House of the Dragon received a straight-to-series order in October 2019, withRyan Condal andMiguel Sapochnik serving as showrunners. The series premiered on August 21, 2022, with thefirst season consisting of ten episodes. The series was renewed for asecond season five days after its premiere. Sapochnik departed asshowrunner after the first season, leaving Condal as the sole showrunner for the second season. The second season premiered on June 16, 2024, with eight episodes. The series was renewed for athird season in June 2024, which is expected to consist of eight episodes and to be released in 2026. A fourth and final season is in development and expected to be released in 2028.
Milly Alcock (right) as young Rhaenyra Targaryen and Emily Carey (left) as young Alicent Hightower
Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen (season 1; uncredited season 2): The fifth king of the Seven Kingdoms. Known as "a warm, kind, and decent man", Viserys was chosen by a council of lords to succeed his grandfather, Jaehaerys I, as king. Viserys is the firstborn son of Jaehaerys's second son Baelon and his sister-wife Alyssa. Viserys is a former dragonrider who was bonded to the dragon Balerion and its last rider before its death.
Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen: The younger brother of Viserys I and uncle / second husband of Rhaenyra Targaryen. Known as the "Rogue Prince" for his unpredictable behavior, Daemon is a fierce warrior and wields the Valyrian steel sword Dark Sister. He is a formidable dragonrider who is bonded to the dragon Caraxes, also known as the "Blood Wyrm".
Emma D'Arcy asRhaenyra Targaryen: Viserys I Targaryen's daughter andheir apparent, the firstborn and only surviving child of Viserys and his first wife, Queen Aemma Arryn. She was praised as the "Realm's Delight" during her youth. She is crowned queen by her supporters, the "Blacks", after her step-mother and former friend, Alicent Hightower,usurped the throne for her own son – Rhaenyra's half-brother – by claiming that Viserys changed his successor with his dying breath. Rhaenyra is a dragonrider who is bonded to the dragon Syrax.
Milly Alcock portrays young Rhaenyra Targaryen (season 1; guest season 2)
Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower: Alicent Hightower's father and Viserys I'sHand of the King. He continues to hold his position under Aegon II, until being replaced with Ser Criston Cole. When his daughter became queen, he began plotting to put her eldest son Aegon on the Iron Throne, instead of Rhaenyra.
Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon: The Lord of Driftmark and head of House Velaryon, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the Seven Kingdoms. Known as "the Sea Snake", he is the most famous seafarer in Westerosi history. He is Viserys I's Master of Ships until his resignation and later becomes Rhaenyra's Hand of the Queen.
Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen (seasons 1–2): Viserys and Daemon's older cousin and the wife of Lord Corlys Velaryon. Rhaenys is the only child of Aemon Targaryen, Jaehaerys I's late heir apparent and oldest son, and Jocelyn Baratheon, Jaehaerys' half-sister. Known as the "Queen Who Never Was", she was once a candidate to succeed her grandfather as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms but was passed over in favor of her younger cousin Viserys due to her gender. She is a formidable dragonrider who is bonded to the dragon Meleys, also known as the "Red Queen".
Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria: A foreign-bornbrothel dancer who rose to become Daemon Targaryen'sparamour and most trusted confidante until they eventually parted ways. She is later known as the "White Worm" and leads a network of spies throughoutKing's Landing and becomes Rhaenyra's advisor.
Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole: A skilled swordsman from the Dornish Marches and the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven, who is hand-picked by Rhaenyra to become a member of Viserys I's Kingsguard. He later replaces Ser Harrold Westerling as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard following the ascension of Aegon II, and also replaces Ser Otto Hightower as Hand of the King.
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower: Rhaenyra Targaryen's childhoodcompanion and later the second wife and queen consort of Viserys I. She is raised in the Red Keep as part of the King's inner circle and is known as the comeliest woman in the court.
Emily Carey portrays young Alicent Hightower (season 1)
Graham McTavish as Ser Harrold Westerling (season 1): A seasoned knight of the Kingsguard who has served the Crown since the reign of Jaehaerys I. He is tasked with watching over and protecting Rhaenyra. He replaces Ser Ryam Redwyne as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and later resigns from his position before Aegon II's ascension.
