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While House of the Dragon Season 3 might not be the most eagerly anticipated season of the Game of Thrones franchise ever. It is still well and truly anticipated as the Dance of Dragons finally shifts into full gear. Many viewers of the show's second season had anticipated far more action than they eventually got during its sophomore run. Besides the Battle of Rook's Rest, House of the Dragon Season 2 did not feature any other large-scale conflicts, with the Battle of the Burning Mill taking place off-screen. Showrunner Ryan Condal has teased the unprecedented size of the production scale for Season 3 in a new update.

Season 2 ended with the Greens and the Blacks poised to clash at the Battle of the Gullet. Many viewers had expected that the naval conflict would close out the sophomore season, but that didn't materialize. Condal had previously promised that four major events would be covered in the new season,...

In a recent interview with Awards Radar, House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy confirmed that the show’s creative deviation from the source will continue. They said:

I have this sort of foggy knowledge. I mean, I know where Rhaenyra is heading. Any sort of historical document tends to be deeply subjective and requires context for understanding. I feel that part of our job is to offer some of that context. But it’s funny, I wouldn’t go back to the book now, possibly until we finish this journey. House of the Dragon now needs to run its course.

After the end of the first season, the show has taken many creative liberties, which in turn, deviated the show into a new direction, away from author George R.R. Martin‘s source novel, named Fire and Blood. While he might not be on board with these decisions, the actor...

Before knees were bent to the likes of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), a greater part of Westeros first bent the knee to their forebear, the patriarch of the Targaryen dynasty, King Aegon, First of His Name. HBO built its Westeros-set franchise beginning with the critically acclaimed series, Game of Thrones, and has since followed it up with a prequel, House of the Dragon. Given the intense appeal of the lore, even more spin-offs have been considered over the years, one of them being an Aegon's Conquest series. While HBO is yet to officially greenlight an adaptation of Aegon's story, writer Mattson Tomlin — who recently just finished writing the first official draft of The Batman Part II alongside Matt Reeves — is attached to write the television series.

Riding atop the biggest dragon Westeros has ever known, Balerion the Black Dread, Aegon, with help from his sister-wives,...

War is about seeking advantages and exploiting them to the very maximum. More so if you are locked in a conflict billed as the Dance of Dragons. Team Black, led by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), has earned a significant advantage ahead of the premiere of the third season of HBO's House of the Dragon. The world of Westeros is famed for producing fierce female warriors, and Season 3 of the prequel series will be introducing yet another one. According to Deadline, actress Annie Shapero has been cast as Alysanne Blackwood, a warrior who fights on behalf of Rhaenyra in the Dance of the Dragons. While Shapero won't be a series regular, she's set to star in five of the upcoming eight episodes and is likely to win over fans in that time.

Shapero is an Australian-British actress who previously played American journalist Jenny in Red Skies, the Series Mania Award-winning...

HBO announced that filming is officially underway on the third season of House of the Dragon back in April, and we now have some fairly late casting news that fans of George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood have been eagerly anticipating.

Deadline reports that Annie Shapero will play Alysanne Blackwood, aka Black Aly, in season 3. In the source material, Blackwood is a mighty warrior who ends up siding with Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) in the Dance of the Dragons before marrying Lord Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor.)

In the season 2 finale, Rhaenyra and Daemon (Matt Smith) put their differences aside and joined forces as they prepared to launch a full-scale attack on King's Landing.

We'll be meeting quite a few new faces in season 3, with James Norton (Happy Valley) previously joining the cast as Ormund Hightower, along with Tommy Flanagan as Ser Roderick Dustin, aka "Roddy the Ruin," and...

House of the DragonSeason 3 has finally cast one of the "most fierce" warriors from George R. R. Martin's best-selling work. As filming for the highly-anticipated third season of the Game of Thrones prequel continues, it has now been revealed who will be playing a legendary character from the saga.

Deadline reports that Annie Shapero (Red Skies) has been cast as Alysanne Blackwood in House of the Dragon Season 3. She will not be a series regular, but is expected to appear in five episodes of the upcoming season. The character plays a key role in Fire & Blood, so fans of the book have been waiting for the casting for quite some time. Details remain scarce on the upcoming season, but Shapero will make her debut as Alysanne when House of the Dragon returns to HBO sometime in 2026.

