Barely a week after debuting to record numbers and giving every indication that it would be another smash hit for HBO, “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” is being renewed for a second season, Variety has reported.
“The second-season pickup comes as little a surprise, given HBO’s financial investment in the show, as well as the fact that the premiere shattered HBO’s record for the biggest premiere audience for a new show ever,” said Variety. “Nearly 10 million people tuned in across all platforms this past Sunday [22 August], with HBO now claiming that number has risen to 20 million after four days of playback.”
A statement by Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming, announced the season 2 renewal: “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… We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season two.”
“House of the Dragon” has garnered mostly positive reviews. The Guardian called it “gorgeous, opulent television, cinematic and big, pushing at the edges of what TV can do.”
The show, which stars Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Eve Best, Rhys Ifans and a sprawling cast, is based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood” book, part of his “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series. It tells the story of House Targaryen some 200 years before the era depicted in “Game of Thrones.”