The Shazam 2 HBO Max release date is almost here. With Shazam! Fury of the Gods having finally ended its theatrical run and is approaching its release on HBO Max. When can fans watch and stream Shazam 2 on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streamer? Here’s what you need to know.
When Is the Shazam 2 Release Date for HBO Max?
The Shazam 2 HBO Max release date is May 23, 2023.
Technically, the David F. Sandberg-directed movie will be part of the Max available content as the rebranded version of HBO Max will debut on the same day. The film hit theaters on March 17, 2022, but didn’t perform as well as expected, ending up the lowest-grossing DC Universe live-action entree. Considering the poor box-office results, there is a lot of uncertainty about Shazam’s future in the James Gunn-led version of the DC Universe. Still, leading actor Zachary Levi seems open to reprising the character on future occasions, provided there will be any.
When it launches on HBO Max, Shazam! Fury of the Gods will “continue the story of teenage Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam.” In this sequel, Shazam isn’t alone, as he is joined by his fellow super-powered friends who are “still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter-egos.” This time around, there’s an even bigger enemy, with “the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arriving on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago.”
Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation) directed the film from a screenplay penned by Henry Gayden, with Peter Safran serving as producer.
In addition to Levi returning as the titular hero, Shazam! Fury of the Gods saw the return of Asher Angel as Billy Batson. The cast included Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody as Freddy, Faithe Herman and Meagan Good as Darla, Ian Chen and Ross Bulter as Eugene, Grace Fulton as Mary, Jovan Arman and D.J. Cotrona as Pedro, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, and Djimon Hounsou.
Matt Smith reveals that he just received his scripts for House of the Dragon season 2. The Game of Thrones prequel series adapted from George R.R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood was a roaring success when HBO aired it in 2022. Even though it takes place hundreds of years before Game of Thrones and the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, the first House of the Dragon episode remains the most-watched premiere in HBO history, even more than the premiere of HBO's other current juggernaut series, The Last of Us.
While speaking at the Middle East Film and Comic Con in Abu Dhabi (as shown on Reddit), Smith shared that he just received his season 2 scripts and that they came in late.
It is unclear from Smith's comments whether receiving the scripts later than expected will have any impact on the House of the Dragon season 2 release or production. Read Smith's comments below:
"I got all the scripts on Friday, actually. They're late, they're really late. It's always the way, isn't it? They always come in so late."
What We Know About House Of The Dragon Season 2
The House of the Dragon season 2 renewal was announced after the record-breaking viewership for the series premiere. Casey Bloys, the content CEO for HBO and HBO Max, had "a good guess" about a House of the Dragon season 2 release date in 2024. It is expected to be a later 2024 release based on further comments from Bloys that season 2 wouldn't be eligible for the 2024 Emmy Awards, whose eligibility for nominations ends on May 31 of that year.
After House of the Dragon season 1 set the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of Dragons into motion, season 2 will continue that story as the "greens" support Rhaenyra Targaryen's claim to the Iron Throne and the "blacks" support Aegon II Targaryen's claim. In addition to Smith reprising his House of the Dragon role as Daemon Targaryen, many other actors from season 1 will reprise their roles, including Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, and Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II.
House of the Dragon season 2 is expected to deal with the fallout of Rhaenyra's second-eldest son Lucerys dying at the hands of Alicent's son Aemon (Ewan Mitchell) and his dragon Vhagar. Those familiar with the source material know that many more tragic events are on their way and that the scope of the story will widen beyond King's Landing and Dragonstone in season 2, especially with Rhaenyra's eldest son Jacaerys going to Winterfell and the Vale to seek support from House Stark and House Arryn. More House of the Dragon season 2 updates are sure to be announced as 2024 draws closer.
When HBO's House of the Dragon began its political game for King Viserys' Iron Throne, it wasn't surprising to see his more qualified brother Daemon angling for power along with Corlys Velaryon. As the war to take the Stepstones illustrated, they didn't think Viserys was strong or cutthroat enough to lead Westeros. Rhaenyra being deemed successor further complicated the matter because the other lords of the realm weren't totally sold on a woman ruling.
