Fans of HBO’s House of the Dragon have faced a rough few months. The finale of the show’s second season received a significant amount of criticism, with many viewers expressing disappointment over its lack of a satisfying conclusion and its apparent focus on teasing future plotlines. To add to this frustration, shortly after the finale aired, George R.R. Martin, the author behind Game of Thrones, openly criticized some creative choices made during the season.
This past weekend brought another disappointing update for dedicated fans of the series. During a panel at New York Comic-Con, cast members Tom Glynn-Carney and Matt Smith shared that they are currently in the dark about the status of House of the Dragon season three. When inquired about whether they had seen or read any scripts for the upcoming season, Glynn-Carney stated, “Not a jot, not a letter.” He humorously added, “The longer they take, the longer we don’t have to read anything for a while.”
Smith echoed this sentiment, admitting, “I’ve not heard hide nor hair.” However, Fabien Frankel, who also stars in House of the Dragon, offered a cryptic reply when asked if he had any updates. “I’ve heard some things that I couldn’t possibly share here,” he teased.
Despite being officially renewed for a third season back in June, just ahead of the second season’s premiere, there remains confusion about the show’s future. Co-creator Ryan Condal previously confirmed that the plan includes a total of four seasons for House of the Dragon. Additionally, in August, he indicated that filming for season three could begin in “earlyish 2025,” and that scripts were in the writing process. Given this, it’s surprising that two major cast members have not yet been briefed on what to expect for the upcoming season.
In a now-deleted blog post, Martin had hinted at spoilery details regarding season three that he feared the series might mishandle. His comments may have led Condal and the writing team to rethink their narrative strategies. Alternatively, it could also be that the writing process is taking longer than anticipated, or the writers have chosen to keep the cast out of the loop for now.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear this isn’t the news that House of the Dragon fans were hoping for.
Seasons one and two of House of the Dragon are currently available for streaming on Max.