While we are used to long gaps between streaming shows, this is sort of getting ridiculous at this point, as yet another production is showing signs that we’re still going to have an interminable wait between seasons. In this case, that’s House of the Dragon season 3.
In a recent THR profile of House of the Dragon actress Olivia Cooke, it’s been revealed that production on season 3 won’t even be finished until October. Production leads into post-production, and that is way longer than you might think.
We can look at season 2 to calculate this. Season 2 of House of the Dragon started filming April 2023, and ended September 2023. But the show was not actually released until June 2024, 8.5 months later. So, if filming wraps in October, that’s at least June 2024, if not longer, making it a full two year gap between seasons. Better than some, maybe, but worse than many others who have managed to get the gap down to something more akin to a year and a half.
The article also says that House of the Dragon season 4, the last season, has not been written yet, so if we’re sticking to this schedule, we’re talking a 2028 series finale. Keep in mind, from 2011 to 2017, we had a 10 episode season of Game of Thrones released a year apart, up through season 7 (there was an oddly long gap of two years between 7 and the just six-episode season 8). House of the Dragon isn’t anywhere close to this, and that’s even with season 2 knocked down to eight episodes, and allegedly season 3 will also have eight. It’s also said that season 2 carved off what was supposed to be its blockbuster naval battle finale, which was moved to season 3’s premiere instead.
There is at least some good news for Game of Thrones fans. Before House of the Dragon season 3 is released, we should see the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms series out in early 2026, the adaptation of the Tales of Dunk and Egg, and a show George Martin is already raving about, unlike his very public comments with him being annoyed about book changes made to House of the Dragon. Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is apparently meant to be an ongoing series as well, so perhaps it can fill the gaps between House of the Dragon seasons. And hopefully it’s a better show as well.
There are a number of other Game of Thrones series that are either moving forward or at least being considered. WB believes the “Game of Thrones universe” is a key part of its future and one of its “billion dollar” franchises alongside DC and Harry Potter. Whether anything matches the early seasons of Game of Thrones remains to be seen, but House of the Dragon definitely has not to date.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.