However, there was one other key player involved in this power struggle: Otto Hightower, the King's Hand. He was a lot more subtle, making moves so that his daughter Alicent would marry Viserys. While Season 1, Episode 4, "King of the Narrow Sea" involved Otto being punished for his scheming, he's not completey out of the picture yet.
Otto knew what he was doing when he had Alicent comfort the king following Queen Aemma's death. He hoped once Alicent was made queen, she'd bear male heirs and by extension the Hightower bloodline would sit on the throne. But he never made it obvious to his king that he wanted a bigger say in the ruling of Westeros -- until the over-ambitious Otto exposed Daemon and Rhaenyra's time at a brothel, sullying their name. While Viserys would banish Daemon for his betrayal and promise his daughter to Corlys' son Laenor, he took the information personally and fired Otto on Rhaenyra's insistence.
However, Otto still has Alicent and her son Aegon to use as trump cards. Sure, he might be excommunicated from the palace now, but Otto can continue to manipulate his daughter, reminding her that he was cast aside for reporting the truth and protecting the crown. By poisoning her against Rhaenyra, Otto can push Alicent to convince Viserys that Aegon should lead.
But the impending civil war is making Alicent more aware of what it takes to survive the royal court. She does have her husband's ear since she helped him through a tough time. So once she reminds Viserys that Rhaenyra and Corlys' clan -- both parties who have disobeyed the king -- are liabilities, the kingdom could end up in Hightower hands. It would simply be a different Hightower accomplishing the same goal.
Alicent would keep the strength of their Hightower bloodline going, fully cognizant of how the children she sires will be viewed by others eyeing the crown. While Littlefinger died at Arya Stark's hand and never got to see the fruit of his labor in Game of Thrones, Otto has a protective, mindful Alicent to do his dirty work -- which means that despite having no power himself, he's still very much a problem for Viserys and the rest of House of the Dragon's characters.
House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. on HBO and streams on HBO Max.
House of the Dragon, HBO's new Game of Thrones prequel series, tells a pivotal story of the first woman to sit on the Iron Throne. After the death of Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke) and her newborn son, King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) decides to name his daughter, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Viserys knows that Rhaenyra will offer a more level-headed direction than his rightful successor. His brother and Rhaenyra's uncle, Daemon (Matt Smith), already threatens to thrust King’s Landing into chaos with his violent leadership of the City Watch. However, this new role comes with responsibility. In the end of the pilot episode, “The Heirs of the Dragon,” Viserys tells his daughter about a prophecy that Game of Thrones fans already know by heart.
A Song of Ice and Fire isn’t just the name of George R.R. Martin’s book series; it’s the central argument in House Targaryen’s stake for the Iron Throne. As Viserys explains to Rhaenyra, every Targaryen ruler since Aegon the Conqueror has had to learn about the conflict that lies in the future of their family. Aegon had a prophetic vision that generations later, a terrible winter would begin and thrust the Seven Kingdoms into darkness. The only way for Westeros to survive is to unite under a Targaryen ruler that sits on the Iron Throne.
Aegon is the renowned ruler who helped pave the way for House Targaryen to lead the seven realms. His legacy is well-known within the Game of Thrones universe; Viserys delivers his words of warning to Rhaenyra underneath the skeleton of Aegon’s dragon, Balerion the Black Dread. Both Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her brother, Viserys (Harry Lloyd), refer to their ancestor’s adventures with his dragons during Game of Thrones. The House of the Dragon pilot offers only a brief glimpse of the dragons themselves, but it’s safe to assume that there is much more dragon content in the immediate future.
