‘Home of the Dragon’ Season 3: Launch Date, Plot, Solid

Warning: Spoilers forward for seasons one and two of “Home of the Dragon.”

HBO was betting large on the success of “Home of the Dragon” lengthy earlier than the season two finale.

The community renewed the Targaryen-centric “Recreation of Thrones” prequel for an additional spherical forward of the second season premiere in June 2024, which featured the notorious “Blood and Cheese” homicide. Francesca Orsi, HBO’s head of drama, praised the crew behind the hit fantasy sequence within the renewal announcement.

“George, Ryan, and the remainder of our unbelievable government producers, forged, and crew, have reached new heights with the outstanding second season of ‘Home of the Dragon,'” Orsi stated in a press launch, referencing creator George R. R. Martin and showrunner Ryan Condal. “We’re in awe of the dragon-sized effort your complete crew has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that’s solely rivaled by its coronary heart.”

“We couldn’t be extra thrilled to proceed the story of Home Targaryen and watch this crew burn brilliant once more for season three,” she added.

Eight episodes later, “Home of the Dragon”.ended its second season with a neat setup for the motion that is nonetheless to come back. This is every little thing we find out about what’s coming subsequent.

When will season 3 of ‘Home of the Dragon’ premiere?

Showrunner Ryan Condal beforehand advised reporters that manufacturing on season three would start in early 2025. Throughout an interview with Leisure Weekly in early March, Condal confirmed that manufacturing is underway within the UK.

“There’s been no tv present in historical past that ever stated, ‘We now have an excessive amount of cash and an excessive amount of time to make this,'” Condal stated. “You are all the time making selections as you go alongside as to, how are we going to make use of the assets we now have proper now to inform the perfect story we will presumably inform? However I admire all people’s endurance.”

“Home of the Dragon” veterans Clare Kilner, Andrij Parekh, and Loni Peristere will return to direct the forthcoming eight-episode arc, per EW. They will be joined by Nina Lopez-Corrado.

Though HBO has not introduced an official launch date for season three, these manufacturing particulars counsel {that a} 2026 launch date is feasible.

However don’t fret — you will have loads of Westerosi drama to tide you over with “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” one other “Video games of Thrones” spinoff targeted on the area of interest characters Dunk and Egg, set to reach in 2025.

The ‘Home of the Dragon’ season 3 plot will cowl 4 main occasions from the books

We won’t say for sure, however there’s at the very least one large battle on the horizon: the Battle of the Gullet.

Whereas chatting with EW, Condal promised that season three would cowl “4 main occasions” from the books, together with the pivotal naval assault the Battle of the Gullet, which calls for vital manufacturing assets. And to the followers who’ve been begging for extra motion, relaxation assured: Condal assured loads of bloodshed.

“In some ways, the Gullet has been on the minds of the manufacturing for about three years now and attempting to determine how we have been going to mount it in a manner that was each producible and thrilling, thrilling,” Condal advised EW.

“I want to suppose that that is in all probability probably the most advanced sequence that is ever been carried out for tv,” he continued, “not essentially the costliest or the longest shoot or something like that, however simply primarily based on the variety of shifting items, the quantity of various disciplines, media that need to be blended collectively to attain success since you’re speaking about sea and ships and dragons and motion.”

As for the opposite three “main occasions” that Condal promised, there are many historic showdowns, debuts, and deaths that we will predict will happen in season three primarily based on what occurs in “Hearth and Blood,” a few of which have already been teased within the sequence. They embrace Rhaenyra taking again King’s Touchdown, Alicent’s youngest son Daeron Targaryen lastly getting into the narrative, and the prophesied demises of Daemon and Aemond. However “Home of the Dragon” has began to make some daring adaptation decisions — so something might be on the horizon.

“We’re cresting that narrative parabola right here and beginning to come down into, if not the endgame, the midpoint and stepping into the late Act 2 and shifting onto the beginning of Act 3,” Condal advised EW. “Anyone that is learn that e book is aware of that the narrative will get greater and grimmer because it goes alongside, and the present has to match that ambition as finest it presumably can.”

