George R.R. Martin hopes House of the Dragon beats Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

gamesradar.com:

George R.R. Martin supports both House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – but he hopes that the Game of Thrones spin-off beats the Middle-earth show anyway. The two TV series will be releasing at the same time this year, which means we've got an epic fantasy showdown on our hands… though that's not quite how Martin sees it. 

"I know a lot of articles, the minute the dates were announced, it's: 'Oh, the battle for fantasy supremacy. It's Rings of Power versus House of Dragon, who will win?' I don't know why they always have to do that," the author told The Independent (opens in new tab). 

But, that doesn't mean Martin is entirely neutral. "I hope both shows succeed. I'm competitive enough. I hope we succeed more," he said. "If they win six Emmys, and I hope they do, I hope we win seven. But, nonetheless, it's good for fantasy. I love fantasy. I love science fiction."

House of the Dragon arrives this August 21 and will drop an episode weekly. The Rings of Power, meanwhile, lands on September 2 and also releases a new episode each week. Both shows are prequels to their respective franchises – House of the Dragon is set hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones and focuses on the Targaryen family and their civil war, which became known as the Dance of Dragons. 

The Rings of Power, meanwhile, is set in the Second Age, long before the events of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, though Elrond and Galadriel will be showing up (but played by different actors).

While you wait for the fantasy shows to arrive, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows streaming now to fill out your watchlist.