After the massive success of “Game of Thrones,” it’s clear that HBO is going to be dealing with author George R.R. Martin quite often, especially after the studio continues to add spinoffs to its slate. And we’ve already seen the relationship between Martin and HBO can be a little iffy, with Martin being unafraid to share his opinions on things. According to Casey Bloys, that’s just the cost of doing business.

Continue reading HBO Boss Talks “Rocky” Relationship With ‘Thrones’ Creator George R.R. Martin: “It Can Be Fraught” at The Playlist.

The Greens and The Blacks aren’t the only factions facing off in “House Of The Dragon.” THR reports that there’s another conflict behind the scenes between series co-creators George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal that could lead to some serious fallout. The “Game Of Thrones” creator used his blog this week to blast Condal for creative changes to the story “House Of The Dragon” Season 2.  

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’: George R.R. Martin Criticizes Ryan Condal’s Creative Choices In Deleted Blog Post: “Simpler Is Not Better” at The Playlist.

“House Of The Dragon” season two ended last night on HBO, Sunday, August 4, and some fans were left with mixed feelings. The finale was dubbed “anticlimactic” by a Variety review—no major battles, no significant deaths— but many suggested this was the point of building anticipation. Additionally, historically, “Game Of Thrones” used the same approach; its bigger battles were in the penultimate and antepenultimate episodes, and its finales were left for brooding, licking wounds, and the more fantastic wars to come.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’ Will End With Season 4, Season 3 Expected To Shoot Early 2025 at The Playlist.

In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo rides his dragon back to Westeros for “House of the Dragon.” The show premiered the first episode of season two on Max this past weekend and follows the internal war within House Targaryen 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. The show stars Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Ewan Mitchell, and more.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’: Showrunner, Ryan Condal Talks Season 2, & More [Bingeworthy Podcast] at The Playlist.

In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo sent a raven and rode a dragon back to Westeros to talk to “House of the Dragon” showrunner Ryan Condal. Condal created “House Of The Dragon” with George R. R. Martin and originally co-ran the show with “Game Of Thrones” director/producer Miguel Sapochnik. Sapochnik very publicly left the series after season one, leaving Condal to run the show on his own.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’ Showrunner Ryan Condal Says The Jon Snow Spin-Off Could Be More Interesting In 25 Years at The Playlist.

And in a shock to no one, Deadline reports that more “House Of The Dragon” is on the way, with HBO greenlighting Season 3 ahead of Season 2’s premiere on Sunday. “Game Of Thrones” fans knew such an announcement was imminent. The spin-off series still has plenty of story left to adapt from George R.R. Martin‘s 2018 book “Fire & Blood.” And next to “The Last Of Us,” “House Of The Dragon” is HBO’s biggest series right now; the network needs the series for at least a few more seasons as it navigates the post-“Succession” TV landscape.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’: HBO Renews Spinoff Series For Season 3 Ahead Of Sunday’s Season 2 Premiere at The Playlist.

“There are many pieces at play here, some of which you can’t see,” the cunning Hand to the King and member of the Green council Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, arguably the highlight of the series) says at one point in the second season of “House Of The Dragon” trying to assuage the anxiety and perplexity of a confounded character on the show. And it’s advice Hightower would do well to share with the audience, who often wonder what in blazes is going on.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 2 Review: ‘Game Of Thrones’-Level Intrigue Still Not Yet Achieved at The Playlist.

Major IP and critical darlings are set to return this June. The big names include the latest entry to the Star Wars saga with “The Acolyte,” along with the much-hyped season two of the “Game of Thrones” spinoff series “House of the Dragon.” Elsewhere, there are the concluding chapters to season three of “Bridgerton,” along with the return of the Emmy Award-winning “The Bear.

Continue reading 11 Shows To Watch In June: ‘The Acolyte,’ ‘House Of The Dragon’ & ‘The Bear’ at The Playlist.

Even nearly five years later, folks are still salty about the conclusion of “Game of Thrones.” The series’ final season nearly destroyed the show’s legacy, and that was mainly due to the fact that the books have yet to be written and the show felt compelled to cram so much plot into a handful of episodes. According to the showrunner of “House of the Dragon,” there’s no need to worry about the series’ conclusion.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’ Showrunner Has Already Planned The Series’ End: “We Know Where The Curtain Closes On This Particular Chapter” at The Playlist.

