The Game of Thrones spin-off series House of the Dragon has announced the 2022 release date of the HBO show, much to the delight of eager fans.
The HBO Max series serves as a prequel to the original fantasy drama series based on author George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series.
The new drama will follow House Targaryen during a time 300 years before the events of the HBO fantasy hit series Game of Thrones.
The show will premiere this year, on August 22 on Sky and NOW in the UK, and will consist of ten episodes.
Last year the production dropped a first look at the show, with snaps of royal lead characters Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Prince Daemon Targaryen, both sporting the trademark Targaryen platinum blonde locks.
Rhaenyra, played by Emma D'Arcy, is the daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and expects to become the first ruling queen of Westeros and is a skilled dragon rider.
Meanwhile, Daemon, played by Doctor Who and The Crown star Matt Smith, is Rhaenyra's uncle and a skilled warrior in his own right, playing the young brother of the King.
The second image released shows Prince of Persia star Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, who is also known as a nefarious seafarer called 'The Sea Snake".
Finally, the third image shows Sound of Metal star Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower and Notting Hill star Rhys Ifans as her father, Otto Hightower.
Alicent is the Queen of Westeros and is King Viserys' second wife and mother to his children, but acts as stepmother to Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Otto is the Hand of the King and serves Viserys and his daughter Alicent.
Other members not pictured include Nurse Jackie actress Eve Best as Lord Corlys' wife, Rhaenys Velaryon, who is herself a dragonrider and is known as 'The Queen Who Never Was', and Ex Machina star Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, a slave and ally to Daemon.
House of the Dragon is not the first spin-off series to Game of Thrones that HBO attempted to produce, with a series named Bloodraven failing to be picked up for a full show.
The original series ran for eight seasons from 2011 and concluded with a divisive finale in 2019.
Game of Thrones followed the feuding noble families of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros as they vied for the Iron Throne, with a dangerous supernatural threat emerging from the ice-cold North.
The series starred the likes of Sean Bean, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, Emilia Clarke, Peter DInklage, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams.
House of Dragon is coming to Sky and NOW in the UK on August 22 this year.