The prophecy saddles Rhaenyra with the role of protecting the kingdom from an impending threat. It’s unclear if we will see any signs of the undead in House of the Dragon, but Game of Thrones reveals that this “terrible winter” is a reference to the rise of the Night King and the White Walkers in the area of the North that lies beyond the Wall. White Walkers haven’t been seen in Westeros since a thousand years before the events of House of the Dragon, but rumors persist that this mysterious army of the dead still exists.
Interestingly enough, HBO had previously commissioned another spinoff, Bloodmoon, that focused on the first war with the White Walkers in the “Age of Heroes.” So far, House of the Dragon seems to be focused on the line of the prophecy that refers to a Targaryen leader. However, it’s not quite clear which Targaryen will win the “Game of Thrones.” Will Rhaenyra ascend to her father’s throne, or will Daemon take the role for himself? What about Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), who was denied the throne when King Jaehaerys named Viserys as his heir? There’s also the Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), who wants to wed his daughter, Alicent (Emily Carey), to the King. If Alicent bears a male child, his claim could be seen as more viable. Viserys broke from tradition when he named a female successor.
The “A Song of Ice and Fire” prophecy becomes central within Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) story arc in Game of Thrones. Jon is sent to join the Night’s Watch to protect the North from exterior threats in the Game of Thrones pilot, aptly titled “Winter is Coming.” However, it is later revealed that Jon will have to fulfill both parts of the prophecy. Although Ned Stark (Sean Bean) has claimed Jon as his bastard son, this was a lie to cover up Jon’s Targaryen heritage. Jon is actually the son of Ned’s sister, Lyanna (Aisling Franciosi), and Rhaegar Targaryen (Wilf Scolding), the son of the “Mad King” killed during Robert Baratheon’s (Mark Addy) rebellion, leaving Jon to inherit the Iron Throne. However, Jon’s existence has been shrouded in secrecy. With Rhaegar leaving no apparent heir, his younger brother Viserys sees himself as the rightful ruler. Viserys perishes early on in Game of Thrones, but Daenerys continues his quest.
One of the chief criticisms that Game of Thrones fans had with Season 8 is that Jon never gets to fulfill the prophecy that is so central to his lineage, passed over as the heir to the Iron Throne. Apparently, no one has “a better story” than Jon’s cousin, Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright), and “Bran the Broken” is named as the new King. While Jon may be venturing off into the North, it doesn’t sound like Game of Thrones fans have seen his last adventure. Currently, a sequel series following Jon’s exploits after the end of Season 8 is in development, with Harington set to reprise his Emmy-nominated role.
House of the Dragon premieres new episodes every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.
Another highly anticipated title under the HBO Max banner is being scrapped, and it's yet another animation casualty. Driftwood, the first animated feature film by Aquaman: King of Atlantis co-creator Victor Courtright, has been canceled just over three months after it was given the green light. The film was part of a collaboration between HBO Max and Cartoon Network Studios to shine a light on burgeoning creatives in the animation industry.
Billed as an animated space opera for the whole family, the film would've followed Clover, a mouse-like creature in search of the fabled city of Driftwood which stands as the last bastion of freedom in a decaying society ruled over by an evil corporation. Aside from being a haven of free society, legend has it that the city hides the secret to sustainable fuel. Overlord Thorn, who leads the organization, is intent on destroying both Clover and Driftwood, thus removing the only hope of opposing their rule and ensuring society must rely on the organization's toxic fuel source. The film would've centered on Clover's battle to save all society from Thorn alongside a pair of new allies in Marigold and Caspia.
Thanks to the mind behind it and the promising premise, interest in the film was relatively high. Given the success of King of Atlantis and his resume full of animation work and writing for ThunderCats Roar, Pickle & Peanut, and Mystery Science Theater 3000 among others, Courtright had more than proven himself capable as a creator. With the feature no longer in the works, and the general philosophy of HBO Max's restructuring, it's possible Invincible Fight Girl, the other collaborative effort of the streamer and Cartoon Network, may also be on the chopping block.
