Game of Thrones is coming back in a big way. The prequel show House of the Dragons – announced shortly after the ending of the original series in 2019 – has just been slated for its debut on August 21, according to Variety and an announcement from HBO on Wednesday. In addition to the new announcement, HBO released a new poster image for the series, pictured below:

Dance of the Dragons, based on the book A Dance With Dragons is set 200 years before the events of the original series and depicts the story of the fall of House Targaryen from just before the events of the disastrous civil war known as the ‘Dance of the Dragons’ to the bitter end of the house’s rein over the Iron Throne.

This premiere comes as a headstart for big-budget fantasy series this year, with Amazon Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power streaming just two weeks later on September 2.

Despite monumental expectations for a follow-up to one of the highest-grossing shows of all time, fans are excited after George R.R. Martin (Fire & Blood, Elden Ring) shouted praise for the show on his personal blog. Watch the first of the series of trailers for the series below.