Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon to debut in August

HBO announced on Wednesday that its hotly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, will debut on August 21.

House of the Dragon takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, a medieval fantasy series that became a global phenomenon during its eight-season run.

The new 10-episode series will be based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood and will tell the story of House Targaryen, HBO said.

The network announced House of the Dragon at an event in 2019 to stir enthusiasm for the HBO Max streaming service. The drama also will be available on HBO television.

The series stars Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, a warm and kind man chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne.

It also stars Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, a secret lover of Prince Daemon, Fabien Frankel as Sir Criston Cole the Lord commander to King Viserys and Emily Carey as Alicent Hightower the second wife of King.

Based on the well-known books by Martin, the series first aired its pilot episode in 2011 and ended with the eighth and final season in 2019.