Driftwood seems to be another project lost with HBO Max's shift in philosophy following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and subsequent ascension of David Zaslav to CEO. Most of the cuts have been in the animation division, with over 30 titles being wiped off the platform in order to save on residuals. An official statement also notes the streamer is looking to move away from kids and family animation. As the cuts have unfolded, criticism against the company has continued to grow with the creator of Infinity Train the most recent to speak out against the unprofessionalism displayed by Warner Bros. Discovery for pulling shows suddenly and without any communication. In total, Zaslav is looking to cut around $3 billion in costs.
Following the announcement of Driftwood's cancelation, one production manager at Cartoon Network took to Twitter to express their disappointment that the film wouldn't be moving forward. Those sentiments were also shared by Warner Bros. Animation's Jen Hurler who lamented that Courtright's vision wouldn't be realized. The space adventure wasn't the only project to get the shaft this time around. A number of other promising projects, including Batman: Caped Crusader, were put to the sword in the latest round of cuts.
See the statements from Hurler and the production manager below.
Working on this was such a treat. The whole crew is amazing and we all were so excited to share this. Now, I’m just heartbroken that no one will see more than this poster https://t.co/Z4oDbvOyOb
This film was shaping up to be so fantastic and meaningful. I was so thrilled to have been a small part of such a gorgeous, original 2d animated film from a voice like Victor and a studio like CNS. Fucking sucks. https://t.co/Cn7eztc3pQ
Adult Swim dropped the first trailer for Rick and Morty Season 6.
The brief trailer gives audiences a taste of what hijinks the pair will soon embark on, spotlighting a variety of messy, chaotic situations. Highlights include what appears to be a Die Hard-inspired episode, the destruction of Rick's space cruiser and the return of Space Beth who seems to be helping the family escape from danger. As can be expected, the upcoming season looks to be loaded with plenty of robots, intergalactic battles and inventive weaponry. While little is currently known about what Rick and Morty's sixth season entails, the show's official logline confirms that it will pick up right where Season 5 finished.
Speaking about what fans can expect in Season 6, Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland promised that the upcoming episodes will be significantly better than the last installment, which was impacted by the sudden passing of producer J. Michael Mendel. "So it's like, I think we're kind of finally back into the rhythm of Rick and Morty, and I think Season 6 is...didn't particularly think Season 5 was bad, but Season 6 is f*cking amazing. It really is a f*cking quality season," Roiland said.
Rick and Morty, Back in Action
The creator also noted that while Rick and Morty Season 6 will be a "good point of entry" into the zany series, it will also resonate with long-time viewers. "I will say that it's a bit more canonical," Roiland said. "It really rewards fans of the show that have been watching up to this point..."
While Season 6 will likely keep both Rick and Morty busy, the universe-hopping duo have another set of escapes lined up for 2022. An anime based on Rick and Morty is currently in development for Adult Swim and it's expected to cast an entirely new light on the show. Helmed by Tower of God director Takeshi Sano, who is described as a "superfan" of the series. "I am honored to have been given an opportunity to tell a new story about this amazing family," Sano said. "I hope you enjoy their adventures!"
Rick and Morty Season 6 debuts on Sept. 4 on Adult Swim. Seasons 1 through 5 of the beloved animated series are available to stream on Netflix.
The showrunners of House of the Dragon admit that they were on high alert for Starbucks cups on set to avoid a major Game of Thrones mistake. House of the Dragon is a prequel to the hit HBO fantasy series, which aired for eight seasons from 2011 through 2019. The new series, which premieres on HBO on August 21, 2022 with a 10-episode season 1, is based on George R.R. Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood and takes place two centuries before Game of Thrones, following an impactful Targaryen civil war. The cast of the show includes Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, and former Doctor Who star Matt Smith.