Matthew Needham as Lord Larys Strong: The younger son of Lord Lyonel Strong, he is known as "Clubfoot" due to abirth abnormality that causes him to walk with a limp. He is Alicent's trusted confidant and serves as the Lord Confessor and later Aegon II's Master of Whisperers. He also succeeds his father as Lord of Harrenhal and head of House Strong.
Lord Jason Lannister: The Lord of Casterly Rock, head of House Lannister and Warden of the West. An arrogant hunter and a warrior, he unsuccessfully vies for Rhaenyra's hand.
Ser Tyland Lannister: Lord Jason Lannister's younger twin brother and a cunning politician. He replaces Lord Corlys Velaryon as Viserys I's Master of Ships and later switches his position to replace Lord Lyman Beesbury as Aegon II's Master of Coin.
Harry Collett as Jacaerys ("Jace") Velaryon: The firstborn son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and her first husband, Ser Laenor Velaryon, and Rhaenyra's heir apparent. He is a dragonrider who is bonded to the young dragon Vermax.
Leo Hart portrays young Jacaerys Velaryon (guest season 1)
Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen: The sixth king of the Seven Kingdoms. He is the firstborn son of Viserys I Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, half-brother to Rhaenyra Targaryen, husband to his sister-wife Helaena, and father to her children. Despite the best efforts of his mother, his hedonism and depravity are legendary in King's Landing's Street of Silk. He is a dragonrider who is bonded to the young dragon Sunfyre.
Ty Tennant portrays young Aegon Targaryen (guest season 1)
Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen: The third child and second son of Viserys I and Alicent Hightower. He is known as "Aemond One-Eye" after losing his left eye in a brawl with his nephews and has grown to become a fearsome and aggressive warrior. He aspires to be a dragonrider and later claims the old dragon Vhagar, also known as the "Queen of All Dragons".
Leo Ashton portrays young Aemond Targaryen (guest season 1)
Bethany Antonia as Lady Baela Targaryen: The elder daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon. She is a dragonrider who is bonded to the young dragon Moondancer.
Shani Smethurst portrays young Baela Targaryen (guest season 1)
Phoebe Campbell as Lady Rhaena Targaryen: The younger daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon. She is in possession of a dragon egg, although it has yet to hatch.
Eva Ossei-Gerning portrays young Rhaena Targaryen (guest season 1)
Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen: The secondborn child and only daughter of Viserys I and Alicent Hightower, sister-wife of Aegon II, and mother to his children. She has a unique interest in bugs and often speaks in cryptic prophetic language. She is a dragonrider who is bonded to the dragon Dreamfyre.
Evie Allen portrays young Helaena Targaryen (guest season 1)
Kurt Egyiawan as Grand Maester Orwyle (season 2; recurring season 1): A maester of the Citadel who replaces Mellos as the Grand Maester on Viserys I's Small Council and continues to hold his position under Aegon II.
Kieran Bew as Hugh Hammer (season 2): A blacksmith from King's Landing who struggles to care for his sick daughter. He later reveals himself to be a Targaryen bastard, the grandson of Jaehaerys I, and claims the dragon Vermithor, also known as "The Bronze Fury".
Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull (season 2): Lord Corlys Velaryon's bastard son and a sailor in service to House Velaryon who saved Corlys' life in the Stepstones.
Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark (season 2): The young Lord of Winterfell, head of House Stark and Warden of the North.
Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull (season 2): Lord Corlys Velaryon's bastard son, Alyn's brother, and a shipwright in the Velaryon fleet. He is later pursued by the dragon Seasmoke, who chooses Addam to be his dragonrider.
Tom Bennett as Ulf White (season 2): A denizen of King's Landing who claims to be a Targaryen bastard and the half-brother of Viserys I and Daemon Targaryen. He later claims the dragon Silverwing.
Ellora Torchia as Kat (season 2): Hugh's wife and mother to his daughter.
Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower (season 2): The son of Ser Otto Hightower and older brother of Alicent Hightower.
Will Willoughby portrays young Gwayne Hightower (uncredited season 1)
Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers (season 2): A mysterious healer at Harrenhal in service to House Strong.
Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong (season 2): The great-uncle of Lord Larys Strong and the castellan of Harrenhal.
