in Season 3 that will make her question that.