With the release of House of the Dragon, long-time Game of Thrones fans are ready to delve deep into the history of the Targaryens. The latest HBO fantasy drama prequel is based on George R. R. Martin’s book, Fire & Blood, and revolves around the event of the Dance of the Dragons — a civil war between Aegon II and Princess Rhaenyra, to take over the Iron Throne. Many have described the series as the biggest release of this year. Fans’ never-ending anticipation could substantiate such claims.
While people attempt to traverse the intense world of the show, showrunners Ryan J. Condal, and Miguel Sapochnik recently opened up about details concerning a second season, how they tackled the potential of elaborating and expanding the story of a well-acclaimed show like Game of Thrones, and the future of the franchise and how HBO plans to explore it.
The Future Of House Of The Dragon
In the latest interview with Collider, showrunners Ryan J. Condal, and Miguel Sapochnik sat down to talk about the vast and expansive world of the Game of Thrones franchise. When asked about the details of a potential second season and the future of the series, Condal confirmed that there’s more to the overarching narrative of House of the Dragon than what meets the eye. According to him, the Targaryen history is rich, complex, and requires a greater scope of storytelling. This is what the lead producer had to say:
“We’ve always had a good sense of that. I think we have a good plan for Season 2 if HBO is willing and eager to continue telling the story with us. There is really 300 years of Targaryen history to explore, and there are many stories within there that are really fascinating.”
Condal emphasized how the premise followed by the series is essentially broad, and there are several landmarks yet to explore. The promise of future anthologies seems fruitful. “It’s a rich landscape,” claims the screenwriter, “There’s a lot of storytelling left in this world; if people want it.”
Fans’ immeasurable excitement can attest to the fact that people do want it. It’d be quite interesting how HBO manages to tackle such future endeavors. There’s no denying the popularity of the franchise that has been intricately created by George R. R. Martin over the years. If HBO shows an unwillingness to continue with the premise, then it’d be a wasted opportunity on their behalf.
A Prequel Made For Storytelling
When Condal and Sapochnik were asked about continuing the legacy of Game of Thrones, and whether they knew what type of story they wanted to tell through House of the Dragon, they expressed how a different and distinct perspective shared between the two showrunners really helped bring forward a fresh tone to the series. “I think it was our combined experience,” said Condal. According to him, his love, knowledge, and appreciation as a fan of the series and Sapochnik’s creative experience of “having made some of the most successful episodes of the original show”, is what truly fleshed out a greater story to tell through the prequel.
This is what the screenwriter had to say:
“Our first challenge was to figure out what not to change and what we had to carry forward, as far as the tone, voice, look and feel of the show, the spectacle and the elegance of it.”
Upon concluding their initial challenges, the two wanted to create a distinction for the prequel and make it an endeavor that stuck true to the overarching plot and history of Game of Thrones. They proceeded with the prequel not just for commercial profitability, but with a legitimate story to tell and expand upon. With reviews of the first episode coming to the surface, it will soon be revealed whether the efforts of the two showrunners have been worth it.
The first episode of House of the Dragon is now streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
Source: Collider
