When Game of Thrones (GoT) came to a close with season eight’s controversial ending in 2019, fans were left wondering if the franchise was finished forever.
HBO, the broadcaster behind the programme, saw that ending as just the beginning of a much larger cinematic universe.
Almost immediately, multiple spin-off projects were announced, including a now-cancelled Naomi Watts pilot that set the studio back £24.9million.
However, the first new series is here: the prequel show House of the Dragon, which is similarly boasting an impressive ensemble cast from Dr Who’s Matt Smith to Sound of Metal’s Oliva Cooke.
Development on the show has been in full swing since October 2020 and now GoT fans can jump back into the universe they fell in love with in 2011.
How to watch House of the Dragon in the UK
House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO Max in the USA on August 21.
For UK viewers, that streaming platform is not available, but there are a couple of options to still see the show.
Sky Atlantic will be broadcasting the first season, with the pilot episode airing on August 22.
It will also be available to NOW via the Entertainment package, which costs £9.99 per month.
There will be 10 episodes in total, each dropping weekly.
It seemed unlikely the UK would get HBO Max until 2025 at the earliest, due to HBO and Sky having a pre-existing agreement to air content in the country.
However, there is a planned relaunch for HBO Max in summer 2023 over in the USA, due to its merger with Discovery+.
It isn’t clear what the new streaming service will look at this stage, or if it will change the UK arrangement.
For now, all things GoT are aired on Sky and NOW in the UK.
What is House of the Dragon about?
House of the Dragon is set around 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones and will follow the collapse of the Targaryens' once-powerful reign.
It is adapted from George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood novel, which is an account of the Targaryen history over the generations.
Near the end of the book, it covers an event known as the Dance of the Dragons, which charts the extinction of the creatures during a bloody civil war.
The famous family implodes into civil war, paving the way for audiences to find them as just two lost siblings generations later in GoT.
Get the latest updates as the House of the Dragon series airs with the Dragon Watch newsletter. Sign up here.
