A spectacular drone and fireworks show to promote the highly anticipated debut of Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon lit up Riyadh Boulevard on Thursday.
The show, held at the ongoing Gamers8 festival, was put together by OSN+, which owns the regional streaming rights to the HBO series. It has its premiere on Monday in the Middle East.
Gamers8, pegged as the world's largest esports event, is hosting international players for eight weeks. Besides gaming, the event has hosted a number of concerts, including a performance by Nancy Ajram and Marshmello last week.
Scroll through the gallery below for pictures of Nancy Ajram and Marshmello at Gamers8 Festival
Visitors watched as more than 1,000 drones filled the sky, forming characters and elements from House of the Dragon. The show was then followed by a fireworks display.
Based on George R R Martin's 2018 novel Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. It tells the story of House Targaryen's rise and fall, following a civil war called the Dance of Dragons breaks out.
The story centres on Princess Rhaenyra, who is named the sole heir to the Iron Throne by her father King Viserys, despite major opposition from the councilmen of Westeros and her uncle Daemon Targaryen — who don’t believe a woman can, or should, rule. Princess Rhaenyra is also opposed by her childhood best friend, Alicent Hightower, who has married her father and conceived a son.
Speaking to The National earlier this month, showrunner Miguel Sapochnik said he understood the weight of comparison to the record-breaking Game of Thrones.
“I certainly think that we have felt the responsibility to make a good show but the important thing really is to focus on what we are doing and not what has been," he said.
“What we have to do is tell a good story, and what you hope is, in the telling of the story, that people will find it interesting or engaging.”
'House of the Dragon' is released on HBO on Sunday and simultaneously across the Middle East on OSN+ on Monday.
Scroll through the gallery below for more stills from 'House of the Dragon'
