After a long wait, HBO finally announced the official premiere date of "Game of Thrones" season 7.

The new season is scheduled to begin airing on Sunday, July 16. HBO tried to make the premiere date a bit of an event by having fans tune in to a Facebook Live video on Thursday. Anticipating fans who viewed the footage were welcomed by a block of ice and they were instructed to leave comments, particularly the term "fire," to melt the ice and show the release date. The stream had more than 100,000 viewers when it suddenly cut to black without revealing when the series would return to the airwaves. After a third attempt, the date was eventually unveiled.

"Game of Thrones" usually debuts in the spring, but filming for the series had to be pushed back a bit later this year. The showrunners previously explained that production was delayed to allow for colder weather at the series' outdoor locations. This means that the show won't be qualified for the Emmy Awards — despite previously winning two Best Drama awards — because the Emmy eligibility cut-off is on May 31.

Back in season 6, fans were happy to see various characters connect after years of being miles apart. Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who plays Bran Stark, spoke with Entertainment Weekly and he confirmed that more major characters will cross paths when season 7 picks up.

"Connections," the actor said when asked for one word that best describes the next installment. "Take that how you will."

It has been rumored that there will be a Stark reunion in the series, but Bran might not be able to reconnect with his siblings anytime soon. Hempstead-Wright teased that Bran will be spending most of this season out in the woods, afraid and defenseless.

"He's only with Meera [Ellie Kendrick] now, and he's out in the middle of nowhere, so it's not looking great ... He's a piece on the chessboard that has to make a move, and he hasn't got any moves," the 17-year-old added.