Summer 2022 Is Full of "Fire and Blood" Thanks to HBO's 'House of the Dragon'

Fans of Game of Thrones have wanted more from the show ever since it ended in 2019. Even though its finale left a lot of fans divided, we're all ready for the prequel series, House of the Dragon. The spinoff takes place 200 years before the events that kicked off the main story and is based on the George R.R. Martin book Fire & Blood.

You can expect some major Targaryen vibes, complete with the signature white hair and cringe-y incest. It's one of the first HBO-supported spinoffs to actually have some meat to it, and fans are itching to know when House of the Dragon will be released. But let’s face it — anything involving George R.R. Martin and Game of Thrones can’t come soon enough.

After leaving Targaryen fans on the edge of their seats for several months, HBO officially unveiled the release date for the highly-anticipated Game of Thrones spinoff. So, prepare yourselves because House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022.

HBO also announced that the first season would consist of 10 episodes, so at the very least, there will be enough time to set the tone for the brand-new series. And with George at its helm, it’s hard to imagine a show from the Game of Thrones universe that doesn’t win over fans almost immediately.

In Oct. 2021, the first teaser trailer for House of the Dragon dropped, giving fans a little taste of what's to come. In the short clip, we see the iconic Iron Throne, members of House Targaryen, and a few fight scenes that leave us wanting more.

If you’re looking for the closest thing to a play-by-play of the show's plot, you can refer to George's companion book Fire & Blood, on which the new series is based. It chronicles the entire history of House Targaryen. A lot of the family’s history was hinted at throughout Game of Thrones, but House of the Dragon takes place 200 years before the original series began.

The new show will likely focus on how the Targaryens took over Westeros with their fleet of dragons and united the Seven Kingdoms. There might also be some cursory mentions of other important houses in Westeros, like the Lannisters and Starks, because in other ways, they are just as important to the history of Westeros as the Targaryens are.

Although we will no longer see Emilia Clarke as the dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen, first of her name, etc., we will meet additional Targaryens and plenty of other characters never before known to the casual Game of Thrones fan.

The main cast consists of Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen, Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Lady Alicent Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryo, Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, and Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower.

House of the Dragon debuts on HBO and HBO Max on Aug. 21, 2022.