Hit HBO Series Gets Disappointing Update For New Season's Release
"House of the Dragon" fans won't be getting new episodes for a long time.
The hit HBO series is a prequel to "Game of Thrones," and every bit as entertaining and solid as the original saga.
HBO does a lot of things correctly. Cashing in on George R. R. Martin's creation is right at the top of the list.
Season one was excellent, season two was also great and fans are now craving the war that's coming in season three.
"House of the Dragon" is an excellent "Game of Thrones" prequel series. (Credit: HBO)
"House of the Dragon" likely won't arrive until 2026.
Season two wrapped up this past August, and there had been some hope new episodes might arrive at some point in 2025. While that's not completely ruled out, I certainly wouldn't bet on it.
Showrunner Ryan Condal revealed during a panel at Emmys FYC that the writing for the third season is "essentially done and we start [filming] in a couple of weeks."
He further added, "As the actors embody the characters, it actually becomes much easier to write in a more interesting way, because you get to know everybody really well. For Season 3, there's much more shape and depth to it right out of the gate, because you're writing for people you know. There are some major new characters this season, but 85 percent of them, we already knew who they were, and it just makes it much more rewarding to write."
The return timeline for "House of the Dragon" is becoming clearer. (Credit: HBO)
If production is starting "in a couple of weeks," then we're looking at a late-March/early-April timeline for cameras to start rolling.
If that's accurate, then fans had better get ready for a long wait until season three. "House of the Dragon" requires a lot of post-production work.
It's a series with heavy special effects. That takes a lot of time. It's probably every bit as long as the actual shooting. If production is going to last four to five months, which is a safe bet, then filming won't be done until the late summer or the fall.
At that point, there's no chance HBO can get the new season out before 2026. It also matches up with previous seasons. Season one premiered in August 2022 and season two premiered in June 2024.
It's probably a safe bet to assume fans are looking at a summer 2026 premiere date for season three. That's a mighty long wait, but as long as the content is worth it, then I imagine viewers will be able to stomach a two-year break.
When will "House of the Dragon" season three premiere? (Credit: HBO)
Let's just hope "House of the Dragon" keeps up its momentum and doesn't experience a horrific dropoff like "Game of Thrones" did in its final season. The disappointing ending remains unforgivable to this day. Hit me with your season three predictions at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.