House of the Dragon returns to HBO and Max on Sunday, June 21, with its third season. The premiere airs at 9 p.m. ET. Eight episodes follow, with the season finale scheduled for August 9.

The season picks up from the Targaryen civil war. Matt Smith returns as Prince Daemon Targaryen and Emma D’Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra. Olivia Cooke is back as Queen Alicent Hightower, and Steve Toussaint returns as Lord Corlys Velaryon.

New cast members joining this season include James Norton as Lord Ormund Hightower, Tommy Flanagan as Lord Roderick Dustin, and Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly. Tom Cullen, Joplin Sibtain, and Barry Sloane also have roles.

Showrunner Ryan Condal described the premiere episode as “arguably the craziest episode of television ever made.” The opening is built around the Battle of the Gullet, the large-scale dragon combat that has been teased since season two.

HBO released the official final trailer in late May. The footage shows full-scale warfare across Westeros, with multiple dragons in combat. Industry analysts expect this to be the network’s biggest premiere of the year.

The prequel series is based on George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel “Fire and Blood.” It began in 2022 and built a large global audience through its first two seasons, with the show averaging over 30 million viewers per episode across platforms during season two.

Fans can watch the premiere live on HBO or stream it on Max immediately after broadcast. New episodes drop weekly through the summer. The show remains one of the most watched series on the platform globally.

For viewers who missed earlier seasons, all prior episodes are available on Max. Season three has no confirmed renewal beyond its current run, though HBO has not ruled out a fourth season.

The season arrives just days before other major streaming releases, including the final season of The Bear on Hulu and Toy Story 5 in theaters. Competition for audience attention this summer is unusually high. HBO has positioned House of the Dragon as its anchor series for the period.

According to HBO, the season is now filming its final promotional campaign ahead of the Sunday launch.