Show creators and executive producers Ryan Condal (left) and George R. R. Martin (right)
In 2015, withGame of Thrones still in production,HBO executives approachedA Song of Ice and Fire writerGeorge R. R. Martin regarding possible successors orspin-offs to the series.[25] In November 2018, Martin stated that a "potential spin-off series would be solidly based on material inFire & Blood."[26]Game of Thrones creatorsDavid Benioff andD. B. Weiss stated they wanted to "move on" from the franchise and declined involvement in subsequent projects.[27] By September 2019, aGame of Thrones prequel series from Martin andRyan Condal that "tracks the beginning of the end forHouse Targaryen" was close to receiving a pilot order from HBO.[28] The following month,House of the Dragon was given a straight-to-series order.[29] Condal andMiguel Sapochnik, who won anEmmy Award for directing the episode "Battle of the Bastards", were selected to serve asshowrunners.[30] In 2016, Condal pitched the idea of a series based on Martin'sTales of Dunk and Egg, however HBO initially passed on it.[31] The series begins 172 years before the events ofGame of Thrones during the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen, ultimately leading to the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.[32][33] The project is a reworking of the rejected spin-off concept fromGame of Thrones writerBryan Cogman, on which HBO officially passed.[34]
On August 26, 2022, less than a week after its premiere, the series was renewed for a second season.[41] On August 31, Miguel Sapochnik stepped down as director and co-showrunner for the second season, but remained an executive producer.[42]Alan Taylor, who directedGame of Thrones episodes, joined in season two and serves as an executive producer and director.[43] On his personal blog in December 2023, Martin stated the third and fourth seasons are being written.[44] In June 2024, ahead of the second-season premiere, the series was renewed for a third season,[45] which will also consist of eight episodes.[5] After the second season finished airing in August 2024, Condal said the series is intended to end after the fourth season.[46] In November 2025, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which is expected to be released in 2028.[47] In January 2026, Condal confirmed that the fourth season would be last season ofHouse of the Dragon.[48]
It was very important for Miguel and I to create a show that was not another bunch of white people on the screen. We wanted to find a way to put diversity in the show, but we didn't want to do it in a way that felt like it was an afterthought or, worse,tokenism.
In the novels, members of House Velaryon are generally described as having "silver-gold hair, pale skin, and violet eyes", similar to the Targaryens.[50] However, Condal and Sapochnik wanted to introduce more racial diversity with its casting.[51]Game of Thrones was criticized for lacking a diverse cast and including culturalstereotypes.[52][53] As a result, House Velaryon are portrayed as black in the television series.[54] According to Condal, Martin, while writing the novels, considered making the Velaryons a house of blackaristocrats who traveled to Westeros from the culturally diverse area ofValyria.[54] Despite initial fan criticism of the ethnicity change,[55] publications and commentators stated it helped distinguish between the large number of characters between the two families.[56][57]
Fire & Blood is written in the style of ahistory book authored by an in-universe fictional historian studying the Targaryen dynasty and various civil conflicts.[58] The novels ofA Song of Ice and Fire, however, are more immersive, with each chapter written in athird-person limited perspective from the immediatepoint of view of a character.[59] As a result, some accounts of events recorded inFire & Blood are second-hand narrations that are potentially speculative or distorted, thereforemaking the narrator unreliable from the reader's perspective.[60] In an effort to make the story more clear for viewers, the show writers decided to portray the book events in chronological order from a third-person perspective.[61]
In 2025, showrunner Ryan Condal discussed creative tensions with author George R. R. Martin, citing disagreements over the adaptation of material from Martin'sFire & Blood. In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Condal described their past collaboration as "mutually fruitful" but noted that differences had developed regarding the show's narrative direction.[62]
The reported friction followed a since-deleted blog post from Martin in September 2024, in which he criticized changes made by Condal andHBO to the source material. Condal stated that he became aware of the post secondhand and expressed disappointment over the situation. He defended creative choices made in the series, including the exclusion of the characterMaelor Targaryen from season 2, citing production limitations and the interpretive nature ofFire & Blood, which presents events as historical accounts rather than definitive canon.[63][62]
Condal acknowledged the difficulty of adapting a complex, expansive narrative within the constraints of television production and expressed hope for a future reconciliation with Martin.[64]
