HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Renewed for Season 3 Ahead of Season 2 Premiere

The hit “Game of Thrones” spinoff secures a third season, showcasing its immense popularity even before the second season’s debut

In a testament to the enduring success of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” franchise, the network has announced the renewal of “House of the Dragon” for a third season, even before the premiere of its second season on June 16.

The “Game of Thrones” spinoff, co-created by Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin, the author of the original series, has emerged as a massive hit. The show’s debut set a new record for the largest premiere audience of any original series on HBO and HBO Max (now Max). The first season averaged an impressive 29 million viewers per episode across both linear and streaming platforms. Following this success, it was swiftly renewed for a second season just a week after its series premiere.

“House of the Dragon” is adapted from Martin’s book “Fire & Blood” and chronicles the Targaryen dynasty on the fictional continent of Westeros. The storyline is set nearly 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones” and approximately 100 years after the Targaryens unified the Seven Kingdoms.

Francesca Orsi, HBO’s head of programming and drama series, expressed her enthusiasm in a statement: “George, Ryan, and the rest of our incredible executive producers, cast, and crew have reached new heights with the phenomenal second season. 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.”

The upcoming second season will feature new cast members including Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.

Alongside Condal, who served as the showrunner for Season 2, and Martin, the show is executive produced by Sara Hess, Alan Taylor, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, and Vince Gerardis.

“House of the Dragon” has garnered significant acclaim, earning nine Emmy nominations, including one for outstanding drama series, and two Golden Globe nominations, winning the Globe for best drama TV series for its first season.

In addition to “House of the Dragon,” HBO is developing another “Game of Thrones” prequel series, “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” based on the characters Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, from Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” books. Martin also announced that a new pilot for the “Thrones” spinoff “Ten Thousand Ships” is being written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Eboni Booth, although HBO has not confirmed if the project is in active development.