MANILA, Philippines – Still reeling from the finale of House of the Dragon season two? Fret not because the highly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel has been confirmed to run for four seasons.
Showrunner and co-creator Ryan Condal made the announcement on Monday, August 5, during a press conference for the season two finale.
“There are so many great events that we are already writing [about] in season three as it is,” he said, according to a Deadline report. “There’s gonna be giant moments of spectacle but real moments of surprise and character nuance that we’re very much looking forward to.”
After confirming that the third season is currently being written and the production is slated for early 2025, the showrunner added that the hit medieval fantasy series will conclude with a fourth season.
However, Condal didn’t disclose plot details for the upcoming seasons. As to whether the next two seasons will only have eight episodes like the second season, Condal said that he hadn’t had “discussions with HBO” about it yet. “I would just anticipate the cadence of the show, from a dramatic storytelling perspective, will continue to be the same from season two on,” he was quoted by Variety.
Among the highlights featured in the season two finale was Otto Hightower, the former Hand of the King and father of Alivent, played by Rhys Ifans, seemingly being imprisoned.
Condal also acknowledged the fans’ queries as to why the season did not end with the Battle of the Gullets between the Blacks and Greens, saying that the showrunners are “building up to the event.” “It will be the biggest thing to date we have pulled off. We want to have the time and space to do that at a level that will excite the fans,” he added.
Condal continued that as a showrunner, they are trying to “balance storytelling and resources available to tell the story.” “We have to render an exciting TV adaptation of this story, knowing there will be a percentage of the gigantic TV audience that has not read the book. We are constantly trying to serve both worlds,” he said.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. It tells the history of the House Targaryen and the Targaryen civil war that became known as the “Dance of the Dragons.”
The first season premiered in August 2022. As of writing, target release dates for its third season has yet to be announced.
Game of Thrones, which premiered in 2011, is a medieval fantasy series that bagged several awards during its eight-year run. The series’ finale, which aired in May 2019, was polarizing for fans. – with additional reports from Fore Esperanza/Rappler.com
Fore Esperanza is a Rappler intern. She’s taking up English language studies at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.