Alysanne "Black Aly" Blackwood is an important character from Fire & Blood, and could...

There’s been a lot of talk lately about who will play one of George R.R. Martin’s toughest female fighters in House of the Dragon Season 3. Now, we can finally share the news: Australian-British actor Annie Shapero has been cast as Alysanne Blackwood. Filming for the new season began a few weeks ago in the UK.

Alysanne Blackwood, often called Black Aly, is an important character in Martin’s Fire & Blood book. She is known as a fearless warrior who supports Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by Emma D’Arcy on the show, during the brutal civil war. Later, she marries Lord Cregan Stark, a role played by Tom Taylor.

This marriage makes her a legendary figure in the history of House Stark, and her story will be featured in the upcoming season.

While Alysanne is not a main character, sources say she will appear in five out of the eight...

One of George R.R. Martin’s most fierce female fighters has finally been cast. Alysanne Blackwood will make her House of the Dragon debut in the upcoming third season, and her actor has now been revealed.

According to Deadline, Annie Shapero has been cast as Alysanne Blackwood/Black Aly in House of the Dragon Season 3.The actor is set to recur in Season 3, appearing in five of the eight episodes. Alysanne Blackwood plays a key role in Martin's Fire & Blood novel, which serves as the basis for House of the Dragon. The fearless warrior is described as "Lord Benjicot Blackwood’s aunt and fights for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) in the Dance of the Dragons before marrying Lord Cregan Stark, who is played by Tom Taylor. She becomes a legendary figure in House Stark lore."

House of the Dragon marks Shapero's most high-profile project to date. The actor is...

Exclusive: Internet speculation has been rife in recent weeks over who will star as one of George R.R. Martin’s most fierce female fighters in the upcoming House of the Dragon Season 3.

We can reveal that Australian-British actor Annie Shapero is playing Alysanne Blackwood in the next season, which started shooting several weeks back in the UK.

Known as Black Aly, Blackwood plays a key role in Martin’s Fire and Blood novel. The fearless warrior is Lord Benjicot Blackwood’s aunt and fights for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) in the Dance of the Dragons before marrying Lord Cregan Stark, who is played by Tom Taylor. She becomes a legendary figure in House Stark lore and her storyline looks likely to be told in House of the Dragon Season 3.

Blackwood is not a series regular but we are told she will appear in five of the eight episodes...

As a huge fan of the Game of Thrones franchise—including House of the Dragon’s premiere season—I was so disappointed that I didn’t totally love the second installment. Airing last summer on HBO, the prequel story had so much potential, yet it just didn’t capture the same excitement it did in its first season. And, for many fans of the source material, Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, that was because of the changes from the book.

Fire & Blood, written as a Targaryen history book spanning over 100 years, is a very complicated thing to adapt. While there are plenty of big events that go down, there’s much less of a narrative story; it’s written as facts rather than as a novel. And for many parts of it, major characters are not accounted for. So when HBO decided to adapt it for the small screen,...

House of the Dragon is HBO's second attempt at bringing to life Westeros and its seemingly endless stream of stories. After a largely successful run with the critically acclaimed Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon took us 200 plus years back in time to the height of Targaryen power. While the original series adapted George R.R. Martin's novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, the prequel series adapts the events depicted in the historical account, Fire & Blood. The prequel's creative choices have been challenged in some quarters, with the criticism being it simply isn't faithful to the text. Following the reception of Season 2, one might have thought the series would lean towards appeasing the naysayers. That will not be the case.

Emma D'Arcy stars as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in the prequel series and the Dance of the Dragons sees her bannermen pitted against those of her half-brother, King...

James Norton has officially joined the world of House of the Dragon. According to Splash News, the actor was seen on set for the first time, filming a dramatic scene with Matt Smith.

Norton is playing Lord Ormund Hightower, a powerful character from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. Fans spotted him dressed in full medieval armor as he surrendered his sword and knelt before Smith’s Daemon Targaryen.

James Norton has officially entered the fiery world of Westeros

Norton was spotted on the 'House of the Dragon' set for the very first time, filming an intense and dramatic scene alongside Matt Smith.