In January 2025,James Norton was announced to have joined the cast for the third season as Lord Ormund Hightower.[73] In March 2025,Tommy Flanagan andDan Fogler were announced to have joined the cast as Lord Roderick Dustin and Ser Torrhen Manderly respectively.[74] In April 2025,Tom Cullen,Joplin Sibtain, andBarry Sloane were announced to have joined the cast as Ser Luthor Largent, Ser Jon Roxton, and Ser Adrian Redfort respectively.[75] In July 2025, Annie Shapero was announced to have joined the cast as Alysanne Blackwood.[76]
Principal photography on the ten-episode first season of the series began in April 2021.[77] The series was filmed primarily in the United Kingdom.[78] The Spanish publicationHoy reported thatHouse of the Dragon would be filmed in theProvince of Cáceres in western Spain between October 11–21, 2021.[79] The provincial capital ofCáceres along with the medieval town ofTrujillo were used in scenes forKing's Landing.[80] From October 26–31, the series was filmed in Portugal at theCastle of Monsanto.[81] The majority of season 1 was shot usingArri Alexa cameras; specificallyAlexa 65s for the main camera and theAlexa Mini LFs as additional cameras.[82]
The second season began filming on April 11, 2023, at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden inWatford, England,[89] and moved to Cáceres, Spain on May 18, 2023.[90][91] The series continued filming throughout the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[92] Despite the show originating in the United States, the largely British cast works under local rules governed by the sister unionEquity.[93] Filming wrapped by September 29, 2023.[94]
Filming for the third season began on March 21, 2025, at Leavesden Studios, Watford[95] and wrapped by that October.[96]
It was announced in February 2021 thatRamin Djawadi would compose thescore for the series.[97] Djawadi had previously composed the music forGame of Thrones, which garnered him threeGrammy Awards nominations and twoEmmy Awards wins.[98][97] Djawadi and the showrunners opted to retain theGame of Thrones theme music forHouse of the Dragon. The track debuted in theopening credits of the second episode.[99] In an interview withThe A.V. Club, Djawadi stated that the original theme song was used to "tie the shows together".[100] For thefirst season's soundtrack, Djawadi, along with Condal and Sapochnik,watched each episode and made notes on when the music should occur and what mood the music should set.[101] Charactermotifs fromGame of Thrones are also featured inHouse of the Dragon, including the Dragon theme "Dracarys".[102]
Game of Thrones conlangerDavid J. Peterson returned to continue his work on theconstructed languageHigh Valyrian.[103] Peterson stated that, unlikeGame of Thrones,House of the Dragon features scene-long dialogue in High Valyrian.[104] In the series, High Valyrian is spoken by both Targaryens and Velaryons, requiring cast members to learn the language.[105] Emma D'Arcy reportedly enjoyed learning it, while Matt Smith initially dreaded it and found it daunting.[106]
The production budget of the first season ofHouse of the Dragon was nearly $200 million, which equates to an average of just below $20 million per episode.[107] In comparison,Game of Thrones cost around $100 million per season, beginning with nearly $6 million per episode from seasons one to five, around $10 million for every episode in seasons six and seven, and up to $15 million each episode in its eighth and final season, earning $285 million in profits per season over its eight seasons.[108][109] According toDeadline Hollywood, the marketing budget was over $100 million, comparable to the budget for ablockbuster theatrical film.[110]
House of the Dragon premiered on August 21, 2022.[111] It is HBO's first new series to stream in4K,Dolby VisionHDR andDolby Atmos on its sister streaming platformHBO Max.[112] The second season premiered on June 16, 2024.[113] The third season is expected to be released in mid-2026.[6]
In New Zealand, the series is distributed bySky'sSoHo TV channel andNeon streaming service.[114] In the Philippines,SKY broadcasts the show via its main cable television services and other digital streaming platforms.[115] In India,JioHotstar distributes the show.[116] In the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the series airs onSky Atlantic and its accompanying streaming serviceNow.[117] In Canada,House of the Dragon is available onBell Media'sCrave streaming service and itsHBO linear channel.[118] In Australia, the series is available for streaming onBinge andFoxtel.[119]
The first season was released on4K UHD Blu-ray (including aSteelBook special edition), standardBlu-ray, andDVD on December 20, 2022, and contains over an hour of behind-the-scenes features.[120] The second season was released on all the same physical media formats on November 19, 2024.[121]
On the review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 90% based on 875 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Covering an era of tenuous peace with ferocious – albeit abbreviated – focus,House of the Dragon is an impressive prequel that exemplifies thecourt intrigue that distinguished its predecessor."[122] OnMetacritic, which uses a weighted average, the first season received a score of 69 out of 100 based on 43 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[123]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season holds an approval rating of 84% based on 283 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Approaching its dynastic cataclysm with a deliberate stride rather than a charging gallop,House of the Dragon carefully sets up its emotional stakes to make the fiery spectacle all the more scorching."[124] On Metacritic, the second season received a score of 73 out of 100 based on 40 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[125]
