An epic fantasy series starring a Oldham's Olivia Cooke will return, it has been announced.

House Of The Dragon will return for a third series, HBO has announced.

The news comes ahead of series two of the epic fantasy series, a prequel to Game Of Thrones, which is drawing to an end

Based on George RR Martin’s series of novels A Song Of Ice And Fire, the show stars a host of British talent including Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke.

HBO announced the news with a video posted to Instagram of a dragon breathing golden fire which disperses to reveal the words “season 3”.

“The Dance of the Dragons continues”, the US network wrote alongside the post.

“#HouseOfTheDragon has been renewed for Season 3, ahead of its Season 2 premiere this Sunday on @streamonmax.”

Martin’s original books chronicled the former rulers of the fictional world of Westeros, called the House Targaryen, who had been overthrown in the HBO series Game Of Thrones.

Season two of House Of The Dragon sees Westeros on the brink of a bloody civil war as the Green and Black Councils fight for King Aegon and Queen Rhaenyra, respectively.

The upcoming season will see Smith return as Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), and D’Arcy reprises her role as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the king’s first-born child who is of pure Valyrian blood and a dragon rider.

At the end of the first series, Viserys died leaving his wife Alicent Hightower (Cooke), his son Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and closest adviser, Hand of the King, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), to fight as the greens with the black faction leader Rhaenyra over the crown.

In a Sky Atlantic teaser trailer, Rhaenyra pledges that she “will fight this war and win it” while Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon urges her to take action.

Daemon is also heard saying: “Our terms are very simple: Renounce the false king and bend the knee to the queen, or your house burns.”

Sky said the new cast includes Raised By Wolves actor Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Glow star Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Cucumber actor Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, The Death Of Stalin star Sir Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong and 300 star Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.

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