Norton, who plays Ormund Hightower – the formidable head of House… pic.twitter.com/xn63iKrfIb

— Splash News (@SplashNews) July 18, 2025

This moment could be a big turning point for Norton’s character. Ormund Hightower is not just any lord. He’s the head of House Hightower and nephew of Otto Hightower,...

James Norton has officially stepped into the world of Westeros. The actor, known from shows like Happy Valley, was spotted on the set of House of the Dragon Season 3 for the first time.

He was seen filming an emotional scene alongside Matt Smith, who plays Daemon Targaryen. According to Splash News, Norton’s character, Lord Ormund Hightower, was seen surrendering his sword and kneeling before Daemon.

Dressed in full costume, Norton looked every inch the proud lord forced into submission.

James Norton has officially entered the fiery world of Westeros

Norton was spotted on the 'House of the Dragon' set for the very first time, filming an intense and dramatic scene alongside Matt Smith.

Norton, who plays Ormund Hightower – the formidable head of House… pic.twitter.com/xn63iKrfIb

— Splash News (@SplashNews) July 18, 2025

Norton was confirmed to have joined the cast back in January 2025, when HBO announced he would play Lord Ormund Hightower.

When HBO released the first season of Game of Thrones in 2011, the network would have hoped for a level of success, but it certainly didn't envision what the show ended up becoming. A pop culture smash hit, the impact of the series based on George R.R. Martin's novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, has endured. The prequel series, House of the Dragon, now headed for its third season, has carried on the show's legacy, with its most recent season coming in for some criticism from Martin himself. Production on Season 3 is currently underway, and more source material changes look set to occur. Unofficial set videos were shared on an X fan page, and they point towards more book deviations for Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen despite the criticisms of Season 2.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is aiming for a 2026 release date and these videos depict a scene...

The 2025 Emmy Nominations had seemed rather dull leading up to nomination morning, which, of course, meant we were in for a few surprises. Lo and behold, they came early and often. Below, we’ve got some of the big players and who really missed when it mattered most.

2025 Emmy Nomination Winners and Losers Winner: HBO

A massive haul for The Penguin helped lead the way for the multi-media TV network to secure a total of 142 nominations. This jumps the network up fifty nominations for last year, and even better news, they scored some truly inspired nominations. Alongside The Penguin, Hacks picked up 14 nominations, The Pitt picked up double nominations for Directing and Writing on its way to 13 nominations, and The Rehearsal picked up nominations. Even with underperformance from House of the Dragon and Dune: Part Two, the network was still able to secure 23 total programs with at least one nomination.

House of the Dragon season 2 has broken a Game of Thrones streak at the Emmys after the 2025 nominations were revealed, and it's not good news. Game of Thrones is one of the most successful TV shows in Emmys history, winning a total of 59 awards from 164 nominations, the most of any drama series.

After those years of dominance, House of the Dragon season 2 is the first season in the Game of Thrones franchise not to be nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. Further, the show didn't receive any above-the-line nominations, missing out on the acting, directing, and writing categories too.

The Emmys 2025 nominations did, however, include several nods in technical categories for the Creative Arts awards, including:

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes - "The Burning Mill" Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling - "Smallfolk" Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) - "The Red Dragon and the Gold" Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup - "The...

George R.R. Martin admitted he’s not sure if he could write The Winds of Winter as fast as he did with the earlier installments of A Song of Ice and Fire. The upcoming book, which has been in development for 14 years, aims to continue the fantasy saga that HBO’s Game of Thrones so creatively adapted to the small screen.

On his website, Not a Blog, Martin shared his qualms about his writing speed when it comes to finishing the said book:

I do wish they would go faster, of course. Way way back in 1999, when I was deep in the writing of A Storm Of Swords, I was averaging about 150 pages of manuscript a month. I fear I shall never recapture that pace again. Looking back, I am not sure how I did it then. A fever indeed.

Based on the figure he gave, it is considered an...

The 22nd Gold Derby TV Awards nominations were announced on Monday, July 14, on the eve of Emmy nominations for the 2024-25 television season. Almost 4,500 registered Gold Derby users cast their votes in 30 categories covering dramas, comedies, movies, limited series, and variety. Scroll down for our complete list of nominees in all categories, and vote right now for the winners here in our predictions center. Winner voting will go through Aug. 3. Winners will be announced on Aug. 18.

