Few series have been as big a pop culture phenomenon as Game of Thrones. For eight seasons, it was the biggest show in the world, with more than 13.6 million people watching the finale live in the US alone, according to Statista. Despite the final season receiving mixed reviews, spin-off shows were quickly green lit by HBO and fans have been chomping at the bit for news of the new show House of the Dragon, particularly a release date for the highly anticipated show.
House of the Dragon is a prequel to the events of Game of Thrones, taking place hundreds of years earlier during the reign of House Targaryen, which was the family that Daenerys belonged to during the original show’s run. House of the Dragon is expected to cover a civil war that has broken out among the Targaryen family. Set pictures, castings, and other details have been released for House of the Dragon, but the one thing that is missing so far is a release date.
Author George R.R. Martin, who wrote the books the series is based on, has shed a little bit of light on the subject. In a post on his blog, Not a Blog, Martin discussed the upcoming series and said, rather cryptically, that fans would find out the release date “soon.” While this doesn’t give a huge amount of details, it does imply that a new announcement should be forthcoming in the next few weeks. House of the Dragon is expected to premiere later in 2022, so time is running out to finalize the release date with fans and marketing materials.
Fans are eager to see if House of the Dragon will reach the heights of its predecessor, which became more than just a TV show by the time it finished airing in 2019. There are a total of four spin-offs in development at the moment, reports Entertainment Weekly, but they are the start of the Game of Thrones franchise. It isn’t just TV where Game of Thrones left its mark; fans wanting a more interactive experience with their favorite characters have plenty of options as well. There have been multiple video games, including a narrative game from Telltale Games, simply titled Game of Thrones, that brought in cast members Lena Headey, Natalie Dormer, and Peter Dinklage to reprise their iconic roles as the player guides them on their quest for the Iron Throne. There are even some online slots from Coral based on the world of Westeros; namely Game of Thrones 243 Ways and Game of Thrones Power Stacks. Fans of mobile games can try Game of Thrones: Conquest, which allows players to build their own army and recruit both new and familiar characters from the world of Westeros. Away from digital media, there’s even a Game of Thrones Monopoly set, a sure-fire sign that a franchise is ensconced in pop culture. The media empire that was spawned from TV show could well expand further with the release of House of the Dragon later this year.
There have also been multiple merchandise lines based on Game of Thrones. Fans can sport clothing with the House Stark dire wolf logo and the iconic “Winter is Coming” line. There are figurines for any budget, with prices ranging from $10 up to several hundred dollars. Dedicated fans can even purchase official replicas of weapons used on the show to complete their collections.
Fans are understandably excited to get back into the world of Westeros, but only time will tell if the show can live up to the hype created by the original. Will we see a string of children named “Rhaenyra” the same way we did “Daenerys” during Game of Thrones’ run? Will House of the Dragon spawn its own set of spin-offs in a few years? We have little more than a cast list and some promotional photos to go off of, so for now we need to be patient and wait for an official release date.
