Just a few days ahead of the Season 2 premiere of Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon, HBO has confirmed that the show will be continuing to a third season. The news does not come as a huge surprise as the show drew huge digital viewership numbers in its first season (and decent linear viewing stats), and it is a continuation of the premium cable network’s lucrative GoT franchise. HBO Executive Vice President Francesca Orsi had the following to say about the renewal:
George, Ryan, and the rest of our incredible executive producers, cast, and crew, have reached new heights with the phenomenal second season of House of the Dragon. We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart. We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for season three.
George R.R. Martin already announced that work was progressing on Seasons 3 and 4 of the show, but there was no official renewal in place at that time. And it is possible that this show could wrap up around its fourth season for several reasons. For one, it is very expensive to produce and the television networks and streaming services have been trying to cut back on costs. Also, it is based on just one book, so there is not as much source material driving it, though it is always possible that it could carry on beyond the Fire & Blood novel it is based on. Don’t be surprised if its fourth or fifth season gets announced as its last, even though the showrunner has said he expects the end to be “many years down the road”, but that should at least give the creative team sufficient time to cover the story of the Targaryen conquest.
With this renewal, the Cancellation/Renewal Score for the current season now stands at 27 renewed sci fi and fantasy entries (39% of shows tracked) vs. 16 cancelled and ending (23%). You can see the breakdown of the numbers and the full list of shows for the current and prior seasons at our Cancellation Watch Page.
House of the Dragon takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and tells the story of the House of Targaryen and how the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen conquest. It stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, and Steve Toussaint and is based on George R.R. Martin’s novel Fire & Blood.
We are almost at the end of the 2023-24 season and I expect more announcements to come over the next week or so. You can see the status of all this season’s shows at this link. And be sure to follow this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for updates and breaking news.
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
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