Apple TV+ leads all studios with the most nominations for both drama and comedy series. Severance and The Studio are out front with 11 bids each, followed by nine for Abbott Elementary and nine for Hacks, both contending in many comedy categories. Up next with eight each are drama contenders The Pitt, Squid Game, and The White Lotus.

Gold Derby offers three categories not provided by the Television Academy and the Emmy Awards. The nominees...

HBO is filming the third season of House of the Dragon as we speak. When it arrives, we'll catch back up with characters like Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), who's fighting a war for the Iron Throne against her half-brother Aegon.

Emma D'Arcy took a break from filming to chat with Awards Radar about their character, who is at the center of the show. “What do I find most relatable about Rhaenyra? Probably her desire to be known. I think she has such a fundamental need to be seen in a way that feels authentic. And sometimes I think that reveals a lack of maturity in her. It’s a wound that keeps repeating itself,” D'Arcy said.

What do I find frustrating about Rhaenyra? There’s such haste in everything she does, in bonding with other people, in striking out towards a solution. And sometimes it feels so breathless…Playing her,...

An upcoming adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel, which stars Anne Hathaway, has just had its theatrical release date pushed. Hoover is an American novelist who is best known for her work in the romance genre, particularly her 2016 release It Ends With Us.

It Ends With Us was recently adapted into a feature film starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, which ended up becoming a major hit at the box office. The film benefited greatly from a degree of virality due to behind-the-scenes issues involving Lively and Baldoni, the latter of whom also served as director, with the clash eventually turning into a highly publicized legal battle.

Feud aside, It Ends With Us grossed a staggering $351 million worldwide, and the success has guaranteed that there are more adaptations of Hoover's books to come. There are now three more movies based on her work currently in the pipeline, and all are...

The cast and crew of House of the Dragon are very hard at work filming the third season, and we've gotten an eyeful lately. In particular, they've recently spent a lot of time filming a major action sequence called the Battle of the Gullet, which should kick off season 3 when it drops sometime in 2026. But Westeros is at war, and there's more than one battle in our future.

To wit: @housethedragons brings us new photos of a set going up at Leavesden Studios in England. This is the town of Tumbleton, which we heard about briefly in season 2. Kat (Ellora Torchia), who's married to newly minted dragonrider Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew), mentioned wanting to flee there rather than stay in their home in King's Landing, since things there were getting increasingly unstable. The crew has been building the Tumbleton set for a long while, and it now looks pretty much...

Tom Cruisemight be the biggest movie star in the world at the moment, but it seems that doesn't mean studios are still not reluctant to fulfill his big-budget action endeavors. Despite the Mission: Impossible franchise ending earlier this year, Cruise is not slowing down anytime soon, as he has an undersea thriller set up with Doug Liman at the helm as his next major project. However, it seems fans will have to wait longer for it to come to fruition, as the major studio backing has seemingly pulled out.

According to Puck, Warner Bros. has decided to pause development on Deeper, which was set to star Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas. Per the report, this decision was made due to the production budget, which was reportedly $275 million. It is not clear if Warner Bros. will move on from the film entirely, but it is said that Cruise is now...

Bella Ramsey, best known for their role in The Last of Us, might soon be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This news comes from industry insider Daniel Richtman, who shared the rumor on his Patreon page. If true, it would be a big move for Ramsey, adding a major new project to their already impressive career.

Ramsey first caught the public’s eye as Lyanna Mormont on HBO’s Game of Thrones. They played the role from 2016 to 2019, which was their first credited acting job. Fans loved their fierce and confident character, and critics agreed. The Hollywood Reporter called Ramsey “season 6’s breakout star.” They kept delivering strong performances through the final seasons.

After Game of Thrones, Ramsey starred as Mildred Hubble in the TV adaptation of The Worst Witch starting in 2017. For this role, they won the Young Performer award at the 2019 British Academy Children’s Awards. The character...

Bella Ramsey, who many know from The Last of Us, might soon join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to industry insider Daniel Richtman. This would be a huge step in their career, adding to their already impressive list of roles.

Ramsey first got attention for playing Lyanna Mormont in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones from 2016 to 2019. It was their first credited role, and fans quickly noticed how powerful and confident their character was. Critics also praised them, with The Hollywood Reporter calling Ramsey “season 6’s breakout star.” They continued to shine in the seventh and eighth seasons of the show.