Was there any doubt “House of the Dragon” was going to be a hit? Probably not. But I think everyone was surprised at how many fans and critics adored the series, making it one of the biggest on TV and in the history of HBO. Now, as we approach Season 2, we’re getting a better idea of what the “Game of Thrones” spinoff has in store for viewers this summer.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 2 Trailer: The Massively Popular HBO ‘Thrones’ Spinoff Returns In June at The Playlist.

The summer TV series is here, and some of it has already commenced. Yes, some of these shows have aired already, but given most of them will be playing throughout the next few months—given the binge model seems to be going away on most channels, networks, and streamers other than Netflix—it looks more than ok to join them mid-airing. 

It should be said that summer previews are weird in that many streamers, networks, and cable channels do not reveal their entire lineups until maybe a month or two before release.

Continue reading Summer TV Preview: Over 35 Must-See Series To Watch at The Playlist.

After the critical success of its first season, “House Of The Dragon” assured HBO that the “Game Of Thrones” brand would rebound after David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ disastrous final season of the original show. But will the spinoff series carry that momentum through its upcoming second season? And if not, will that derail any other spinoffs HBO has planned?

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 2 Dueling Trailers: ‘Game Of Throne’ Spinoff Returns To HBO & Max In June at The Playlist.

Thanks to the success of “House Of The Dragon,” expect many more “Game Of Thrones” spinoffs to make their way onto HBO over the next decade. And THR reports that the network has yet another “Game Of Thrones” prequel series in development. What’s new in the pipeline? A prequel to “House Of The Dragon” that covers Aegon Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros.

READ MORE: HBO Developing A New ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Series About The Rise Of The Targaryen Dynasty

And now HBO has found their writer for the possible series: “The Batman Part II” scribe Mattson Tomlin.

Continue reading HBO’s ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Series About Aegon Targaryen’s Conquest Of Westeros Finds Its Writer at The Playlist.

Though the title of Executive Producer sounds super important and relevant to filming, a lot of the time, it’s just a role given to people who have contributed money to the financing or maybe were involved with a different iteration of the project years before. There are a variety of reasons why someone could be listed as an EP. But what it really does is allow for people to earn money off the success of a project.

Continue reading Benioff & Weiss Turned Down “Free Money” By Not Taking Executive Producer Roles On Every ‘Thrones’ Spinoff at The Playlist.

Here is our Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series of 2024 (The Strike-Affected Edition!) feature. 2023’s WGA/SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP strikes were essentially the COVID-19 of 2020. While thankfully, they weren’t as physically deadly, the work stoppage did significantly affect many people in the business and their financial stability. What ties them both together more closely is the disruption of content and product. With streamers already cutting back, regressing on the streaming boom thanks to Wall Street’s reevaluation of their worth, and the strikes delaying a lot of shows for an entire year, the #AgeOfTooMuchContent might officially be coming to a close.

Continue reading The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2024 at The Playlist.

If there was any doubt about the “Game of Thrones” brand and what else it could sustain—dozens of spin-offs were put into development, but almost all were scrapped— well, the prequel “House Of The Dragon” put any concerns to rest. Earlier this week, new posters for Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra Targaryen and Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower were unveiled, signaling the way for a new trailer, and it’s finally arrived from CCXP in Brazil.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 2 Trailer: Fire, Blood & Vengeance Returns Summer Of 2024 at The Playlist.

So when are HBO‘s biggest hits returning to the small screen? THR reports that network head Casey Bloys had some answers this morning at a press conference for HBO and Max‘s 2024 release calendars. The good news? “House Of The Dragon” returns for Season 2 in “early summer” 2024. But thanks to the ongoing SAG guilt strike, shows like “The Last Of Us,” “The White Lotus,” and “Euphoria” won’t return for their new seasons until 2025 at the earliest.  

READ MORE: Fall 2023 TV Preview: Over 35+ Most Anticipated Series To Watch

But let’s focus on the good news first.

Continue reading HBO & Max 2024 Release Calendar: ‘House Of The Dragon’ Returns But ‘The Last Of Us,’ ‘The White Lotus,’ & ‘Euphoria’ Won’t Be Back Until 2025 at The Playlist.

It’s one thing for a television director to get to fashion one iconic image from a television series. It’s probably even rarer for a director to get to fashion two. Greg Yaitanes, who has directed everything from an Emmy-winning run on “House” to “Damages” to “The Old Man,” had the opportunity to create three for “The Black Queen,” the 10th and final episode of “House of the Dragon’s” first season.