The day after the series premiere, HBO said the episode had been viewed by an estimated 9.99 million viewers in the U.S. on its first night of availability – including linear viewers and streams on HBO Max – which it said was the largest single-day viewership for a series debut in the service's history, dethroningEuphoria.[126] After one week of availability, the viewership rose to nearly 25 million in the U.S. across all platforms.[127]Nielsen estimated that the episode was watched by 10.6 million viewers on HBO Max in the first four days, with the number increasing to 14.5 million when including the viewership on the main HBO channel.[a][129]
Season 2 had a debut of 7.8 million viewers across linear and streaming on its Sunday night premiere, which was a 22% viewership decline from the previous season which had 10 million. In Latin America, viewership was up 30% from season 1.[130] According toSamba TV, viewership for its initial airing of the premiere was watched by 1.3 million U.S. households, compared to 2.6 million for season 1.[131] The series garnered its highest streaming viewership for a particular week during the week of June 17–23, 2024, according to Nielsen, garnering a viewership of 1.23 billion minutes.[132]
Comparisons withThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Critics, fans, and publications have drawn comparisons betweenHouse of the Dragon and fantasy seriesThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power onAmazon Prime Video.The Rings of Power is a prequel series set thousands of years before the events ofJ. R. R. Tolkien'sThe Hobbit andThe Lord of the Rings, whileHouse of the Dragon is a prequel series set hundreds of years beforeGame of Thrones.[133] The similar fantasy genre, close release dates, and extensivefan bases were cited in articles comparing the two series.[3][134][135] Commentators and fans alike have described these comparisons as the "biggest battle inTV history".[136][137] More negative criticism from the two fan bases also included the character diversity, with some publications describing some of the criticism asracist.[138][139][140][141] Martin stated that although he hopes both shows are successful, he wants to seeHouse of the Dragon "succeed more."[142] Lindsey Weber, an executive producer forThe Rings of Power, stated that the head-to-head conflict between the two shows are "totally manufactured by the media for headlines".[137] Show co-creatorJ. D. Payne said the only competition he sees is with "themselves"; however, he wishes well for "anyone else working on storytelling".[143]
The budget forThe Rings of Power is almost $450 million more thanHouse of the Dragon.[107] Both series fared successfully in the ratings.[144] According to Nielsen and first-party data,The Rings of Power's first two episodes had more than 1.25 billion streaming minutes after three days of availability. In comparison, a few hours after the episode two premiere ofHouse of the Dragon, the show had reached more than 1.06 billion streaming minutes.[b][129][145] Following the season finale forHouse of the Dragon, weekly streaming viewership passed 1 billion viewing minutes for the first time.[145] According to Nielsen data,The Rings of Power has a higher percentage of older viewers, with more than 70% of viewers being over the age of 35.[146] In any given week,The Rings of Power tended to have more streams thanHouse of the Dragon given that the viewership ofHouse of the Dragon was split between those watching online and those watching on HBO channel while that ofThe Rings of Power was online only. However, following both series debuts, streaming viewership forThe Rings of Power decreased over the first season, whileHouse of the Dragon viewership increased. The viewership of individual episodes ofHouse of the Dragon also tended to increase over a number of weeks after the episodes became available while that ofThe Rings of Power dropped sharply after the first two weeks.[147] Despite the age gap in viewership, commentators have stated one of the reasons both shows did well was the consistent release schedule that helped createsocial-media buzz.[148][149] Both shows have highlighted the "streaming wars" between Amazon and HBO as well as in the wider entertainment industry.[150][151][152]
^Interview – HBO's House of the Dragon, Seinfeld, & Movie Memorabilia Podcast!.Beyond the Trailer (Video).YouTube. October 20, 2020. Event occurs at 12:20.Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. RetrievedMay 13, 2021.It's common knowledge that this is a prequel. So it takes place sometime before the show but its on a medieval timeline. Not much really changed through the Middle Ages.... 200 years in our timeline is a really long time whereas 200 years in theGame of Thrones world wouldn't be that much.
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