After Game of Thrones, Ramsey took on the lead in the TV version of The Worst Witch in 2017, playing Mildred Hubble. They won the Young Performer award at the British Academy Children’s Awards in 2019 for this role. Later on, the character was played by another actor, Lydia Page,...

The tussle for the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon ultimately comes down to two factions: the Greens and the Blacks, led by King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his half-sister, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), respectively. Rhaenyra is the rightful ruler by all the laws of the land, with her claim only contested because a king's final words were misunderstood. Season 3 of the prequel series is currently filming and there is much at stake when the show returns. One of the centerpieces will be Aegon, and Glynn-Carney discussed his complicated character in an interview with Awards Buzz.

Season 2 began with Aegon atop the Iron Throne, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. His rule was challenged by Rhaenyra, who had staked her claim to the throne from across Blackwater Bay at Dragonstone. Ruling is not for Aegon; he is, simply put, not good at it. His authority is challenged by his advisors: his mother,...

HBO is in the thick of filming on the third season of House of the Dragon, and we're getting a lot of up-close looks lately; that's what happens when you film on location and there are curious shutterbugs in the area.

Today we have some of the most interesting images yet. They seem to concern a major action sequence called the Battle of the Gullet, which we're likely to see very early in the new season. Be warned that there will be Spoilers for George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood from here on out.

Season 2 ended with a bunch of armies and navies on the precipice of conflict. Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) boarded his flagship along with his illegitimate son Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim), ready to patrol the seas and fight for his queen, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy). Meanwhile, Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) sailed across the Narrow Sea...

Over the past two months of Emmy campaigning, Gold Derby has spoken with several contenders in all categories. Now with voting underway ahead of the July 15 unveiling of the nominees, we have compiled 16 interviews for stars vying for Best Drama Actress, including: Annaleigh Ashford (Happy Face), Kathy Bates (Matlock), Morfydd Clark (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton), Tawny Cypress (Yellowjackets), Emma D'Arcy (House of the Dragon), Shanola Hampton (Found), Minha Kim (Pachinko), Ali Larter (Landman), Britt Lower (Severance), Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets), Helen Mirren (1923), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale), Niecy Nash-Betts (Grotesquerie), Sophie Nélisse (Yellowjackets), and Carrie Preston (Elsbeth).

Read on for highlights from each interviews and links to watch our full video Q&As.

Annaleigh Ashford (Happy Face)

For the Paramount+ series, Ashford plays Melissa Reed, the daughter of Dennis Quaid's Keith Hunter Jesperson, aka the Happy Face Killer, who's in prison for murdering eight women.

Emma D’Arcy, the actor who played older Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon and uses they/them pronouns, gets criticized by fans online for their performance in the show. They appeared in the sixth episode of the prequel saga in 2022, replacing Australian actress Milly Alcock.

The story had a ten-year time jump, which meant Rhaenyra had to look older. It was previously revealed that D’Arcy was cast first for the role, and so the quest was to look for a much younger star who resembled the actor. Alcock’s performance as Rhaenyra was loved by fans and her departure from the show was greatly mourned.

House of the Dragon Fans Preferred Milly Alcock over Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen Milly Alcock in House of the Dragon / Credits: HBO

House of the Dragon introduced Milly Alcock’s Rhaenyra as the playful and rebellious Targaryen princess. Known as the Realm’s Delight,...

HBO is filming the third season of House of the Dragon as we speak. The second season ended on a number of cliffhangers. Alicent Hightower planned to betray her children and help Rhaenyra Targaryen take King's Landing, Corlys Velaryon's fleet was about to engage a pirate fleet led by Sharako Lohar, Aemond Targaryen was setting out for Harrenhal hoping to take on his uncle Daemon, and more.

And then there was Rhaena Targaryen, Daemon's daughter played by Phoebe Campbell. She was sent to the Vale to watch over her younger half-brothers, but left them in the season 2 finale to chase a wild dragon living in the area. We left her just as she found it.

Now, we're getting reports about the next leg of Rhaena's journey. According to House the Dragons, Phoebe Campbell was filming recently in Capel Curig, Wales alongside Emma D'Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen) and Clinton Liberty (Addam of...