Although Game of Thrones was a blockbuster show with a huge budget and crew for every episode, they still couldn't avoid their share of bloopers. One of the most notorious mistakes the show ever made was in season 8 episode 4, "The Last of the Starks." During one scene, a Starbucks cup can be seen resting on the table in front of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), a fact that surfaced online more or less immediately after the premiere of the episode. This led to a cavalcade of memes and jokes about how the modern beverage made its way into the fantasy realm of Westeros.
THR had the opportunity to speak with co-showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik at the premiere of House of the Dragon, which took place last week. They joke about the Starbucks blooper, acknowledging that all shows have their own mistakes and that it only blew up because of the popularity of Game of Thrones. However, Condal admits they had a "a very heavily policed set" with "lots of Starbucks-hunting," prompting Sapochnik to joke that viewers can win a cup of coffee if they spot Starbucks cups that have been digitally painted out. Read their full quotes below:
Condal: [We had] a very heavily policed set — there was lots of Starbucks-hunting going on. We always joked around about it, that we were going to make Starbucks goblets so at least they fit in the scene.
Sapochnik: [We left coffee cups] everywhere we could so that later on we could paint them out digitally. See if you can see where the Starbucks cups were that we removed digitally after the fact, and if you can find one, there is a prize. A cup of coffee.
Although the Starbucks cup in Game of Thrones was later revealed to belong to Lord Varys actor Conleth Hill, it is still closely linked to Daenerys in the public perception, due to her being seated right in front of it. For this reason, it was probably extra wise for the crew to be vigilant about the intrusion of modern articles. She was long believed to be the last of the Targaryen bloodline, and should another Starbucks cup appear in the new series, the avalanche of memes comparing Daenerys to her ancestors would be truly overwhelming.
While it is important for House of the Dragon to avoid major blunders like the Starbucks cup, it would be interesting to see how the public would react to a similar blooper in the new series. With public opinion having soured on the final season of Game of Thrones, the prequel has some ground to cover to capture such an obsessive fandom. It would certainly be a viable litmus test as to how well the new series is being received compared to the original series.
The trailer focuses on the titular family which is slowly being torn apart by the Iron Throne. The video places special attention on Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) both of whom have desires to eventually take over the realm from King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine). Several new shots of the house's intimidating dragons were showcased, highlighting the devastating power that Game of Thrones fans know only too well.
House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin's novel Fire and Blood, which serves as a prequel to the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Set hundreds of years before Game of Thrones, HBO's latest fantasy series will chronicle the beginning of the end of House Targaryen, culminating in the much-discussed civil war known as the "Dance of the Dragons."
While excitement for the fantasy series is still mounting, many fans are still wary of House of the Dragon. Following what many considered to be a disastrous final season of Game of Thrones, some viewers are skeptical regarding the spinoff. Addressing audiences who may be worried that the Targaryen-focused show may retread similar ground, Smith reassured fans that House of the Dragon is its own thing.
"We're trying to make a show that's entertaining on lots of different levels and has a similar scope and ambition to the previous show, in many respects," Smith said. "But obviously, you're never going to be able to re-create the success of Game of Thrones, because that was a very particular point in time. It was its own unique entity."
Ryan Corr, who stars in House of the Dragon as Ser Harwin 'Breakbones' Strong, explained that while the spinoff won't feature any of the characters Game of Thrones fans may recognize, the show will still be able to match its progenitor's epic scale. "The sheer size of it was something I was amazed by," Corr explained. "When you are walking into operational sets with actual jousting tournaments and full-level scale castles with fire cauldrons hanging on the roof, it’s a pretty incredible place to be. It’s like walking into a live Shakespeare play."
The Hollywood Reporter has released the first part of its piece chronicling the behind-the-scenes story and development of the upcoming prequel series to HBO's highly successful Game of Thrones series exploring the history and the civil war of House Targaryen, House of the Dragon. This new article involved interviews with many members of the teams behind the upcoming series and its source material as it explores the history of the series, from its inception and pitches to discussing the pressure of having to step up and not only create what would have been HBO's first ever spin-off series, but also a series that is filling the hole left by something as huge as Game of Thrones. Two very interesting tidbits from this article, however, came when some of the people behind House of the Dragon made a few comparisons to Star Wars, both in reference to the characters of the upcoming series, but also in the series' importance to HBO.
