Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has shared his reaction to the first images from HBO's upcoming House of the Dragon series, and it looks like fans are in for a treat.
"I've seen rough cuts of some of them and I love them," Martin wrote in a recent blog post, also confirming that filming is now complete on "all ten episodes" of the new fantasy series.
“Of course, there is still a lot to do. But the writing, directing and acting all sound great," Martin added. "I hope you like it as much as I do."
Based on Martin's 2018 novel Fire and Blood, House of the Dragon will tell the story of the Targaryen dynasty, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The likes of Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Paddy Considine and Rhys Ifans are set to appear on the show as part of an extensive cast, with Martin himself serving as executive producer.
Fans first got their hands on the show back in October of last year, when an ominous trailer featured battles, feasts, and of course, plenty of flames, but HBO has yet to announce an official 2022 release date for House of the Dragon.
It seems that Martin is no wiser on that front either. In the same blog post, the writer wrote: "So when will you be able to see it, you wonder? When will the dragons dance? I wish I could tell you. There's a lot of work to be done." and Covid makes planning difficult. This spring? Unlikely. maybe summer? Could be. Fall? Who knows? You'll know when we do.
This remaining work, according to Martin, includes "special effects, color sync, score, all post-production work," so we don't expect House of the Dragon to arrive in the first half of 2022, at least.
Still, with filming now complete, the show is no longer subject to the same pandemic-induced production hurdles, so these finishes will most likely be completed in months, rather than years.
A gamble the size of a dragon for HBO Max
We recently published a report on the excellent year HBO Max enjoyed in 2021, in which we also detailed our skepticism about whether the streamer could maintain its momentum in 2022.
Much of this recent success can be attributed to the streamer's day-and-date release schedule, which has seen movies like Dune and The Matrix Resurrections available on the service alongside their respective theatrical releases.
WarnerMedia won't repeat the strategy in 2022, which means HBO Max will have to keep up its challenge against rival streamers like Netflix and Disney Plus with cutting-edge original programming.
Early signs suggest that HBO has the content pipeline to do it: Euphoria season 2 has so far surpassed all expectations, while Succession season 4 and The Last of Us TV show look poised to add even more subscribers. to HBO Max, but House of the Dragon, in particular, may have to do a lot of the streamer's heavy lifting in 2022.
Which is why it's promising to hear that the show has received the seal of approval from George RR Martin, the writer responsible for the most successful television series of all time. As for whether House of the Dragon can repeat the huge success of Game of Thrones, the jury will be out until the end of this year.