Nearly 1,500 UK film and TV actors have signed an open letter to producers’ union Pact regarding AI protections for performers.

The letter, organised by UK actors union Equity, expresses “concern at the lack of progress on securing AI protections for performers”. Signatories include Tamsin Greig, Alan Davies, Emma D’Arcy, Nicola Walker and Wilf Scolding.

It comes in the midst of Equity and Pact negotiating a new agreement to set minimum pay, terms and conditions for performers working in film and TV. The agreement will also set the minimum terms for contracts used by streamers such as Apple, Netflix, and Disney+.

Exclusive: Thousands of UK actors have been “digitally scanned on set without their informed consent,” according to an open letter from Brit actors union Equity urging progress on artificial intelligence as it returns to the negotiating table with Pact.

British actors Emma D’Arcy, Tamsin Greig, Alan Davies, Nicola Walker and Wilf Scolding have so far signed the letter, which was published last week.

“We also have no transparency around how our performances, likeness and personal data are being recorded, stored and processed within the context of the production and beyond,” Equity wrote, in the letter to Pact that has amassed nearly 1,500 signatures.

The letter comes a day before Equity and the producer trade body are due to sit down for yet another round of negotiations on a set of new collective agreements that has been rumbling for around 12 months, with AI safeguards proving quite the sticking point. Equity has been...

Filming on the third season of House of the Dragon continues. There's a lot coming our way in season 3, including the Battle of the Gullet, a spectacular naval battle that will land early in the season. The cast and crew have not been shy about hyping this scene up to the high heavens, bragging about how it will do things that have never been done on television before. Why not set the bar high?

We've already seen some of the huge ships the crew has built at Leavesden Studios in England, but they will also be shooting on location. We've seen what looks like the debris of ships on a beach on the island of Anglesey, Wales, so you know things are going to get explosive. The X account House the Dragons has more images of assorted props on the beach:

Mais fotos dos adereços do set de House of the Dragon...

Mission: Impossible franchise director Christopher McQuarrie has finally opened up about their decision to kill off one of the franchise’s legacy characters in the newest entry, The Final Reckoning. McQuarrie has been part of the blockbuster action franchise since 2015, beginning with Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, which remains as one of its highest-rated installments.

During a recent interview with Empire, McQuarrie explained why the death of Ving Rhames’ long-time character Luther had to happen in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. He revealed that the beloved character’s death was crucial to the latest installment’s story since its theme was all about sacrifice. The filmmaker confirmed that Rhames was very supportive of the decision because it allowed his character to have an emotional and proper send-off.

“The story was about sacrifice. The sacrifice in [Dead Reckoning], the movie had no teeth without it, without some loss. It was a sacrifice Ving leaned fully into,...

House of the Dragon still struggles to reach the level of success that Game of Thrones earned during its eight-season run. For such an established franchise, many expected the prequel saga would be loved by the audience as much as they did with the original show.

It’s worth noting that the spinoff series received a bigger budget due to several factors, including cast salaries and the number of dragons in the show as compared to Game of Thrones. However, the ratings did not seem to reflect the desired effect.

House of the Dragon has never beaten Game of Thrones at IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes Emma D’Arcy in House of the Dragon / Credits: HBO

House of the Dragon came three years after Game of Thrones wrapped up, and even then, the hype for the latter never wavered. Many have anticipated how it would live up to the expectations set by its predecessor,...

The cast and crew of House of the Dragon are deep into filming on season 3, which promises to have some majorly impressive sequences. First up is the Battle of the Gullet, a ship-to-ship battle that will also involve dragons, because of course it will. This battle was actually originally planned to serve as the climax of season 2, but it got bumped to the beginning of season 3 after Warner Bros. Discovery reduced the show's episode order. Now, cast and crew members are talking up this navel battle like it's going to be the most epic thing ever put to TV, and we hope it will.

Without getting into major spoilers, the Battle of the Gullet is fought between the Velaryon fleet, owned and operated by Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint); and a pirate fleet captained by Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn). Remember that, at the end of season 2, Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) convinced...

The ending of House of the Dragon Season 2 is clear evidence that it promises a more thrilling narrative in the next installment. Despite the long-winded set-up and the underwhelming conclusion, it still gave us important interactions and events that would eventually shape the plot of Season 3.

