Matt Smith urges enemies to ‘bend the knee’ in House Of The Dragon trailer

Matt Smith urges his enemies to “bend the knee” in the newly released trailer for House Of The Dragon.

Two teasers dropped on Thursday, each focusing on different sides of the civil war conflict, ahead of the airing of the eighth episode of the second series in June this year.

The adaption of George RR Martin’s fantasy history chronicle Fire And Blood last aired in 2022. His original book chronicled the former rulers of the fictional world of Westeros, called the House Targaryen, who had been overthrown in the HBO series Game Of Thrones.

Smith returns as Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), and Emma D’Arcy reprises her role as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the king’s first-born child who is of pure Valyrian blood and a dragon rider, in the latest season.

At the end of the first series, Viserys died leaving his wife Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), his son Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and closest adviser, Hand of the King, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), to fight as the greens with the black faction leader Rhaenyra over the crown.

In Sky Atlantic’s black trailer, Rhaenyra pledges that she “will fight this war and win it” while Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon urges her to take action.

Daemon is also heard saying: “Our terms are very simple: Renounce the false king and bend the knee to the queen, or your house burns.”

The trailer also dramatises the escalating tensions between the camps.

In the green trailer, Alicent appears to be figuring out what to do next following her husband’s death, and tells her son Aegon that he does not understand the “sacrifices” made so that he can sit on the Iron Throne.

Her scheming father also appears to tell Aegon: “We will prevail and bring forth peace. But you must accept that the path to victory now is one of violence.”

Sky said the new cast includes Raised By Wolves actor Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Glow star Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Cucumber actor Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, The Death Of Stalin star Sir Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong and 300 star Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.

House Of The Dragon airs on June 17.