The Reporter's piece opens with a conversation between the two House of the Dragon showrunners Ryan Condal, who also will serve as a writer on the series, and one of the series' directors Miguel Sapochnik about the naming of the dragons. Sapochnik made the suggestion that a few of the names be changed, to which Condal vehemently refused, solidifying the production's stance on being extremely loyal to the source material. Condal explains why taking this stance was so important, explaining both his love for the series by George R.R. Martin and the importance of the Targaryens in the history of the universe. He compares them to the Jedi of Star Wars, this group of people that, in the original trilogy prior to the prequels, were super powerful, yet the audience only got the smallest look at masters from the time of their height of power before the Empire. Similar to going back and showing the Jedi, Condal expresses how much people want to see House Targaryen:
“I’ve been a fan of these books for 20 years. I was a fan of Game of Thrones — I watched the pilot the night it aired on HBO and every episode after. You can’t follow Thrones, it’s the Beatles. I’m setting out as a fan to make the thing I want to see, and I’m happy with what we’ve achieved. The Targaryens are like the Jedi in Star Wars, where you heard about this time when they were plentiful and powerful and always wanted to see that. And now you get to.”
Robert Greenblatt, then chairman of HBO’s parent company WarnerMedia, also made reference to the space opera from a galaxy far, far, away, more specifically, the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. This was not a comparison made in terms of the series' plot, characters, or overall story, but rather in their importance to their respective streaming services. When House of the Dragon was first given the greenlight in 2019, it was ordered straight to series as HBO wanted a series that could serve as The Mandalorian equivalent for their then-upcoming streaming service, HBO Max.
“I put a lot of pressure on everybody for this to happen as soon as humanly possible,” says Greenblatt. “We all knew Disney+ launched with The Mandalorian. We didn’t have any big piece of IP that would be ready, but at least we’d have Dragon coming down the pipe and that would be important to the world at large. And I couldn’t think of a better piece of IP almost anywhere that deserved to be developed and multiplied.”
House of the Dragon is based on Martin's 2018 prequel novel Fire & Blood. Condal, Sapochnik, and Martin also serve as executive producers on the series alongside writer Sara Hess, director Greg Yaitanes, Jocelyn Diaz, Vince Gerardis, and Ron Schmidt. Other directors that will serve on the show include Clare Kilner and Geeta V. Patel. The stars of the upcoming series' ensemble cast include Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Olivia Cooke as Otto’s daughter, Allicent; Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole; and Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria. Additional cast members include Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia Saban, Gavin Spokes, and Savannah Steyn.
House of the Dragon is set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max on August 21. Check out the trailer below:
House of the Dragon will be one of the latest series from HBO and the first spin-off of the massive hit Game of Thrones. There is some reluctance for this series mixed in with the excitement because of the way that Game of Thrones ended. One of the biggest errors for some people was how quickly and ruthlessly Daenerys Targaryen fell into madness. There is some hope that House of the Dragon will be able to offer some additional insight into the Targaryens and their family's curse.
House of the Dragon will follow House Targaryen during a high point in their reign, about 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The politics of the Seven Kingdoms will be on full display along with blood and dragon fire. Daenerys was not the first Targaryen to go mad, it runs in their family. The Targaryens are known to be quite mad, with the last Targaryen King before Robert Baratheon, King Aerys II, wanting to burn everyone alive. House of the Dragon can further develop this aspect of the Targaryens since there will be so many of them in the series.
It's argued that in the final season of Game of Thrones, Daenerys' descent into madness felt unearned and somewhat rushed. While there is some evidence throughout the series of her slow decline into rage and madness, it does become very accelerated as the show closes out. This leads to the question of why do the Targaryens go mad? Is it their connections to dragons, or simply they're corrupted by absolute power? Daenerys endured a lot of suffering on her path to power, she may have relished in tormenting the people that she saw were responsible. House of the Dragon can show where this curse comes from by exploring more Targaryens.
