Release date for Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon confirmed

The highly anticipated prequel to Game of Thrones has been given a release date as a swag of new pics from the series are released.

A release date has been confirmed for the hotly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, with HBO confirming that the highly-anticipated series will air from August 22 in Australia.

The launch date reveal also comes as HBO released fresh photos from House of the Dragon, which will air locally on Binge and Foxtel express from the US, with new shots of the principal cast members as well as a photo of a glowing golden egg where we see some pretty ominous – fans rejoice everywhere! – dragon eyes watching on.

A trailer for the series was released late last year, and teased key characters like Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon Targaryen and Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower.

The new photos give us a better look at the cast of characters: Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), the dragon-riding firstborn child of the current ruler, King Viserys (Paddy Considine); Rhaenyra’s uncle Prince Daemon (Matt Smith); Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) and his daughter Alicent (Olivia Cooke); and Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), a.k.a. the Sea Snake, the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros.

August 21. #HouseoftheDragonpic.twitter.com/xH6T7b9sa9

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) March 30, 2022

House of the Dragon takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and will detail the peak of the Targaryen empire in Westeros.

The series will chronicle the events leading up to and surrounding the Dance of the Dragons, which is the name given to the civil war that broke out among the Targaryens over succession of the Iron Throne.

Game of Thrones author George RR Martin said in a blog post: “For what it’s worth, those who have read [my novel] Fire & Blood will realise it contains enough materials for a dozen shows. “I can say that there will be dragons. Everyone else has said that, so why not me?”

House of the Dragon was said to be the second spin-off series idea that was floated in the aftermath of Game of Thrones’ massive success (another prequel starring Naomi Watts was cancelled).

Milly Alcock and Emily Carey appear as younger versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent in House of the Dragon. Picture: HBO

Smith, who’s most known for playing Doctor Who, will play one of the lead roles, Prince Daemon Targaryen – King Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) younger brother.

“Daemon is a peerless warrior and a dragon rider who possesses the true blood of the dragon,” HBO said in a statement.

“But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air …”

Meanwhile, Emma D’Arcy will play Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen – the king’s firstborn child and a dragon rider.

“She is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragon rider,” the statement read. “Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything … but she was not born a man.”

The new series will consist of 10 episodes.

House Of The Dragon will be available to stream on Binge and watch on Foxtel from August 22, along with the previous seasons of Game Of Thrones

Originally published as Release date for Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon confirmed