As we all know, the upcoming installment will introduce new faces, such as Daeron Targaryen and Ormund Hightower, as well as the highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet. But, for now, let’s dive in and explore the key happenings in the final episode.

What Happened in House of the Dragon Season 2 Finale?

The final episode of House of the Dragon Season 2 had lots of interesting storylines than we remember. Fans were only jaded because there wasn’t anything explosive, unlike the past season. Looking back, it revealed tons of consequential scenes in which the effects will be seen in Season 3.

Rhaenyra and Alicent...

Few television shows have special effects on the level of House of the Dragon, HBO's lavish Game of Thrones prequel series. Set during the height of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros, the show has imposing castles, over a dozen fire-breathing dragons, armies on the march and more. It all looks as good as anything in the movies, and sometimes even better; I doubt we'll see another dragon-on-dragon battle that can compete with the one from "The Red Dragon and the Gold" until the third season comes along.

Wētā FX, the New Zealand-based visual effects company formed by Peter Jackson, is one of the best in the business. They worked on House of the Dragon season 2 and have been sharing videos on their YouTube channel, breaking down things like how they created dragons like Seasmoke and Vermithor.

Now we're going sightseeing to the Gods Eye, because one of their latest videos...

One of the most controversial scenes in House of the Dragon Season 2 was Rhaenyra and Alicent’s secret meeting in King’s Landing. This never happened in the book, so the scene caught everyone off guard. While fans have mixed feelings about this, actor Emma D’Arcy thinks it’s both powerful and silly.

Disguised as a Septa, Rhaenyra infiltrated the Grand Sept to speak with her former best friend, knowing she would be there praying. A shocked Alicent and a determined Rhaenyra talked about the deaths of their departed loved ones. Later on, they spoke of how Viserys named Aegon as his heir, which turned out to be a mistake since he was actually referring to Aegon the Conqueror. The scene ended with no resolution on either side at all.

What Emma D’Arcy’s comment means for House of the Dragon Season 3 Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy in...

The stakes are higher in House of the Dragon Season 3. Since we’re approaching climax, there is definitely the anticipation that, perhaps, the showrunners are finally sticking to the source material. This has been the major concern of fans since 2022, and with another saga coming our way, the demand for a better adaptation keeps getting stronger.

The audience has spoken about what they want to see in the upcoming season. While some wished for meatier conversations and purposeful interactions between characters, others wanted more resources for the execution of major battle sequences.

From bigger budget to more dialogue-heavy scenes, House of the Dragon Season 3 demands revealed Emma D’Arcy in House of the Dragon / Credits: HBO

House of the Dragon Season 3 may be the most important part of the prequel series. We’ll witness some of the bloodiest battles ever in the history of the Targaryen dynasty, where major...

Back in 1994, A-list actors Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise co-starred in the Anne Rice adaptation Interview with the Vampire. Both actors are still leading men in Hollywood over three decades later, but not as co-stars, and there's a simple reason for that.

Speaking with E! News, Pitt was recently asked about his newest movie, F1, getting praise from Cruise, who encouraged filmgoers to go out and see it on the big screen. Pitt said that it was "so sweet" of Cruise to take that upon himself, and that had the former recalling the "go-kart days" he used to have with the latter back in the 1990s. That led to a follow-up question about whether Pitt and Cruise could co-star in another film these days, but that's not going to happen until Cruise wants to make a film that's a bit more... grounded.

E! News chats with Brad Pitt ahead of...

One of the standout episodes of House of the Dragon's second season was "The Red Sowing," from director Loni Peristere and cinematographer Vanja Černjul. In a new Gold Derby interview, the artisans share their insights from the fan-favorite seventh episode, which centered on Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and her urgent quest to acquire more dragon riders.

House of the Dragon, the prequel series to HBO’s megahit Game of Thrones, was created by Ryan Condal and author George R. R. Martin, with D'Arcy leading the ensemble cast alongside Emmy nominee Matt Smith (The Crown) as Prince Daemon Targaryen and Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower. Season 2 is eligible at the 2025 Emmys, and filming for Season 3 is underway right now in England.

