George RR Martin reveals preparations are already underway for House of the Dragon seasons 3 and 4, and calls the season 2 episodes "powerful and heartbreaking."
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| Image Credit: HBO Max |
Still working on the sixth A Song of Ice and Fire novel, George RR Martin wrote a post on his blog to recap his recent trip to London, whose schedule included a meeting with the publisher of his novel, the team behind the stage adaptation of Westeros and the authors of House of the Dragon, who screened the first two episodes of the second season for him.
“The highlight of the trip was the preview Ryan [showrunner Ryan Condal] gave me of the first two episodes of House of the Dragon season 2,” reads the Game of Thrones writer's blog. “Of course, I'm not at all objective when I talk about something based on my work… but I have to say that I thought both episodes were simply fantastic. And they're not even finished yet. I'm very dark. They might make you cry. I didn't cry, but one of my friends did. Powerful, emotional, heartbreaking. Just the kind of thing I like. What can I say? I was weaned on Shakespeare and love tragedies and historical plays more than anything.”
Martin was not only able to preview the first two episodes of the second season - the first trailer of which was published a few days ago and whose release is scheduled for summer 2024 - the author also "spent two days closed in a Room” with showrunner Condal and his writing staff to talk about the show's third and fourth seasons.
The Game of Thrones prequel series has yet to be officially renewed by HBO, but Martin has already confirmed that House of the Dragon will consist of 4 seasons in total, with 10 episodes each. “We are making four full seasons of 10 episodes each to do Dance of the Dragons justice, from start to finish.”
In early conversations about seasons three and four, Martin said: “It was a lively, fun discussion and we got some good work done… even though two days wasn't nearly enough. There is so much ground to cover that I'm not sure even 20 days would have been enough."
Martin was also happy to be able to visit the series' London set, a visit that was delayed by the WGA strike. “All I have to say about it is… oh my God! Nothing I've seen can compare to the Red Keep and Dragonstone sets they built at Leavesden Studios in London. Huge, stunning and so damn real I thought I had passed through a portal to Westeros.”
The second season of House of the Dragon will kick off the Targaryen civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons. Based on the first trailer, the season promises a violent battle for succession, family betrayals, and lots of fire. The series, set nearly two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones, stars Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno and Rhys. Ifans. Other cast members include Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, and Matthew Needham.
Source: Variety