There will be several notable Targaryens in House of the Dragon. These include King Viserys, Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenyra. With so many members of House Targaryen present in the series, it may be easier to see the seeds of madness that are planted in each of them. House of the Dragon may address how their family is in danger of losing themselves to fear and anger, which leads to untold death and cruelty. Having more context for why the Targaryens are prone to madness may help to lend evidence to Daenerys' own journey in Game of Thrones.
The Targaryens do have a close connection to dragons, the reason in the books is somewhat ambiguous, but it has to do with their connection to Old Valyria. This connection may influence the Targaryens as much as they influence their dragons. If the relationship is more symbiotic, then it may lead to the Targaryens feeling the rage of their dragons and causing them to go mad. It may also be more biological. Targaryens are known for incest. This may have caused something to change in their brains that led them towards mental instability. This may also be addressed in House of the Dragon considering the time period of the show.
House of the Dragon will be the first chance to really explore the lore of the Targaryens and their family lineage. They ruled Westeros for centuries, yet TV audiences know almost nothing about them past Daenerys. Seeing more of them on screen may help to lend context to Daenerys' actions and the decisions she made. Understanding more about the Targaryens and their bloodline can help people make sense of why Daenerys fell prey to madness so quickly in Game of Thrones.
House of the Dragon premieres on August 21, 2022 on HBO and HBO Max.
HBO is treating Game of Thrones like the golden goose that it is. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the premium cable network is developing a new sequel series centered around the character Jon Snow. Star Kit Harington is attached to reprise the role, which he played for eight seasons on the wildly popular fantasy series, based on the novels by George R.R. Martin.
The sequel show means that there are now at least seven Game of Thrones spinoffs in various stages of development at HBO and HBO Max. House of the Dragon, a prequel series that chronicles the events leading up to the Targaryen civil war, will be the first out of the gate, with an August 21 release date looming. Other shows in development include Ten Thousand Ships with showrunner Amanda Segel, The Sea Snake from showrunner Bruno Heller, and The Tales of Dunk and Egg from showrunner Steve Conrad. Three animated series are also in the works, while one live-action prequel was denied a series order after a pilot was filmed.
Jon Snow remained a fan-favorite character throughout the series’ run. It was revealed in the Season 7 finale that his real name is Aegon Targaryen, which made him one of the rightful heirs to the Iron Throne. But the series finale showed Jon Snow leaving behind his old life at Castle Black, and subsequently journeying beyond the Wall with his wildling companions.
Jon Snow was killed off at the end of the fifth season, but was resurrected by the Red Witch Melisandre in Season 6. Harington often spoke about the physical and emotional challenges of playing the character, who became increasingly popular during the show’s eight-season run, and basically locked him down creatively for several years—to the point where he was forbidden from cutting his long hair to maintain continuity for GoT.
He tried branching out while the show was at its peak—Harington starred in director Paul W.S. Anderson’s ill-fated Pompeii picture, and voiced a character in How to Train Your Dragon 2; he also starred in director Xavier Dolan’s poorly received drama The Life & Death of John F. Donovan. But Harington’s first major post-Game of Thrones role came in the Marvel Cinematic Universe spectacle Eternals. The film underperformed at the box office, and is infamous for being the lowest-rated MCU movie critically, but it certainly left the door open for him to return as the Black Knight.
Although now, theoretically, Harington’s future might only involve Marvel movies and multiple seasons as Jon Snow. But that’s hardly a reason to complain. The show did, after all, earn him two Emmy nods and played Cupid for him and his wife Rose Leslie. As for Game of Thrones, one character-centric sequel could mean more character-centric sequels. If it worked for Marvel and Lucasfilm on streaming, there’s no reason it can’t for HBO as well.
