Maybe in the beginning HBO was the channel (and then the platform) of antiheroes, but for a few years now this Warner label has been determined to become the home of dragons. In a television era where franchises and brands prevail, HBO Max was clear that it had to squeeze its most famous series and its great saga, Game of Thrones. And this Thursday confirms once again that this strategy has been going on for a long time by renewing its two derivative series for the new seasons: the dragon’s house will have a quarter and The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will continue with a second, even though the first hasn’t been released yet.
the dragon’s housewhich are filming right now, will premiere its third season in the summer of 2026 to continue chronicling the Targaryen struggle in the face of the impending Civil War known as the dance of the dragons. And it will be in 2028 when it reaches its fourth season. Although it was not officially confirmed, the writer of the saga himself, George RR Martin, assured at the time that this would be the duration of this story. Series writer Ryan Condal, however, raised the possibility that under this letterhead they would create an anthology, based on several chapters of the book. Fire and blood: “It’s the story of the Targaryen dynasty. This will just be the end of a chapter,” he said. It remains to be seen how HBO will want to extend this milestone, and whether the fourth will truly be the end of the showdown between Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke).
In any case, the Targaryens will also be very present The Knight of the Seven Kingdomswhich arrives on HBO Max on January 19 and will continue into 2027. This series will consist of chapters of only half an hour and, since it is based on The Stories of Dunk and Eggyou will enjoy a much more jovial tone, adventures, equestrian exploits and many jousting matches. Everything happens a century before the events of game of Thrones (and 72 years later the dragon’s house), when two unexpected heroes wandering Westeros meet: a naïve but brave young knight, Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), and his diminutive squire, a boy named Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). Since there are three short novels, the series is expected to have three seasons.
But these are not the only series of game of Thrones that HBO wants to have in its future. “There are always scripts of game of Thrones write,” HBO programming chief Casey Bloys said in early 2024. But little by little. “The strategy can’t be, ‘we need five series in three years,’ but ‘what stories do we need to tell?’” he explained to The Hollywood journalist already in 2021. Only the fittest survive, and along the way there have been projects with Jon Nieve, another on Aegon’s conquest, pilots like blood moon with Naomi Watts or various animated projects, among many others.
the dragon’s houseMoreover, in 2022 he became the first spin off of the history of the cable network whose prestige has benefited from the originality of its premises. They have since arrived The penguinwith a character introduced in the film Batman; Dune: the prophecy, En: Welcome to Derry; and will explore the galactic universe of DC superheroes Lanterns. Soon they will also contain Harry Potter. At the New York presentation of their new products, Casey Bloys defended that this dependence on brands served to “cover the gaps left by the deals with Hollywood studios and their films” that HBO had previously made: “Increasing the connection with Warner’s most beloved brands was the recipe for great success,” he noted.
In any case, to compensate, HBO also announced the renewal of the police officer Taskwith Mark Ruffalo; of surreal comedy The chair company, and Rachel Sennott’s authorial comedy, I love Los Angeles. Because HBO also continues to bet on original brands, even if the dragons are the ones making profits.
