House of the Dragon Season 2 Reveals Way More Dragons
House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal says there will be five more dragons in season 2.
House of the Dragon has proven to be a worthy prequel to Game of Thrones. But there is one thing that could make it even better: more dragons. According to The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Ryan Condal said at a recent screening of the series that “You’re going to meet five new dragons” in season two, which will start filming soon.
The House of the Dragon co-creator appeared at the screening alongside eight cast members of the show, including Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, Olivia Cooke, Fabien Frankel, Steve Toussaint, Matt Smith, Emily Carey, and Paddy Considine. George R.R. Martin, the author of the book series that both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are based upon, was on hand as well and is also a co-creator of the series.
Unlike some other authors who are not very happy with the on-screen adaptations of their books, George R.R. Martin praised the writing staff of House of the Dragon. He said their ability to insert new details that were not in the books and to do it in a convincing way that was faithful to the original work is admirable.
When asked about the pressure of creating a second series that could be as good as his first one, Martin was quick to remind audiences at the Q&A session after the screening of episode eight of House of the Dragon that Game of Thrones holds the world record for the most Emmy Award wins for a fictional series. He was also quick to turn the question around, though, and apply it to something that has been causing him even more stress for the past few years. “The pressure of trying to follow the original series is nothing compared to the pressure of trying to finish the novel,” he said, referring to the final installments of his A Song of Ice and Fire book series. “That has me sleepless at night. The show? That’s Ryan’s problem.”
He then reiterated that Condal and his writing team did a fantastic job taking what was, to him, “an outline” and turning it into a fully fleshed-out show. He wasn’t the only accomplished writer on the crew of House of the Dragon, it seems.
During the rest of the House of the Dragon Q&A panel, the cast cut up a bit, telling jokes and talking about what really went on behind the scenes. Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke, who both play Alicent Hightower at different ages, set the record straight (with a bit of humor) about whether or not they were forcibly kept apart on the set like popular rumors claim (spoiler alert: they were not).
The cast also described how much chemistry they all have together and how they all played pranks on each other on the set of House of the Dragon. In spite of the show’s serious nature, the cast behind it is on very good terms and is, in Frankel’s words, “a set of gigglers.”
Martin, on the other hand, lamented the fact that he missed out on all the fun because he was in Santa Fe slaving away on his next book, but he was the first to say how fun it has been for him to see his work come alive on the screen.
