The renewal is a complete no-brainer as the prequel series of 'Game of Thrones' marks the biggest premiere for any new original series on HBO, bringing almost 10 million viewers in the U.S.
- Aug 27, 2022
AceShowbiz - "House of the Dragon" is getting a season 2 renewal on HBO after airing its first episode on Sunday, August 21. The decision is a complete no-brainer as the prequel series of "Game of Thrones" marks the biggest premiere for any new original series on the network, bringing 9.986 million viewers in the U.S.
"We are beyond proud of what the entire 'House of the Dragon' team has accomplished with season 1," HBO Programming EVP Francesca Orsi said in a statement. "Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see-TV."
Orsi continued, "A huge thank you to [series co-creators] George [R.R. Martin], Ryan [Condal] and Miguel [Sapochnik] for leading us on this journey. We couldn't be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season 2."
Following the show's premiere, HBO has announced that the series' debut marks the largest audience for any new original series in the history of HBO. "It was wonderful to see millions of 'Game of Thrones' fans return with us to Westeros last night. 'House of the Dragon' features an incredibly talented cast and crew who poured their heart and soul into the production, and we're ecstatic with viewers' positive response," HBO & HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys said on Monday. "We look forward to sharing with audiences what else George, Ryan, and Miguel have in store for them this season."
Based on George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood" book, the prequel series scored nearly 10 million viewers in the U.S. It was a significant increase from the original show's start (4.152 million "live" viewers), though it should be noted that the book's fandom wasn't as large as today when "Game of Thrones" premiered more than a decade ago.
Set 200 years before the "Game of Thrones" mayhem, "House of the Dragon" follows the beginning of the end of House Targaryen, the events leading up to and covering the Targaryen war of succession, known as the "Dance of the Dragons". The show stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, Milly Alcock, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Emily Carey and Sonoya Mizuno.
In the first episode of "House of the Dragon", fans were introduced to the family of King Viserys Targaryen, played by Considine. The outing also saw the characters getting involved in a fiery and bloody drama regarding the succession before a new heir was named at the end of the episode.