Continue reading Greg Yaitanes On That Final Shot From ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season One [Interview] at The Playlist.

Spoiler alert: this is the year of major characters dying on HBO drama series. And if you haven’t heard of these yet, well, the statute of limitations has expired. Jennifer Coolidge bit the dust on the second season of “The White Lotus.” Brian Cox said goodbye on the final episodes of “Succession” and, in no surprise, Paddy Considine‘s reign as King Viserys Targaryen lasted just one season on the breakout hit, “House of the Dragon.”

READ MORE: “House Of The Dragon”: HBO orders shortened Season 2 but is already close to green lighting Season 3

The acclaimed British actor appeared in just eight of the 10 episodes, but was a focal point as he tried to fight off lords and relatives who disagreed with his decision to annoit his daughter, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy and Milly Alcock), as the heir to the Iron Throne and, therefore, ruler of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’: Paddy Considine, Matt Smith & The Fallen Crown [Interview] at The Playlist.

When it was announced that HBO was looking to expand the “Game of Thrones” franchise past the original series, people were skeptical. However, after the false start of “The Long Night” pilot that was scrapped, the network hit it big (bigger than people were probably expecting) with “House of the Dragon.” Now, fans (and investors) are anxious to find out what HBO has up its sleeve for the next spinoff.

Continue reading HBO Developing A New ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Series About The Rise Of The Targaryen Dynasty at The Playlist.

Even with the heightened expectations, coming off the record-breaking success of “Game of Thrones,” you have to believe “House of the Dragon” exceeded HBO’s lofty goals during its first season. Well, according to a new report, that is definitely the case, as the network is not only prepping work on Season 2 but is already looking ahead to Season 3 and possibly Season 4. 

According to Deadline, as HBO looks to begin production on Season 2 of “House of the Dragon,” the number of episodes is shortening from its original order.

Continue reading ‘House Of The Dragon’: HBO Orders Shortened Season 2 But Is Already Close To Green Lighting Season 3 at The Playlist.

It’s been nearly four years since the end of “Game of Thrones.” Sure, the series didn’t necessarily go out on a high note, but there’s no denying that the show is one of the most popular to ever grace TV screens. And since then, numerous spinoffs have been in development but we’ve only seen one season of “House of the Dragon.” So, what’s taking so long for HBO to excavate the gold mine that is ‘Thrones’ for all that its worth?

Continue reading HBO Boss Says ‘House Of The Dragon’ Will Return In 2024 & Explains Why No New ‘Thrones’ Spinoffs Have Been Announced Yet at The Playlist.

Maybe bringing balance to the Seven Kingdoms means HBO Max shelving some of its myriad “Games Of Thrones” spinoffs in development. At least, that’s apparently what producers at HBO think. EW reports that, in his latest blog post, “Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin admitted that a couple of Westeros-related projects “have been shelved” amid the shakeups after the HBO Max-Discovery+ merger. However, Martin doesn’t think those shelvings are permanent.

Continue reading George R.R. Martin Reveals The HBO Max-Discovery+ Merger Shelved A Couple Of ‘Game Of Thrones’ Spinoff Shows In Development at The Playlist.

Recently, we’ve seen some outspoken “fans” of “The Lord of the Rings” novels complain about the diversity of the cast of the new series, ‘The Rings of Power.’ They contend that the series should be faithful to Tolkien’s source material and that changing the race of characters is wrong. Many deem this racist thinking. Well, it’s not just the world of “The Lord of the Rings” that is being targeted by toxic fans who are against diverse casting, it’s also happening with the “Game of Thrones” spinoff “House of the Dragon.” Except for this time, it’s not just fans who are complaining about diversity, it’s folks who actually co-author books with George R.R.

Continue reading George R.R. Martin Co-Authors Come Under Fire After Being Called Racist For ‘House Of The Dragon’ Casting Comments: “Diversity Should Not Trump Story” at The Playlist.

When you’re someone like Elizabeth Olsen, a respected actress who has not shied away from being in franchise projects, you’re likely going to be the subject of all sorts of cast rumors for big projects. And lo and behold, there are recent rumors floating around that Olsen might show up in a future season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” spinoff series, “House of the Dragon.” But according to Olsen, that’s definitely not happening. 

Continue reading Elizabeth Olsen Denies ‘House Of The Dragon’ Rumors: “I Can’t Even Think Of How Random That Is” at The Playlist.