House of the Dragon had a big job on its hands. Its predecessor, Game of Thrones, has a huge fan base and despite a divisive final series in 2019, it still remains a favourite with viewers.
Primarily focusing on House Targaryen and set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is not short of star power with Doctor Who's Matt Smith, award-winning actor Paddy Considine and Welshman Rhys Ifans leading the cast. Critics have praised the character development, writing, score and performances of the cast (particularly Considine).
But was it all enough? Will the series get the chance to continue the story? Here's everything you need to know. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
HBO renewed House of the Dragon on August 26, after the show’s first episode racked up 20million viewers in the US. Francesca Orsi, executive Vice President of HBO programming, said: “We are beyond proud of what the entire House Of The Dragon team has accomplished with season one. 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.
“A huge thank you to 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 two.”
In September, Miguel Sapochnik stepped down as co-showrunner of the series, with Ryan Condal (the co-creator of the series) set to serve as the sole lead on season two. Sapochnik will, however, be credited as an executive producer. The current main cast are all expected to return, including Matt Smith as Daemon, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon and Eve Best as Rhaenys. Aegon II and Aemond Targaryen, played by Tom Glynn-Carney and Ewan Mitchell, are also expected to have an expanded role in the second series.
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