Summary
WithHouse of the Dragonseason 2 being highly anticipated by fans,franchise creator George R.R. Martin has highlighted one massive way the upcoming season stands aboveGame of Thrones.
Adapted from Martin’s 2018 bookFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set almost two centuries before the events of theGame of Thrones,telling the story of the succession war that destroyed House Targaryen from within, aptly named the Dance of the Dragons. The show was a massive (and instant) success, with theHouse of the Dragonfinale scoring massive viewership ratings. As a result of its performance,House of the Dragon would get renewed for season two almost as soon as it hit the streamer in 2022.
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House of the Dragonseason 2 managed to carry ondespite the actors' strike, a surprising state of affairs revealed by author Martin, who has now gotten a good look at what’s coming. Posting to hisNot A Blog blog, the author discussed the upcoming season and highlighted one way he sawHouse of the Dragonseason 2 as more impressive than the critically acclaimed adaptation of hisGame of Thrones:the show’s large, elaborate sets for its iconic location. Martin described the sets as more impressive than even the most renowned real-life examples still standing today and likened the effect of being there in person to time travel.
Nothing I have ever seen can compare with the Red Keep and Dragonstone sets they have built at Leavesden Studios in London,” Martin wrote. “HUGE, stunning, and so damned real that I felt as if I had gone through a time portal to medieval Westeros. I love castles and have visited dozens of actual medieval castles, keeps, and towers in my time, and none of the real castles I’ve ever seen can hold a candle… or a torch… to our Red Keep.
While there, Martin watched rough cuts of the upcoming season’s first two episodes, which he described as powerful, emotional, and very dark, among other things. This is high praise from Martin, who also related positive discussions on a third and fourth season for the hit show, despiteHouse of the Dragonseason 2 getting updatesjust last month and still not having any premiere date set for Max. “I also spent two days locked in a room with [showrunner] Ryan Condal and his writing staff talking about the third and fourth seasons of ‘House of the Dragon,’” Martin relayed. “They were lively, fun discussions, and we got some good work done… though two days was not nearly enough. There is so much ground to cover that I am not sure twenty days would have been enough.”
All this is great news for fans, who will no doubt enjoy the epic sets and the early talk of moreHouse of the Dragoncoming after season two. With Martin so closely involved and the source material finished, the show is also far less likely to repeat thefinal season mistakes that arguably ruinedGame of Thrones,a welcome relief for everyone.
House of the Dragonseason 2 is scheduled to be released on HBO and HBO Max in summer 2024.
House of the Dragon
An internal succession war within House Targaryen at the height of its power, 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.
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