If you need a preview of what is forward, although, you’ll be able to decide up “Hearth and Blood” your self. You will in all probability need to begin someplace within the chapter “The Dying of the Dragons: The Pink Dragon and the Gold” to atone for season two and browse forward for what could also be to come back.

Who’s within the season 3 forged of ‘Home of the Dragon?’

A press launch from HBO confirmed the present’s large gamers — amongst them Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon), Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen), Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon Targaryen), Harry Collett (Jacaerys Velaryon), Bethany Antonia (Baela Targaryen), Phoebe Campbell (Rhaena Targaryen), Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), and Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole) — will all return for season three.

As for newcomers, “Gladiator” star Tommy Flanagan has been forged as Ser Roderick Dustin, often called “Roddy the Damage” within the e book, whereas “A Full Unknown” actor Dan Fogler will play Torrhen Manderly. Each characters are formidable knights from the North, the place Home Stark guidelines.

Farther south, James Norton will make his onscreen debut as Ormund Hightower, Alicent’s cousin and Lord of Oldtown. The season two finale reveals a glimpse of Ormund’s military marching to counter Rhaenyra’s forces — accompanied by Daeron and his dragon Tessarion.

Different casting selections have but to be publicized. Chief amongst them is Daeron himself, who was despatched away at a younger age to squire for Ormund at Oldtown.

Condal confirmed to EW that Daeron will present up quickly, however declined to say who will play him.

“He is an enormous function within the e book, however for those who learn the e book narrative sequentially, the fabric we have coated up to now did not actually have lots of name for Daeron in it, which is why we’re attending to this now,” Condal defined.

There’s additionally the matter of Nettles, a personality from “Hearth and Blood” who claims the dragon Sheepstealer. Within the season two finale of “Home of the Dragon,” Rhaena lastly comes throughout what we presume is the dragon Sheepstealer — however it stays to be seen if she efficiently claims the dragon and takes over that storyline, or if Nettles will nonetheless seem.

What is going on on with King Aegon?

Aegon, also called Aegon the Elder to e book readers, suffers near-fatal accidents throughout season two’s battle at Rook’s Relaxation, leaving him largely motionless.

Within the season two finale, Lord Larys Sturdy arranges for Aegon to covertly escape King’s Touchdown in anticipation of Rhaenyra’s imminent coup. Of all of the finale’s open-ended questions, Aegon’s future appears most unsure.

The main points of Aegon’s interval of exile are equally murky in “Hearth and Blood” — however do not count on him to vanish from the display. Condal confirmed that the disgraced king will proceed to be “an enormous, large a part of the present.”

“He is form of misplaced to historical past within the sense that no person actually is aware of what occurred,” Condal advised EW. “We took that, because the writers, as an incredible alternative to determine. That was one of many nice challenges of writing season two: determining one thing that might work and be satisfying, but in addition not trigger ripple results within the narrative and alter the place the opposite large items are going. Truthfully, I believe it is among the finest tales that we cracked this yr.”

In an interview with Enterprise Insider, Glynn-Carney additionally teased a revenge-fueled journey for Aegon in season three.

“Although his physicality has modified now, I do not notably suppose for him, when it comes to how unpredictable and the way unstable he’s — I do not suppose that is going to vary in any respect,” the actor stated. “If something, there will probably be extra. So I am actually trying ahead to getting again on season three, and taking him on this subsequent chapter of his journey and actually pushing the boundaries much more with him this time.”

Will season three be the final season of ‘Home of the Dragon?’

Nope! Condal has already confirmed that “Home of the Dragon” will return for a fourth season, which is able to doubtless be its final, although HBO has but to make a proper announcement to that impact.

A four-season arc has appeared just like the plan for some time. George R.R. Martin stated on his private weblog in October 2022 that he could not see “Home of the Dragon” overlaying your complete Dance of the Dragons in fewer than 4 seasons.

“Is it 4 seasons? I do not suppose from the place I sit at this level will probably be any lower than 4,” HBO head of drama Francesca Orsi advised Deadline in 2023. “However might be extra. We’ll see.”

Palmer Haasch contributed to an earlier model of this story.