HBO is yet to order another run – but the team are prepared if they do.
House of the Dragon fans are gearing up for what looks set to be an action-packed second season, but the show’s creative team are already busy thinking about the as-yet-unconfirmed third instalment.
The Game of Thrones prequel explores the so-called Dance of the Dragons; a bloody conflict waged by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) over who should inherit the throne.
The series has faced two big challenges in its short history, with the first season having to enforce strict pandemic protocols during production, while the second was affected by last year’s Writers Guild of America (WGA) strikes.
This didn’t completely halt production, however, with showrunner Ryan Condal telling Entertainment Weekly that scripts were written well ahead of time – and that approach has also been taken towards season 3.
“We were prepared for it,” Condal says. “The writing really was done. The writing is always done on the show because it has to be. You cannot prep a show that is this complex [otherwise].”
The screenwriter and producer told the publication that they are deep into writing the season 3 scripts, in the event of a renewal from HBO, with his main hope being that they can enjoy working on those episodes “without external influences slowing us down”.
When grilled on whether House of the Dragon season 3 could be the final instalment, Condal didn’t give a conclusive answer, but acknowledged the importance of getting the ending right after Game of Thrones so infamously botched its own.
“You certainly don’t want to rush to get to an end, but you also don’t want to overstay your welcome,” he explained.
“You want to find this very satisfying place to go out that ties up enough loose ends and leaves others intentionally open because, as we know, this history marches on for another 150 years to Daenerys.”
In addition to D’Arcy and Cooke, House of the Dragon also stars Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Rhys Ifans (Spider-Man), Steve Toussaint (Rain Dogs), Eve Best (The Crown) and Fabien Frankel (The Serpent), among many others.
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House of the Dragon returns to Sky and NOW on Monday 17th June 2024 – sign up to Sky TV here.
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