Gold Derby: Vanja, you've been quoted as saying that Season 2 was “a testament to the marriage of meticulous planning and spontaneous creativity.” Talk us through what that means to you both.

Filming for the third season of House of the Dragon is ongoing. The show will forge ahead adapting George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood, about a brutal civil war fought between factions of the Targaryen dynasty. There are lots of characters in the mix, some front and center, some in the background. But in an ensemble show like this, any can steal the spotlight, if only for a moment.

In season 2, we were briefly introduced to a character named Lady Sabitha Frey, whom Jaecaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) met with partway through the season. Lady Sabitha is the head of House Frey alongside her husband Forrest, played by Kenneth Collard. They agreed to throw their lot in with Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and open the gates of the Twins, the ancestral seat of House Frey, to an army of Northerners on their way south; we saw that group crossing...

Netflix subscribers have apparently been enjoying a unique and twisted getaway recently via the sleeper hit black dramedy series "Sirens." Created by playwright Molly Smith Metzler and executive produced by "Barbie" star/producer Margot Robbie, among others, the five-episode limited series follows two sisters on vastly diverging paths who are somewhat forced to reconnect at a billionaire's summer home.

As hard as it would be for these two sisters to reconcile under the most normal of circumstances -- one dropped out of college to devote her life to a wealthy socialite; the other just got out of prison -- their relationship is further strained by the influence of the various bizarre, unsettling, and out-of-touch people that now surround them. 

"Sirens" is an ensemble series in the truest sense. From the billionaire herself to her in-house chef, each character has a memorable impact on the story -- and each one of...

Some House of the Dragon fans have been hoping for a romantic twist between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. Since the show started, people online have shared theories and pointed out scenes they think hint at something more than friendship.

One of the biggest moments that sparked these ideas came in Season 2, when Alicent asked Rhaenyra to run away with her.

But it looks like the actors playing them don’t see it that way.

Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play Rhaenyra and Alicent, were recently part of a video on Entertainment Weekly’s YouTube channel where they responded to fan theories. When Cooke read out the idea about Alicent and Rhaenyra possibly having romantic feelings for each other, both actors couldn’t help but laugh. The theory clearly caught them off guard.

Related: Leaked Set Photos Reveal Constructed Town Set for ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3

“I don...

The world of Westeros – be it Game of Thrones or its prequel, House of the Dragon – teems with certain features, namely: war, love, and passion. Oftentimes, these do not materialize in the way we might hope, but that does not stop us from being optimistic. Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), friends from their early teens, have grown into two of the most powerful women in the Seven Kingdoms. Sharing a romantic bond, something a large section of the fanbase willed to be true, the pair are torn apart when Rhaenyra's father, King Viserys (Paddy Considine), takes Alicent as a bride.

Fans of the show have long theorized that while Alicent and Rhaenyra might be on opposite sides at the moment, the pair were headed for a boat full of love had their earlier connection held. Unfortunately, the stars of the prequel seriesdon’t see things the same way.

It's been nearly a year since the second season of House of the Dragon wrapped up on HBO, and we probably have at least a year to wait before the third season airs. That's a bummer, but Entertainment Weekly is keeping us entertained with a new video of the cast members responding to various fan theories. There's nothing terribly substantial in here, but it is pretty entertaining:

So what theories do they hit?

Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower will have a romantic relationship

In George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood, Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower are on opposite sides of the Dance of the Dragons, a bloody sectarian conflict that tears apart the ruling family of the Seven Kingdoms. On the show, they're working together, and some fans think they'll go further than that.

Amusingly, the cast members seem to have a hard time getting their heads around the...

When creating the vocal personalities of the titular fire breathers in HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” sound designer Paula Fairfield starts by giving them a story.

Whether it’s “old lady” Vhagar, or “white boy who thinks he can rap” Caraxes, or the “fidgety” 13-year-old Taylor Swift fan in Syrax, this is how Fairfield gets to know the creatures at her fingertips — and keep them straight.

That was crucial in Season 2, when more dragons took to the skies than ever before in the “Game of Thrones” universe as two factions of the Targaryen dynasty unleashed war on each other from the backs of their winged companions. But fans of author George R. R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood” know the prequel is actually a history of the downfall of the Targaryens and their dragon bloodline.

“We know this is the war where they all end, so it’s honoring the...

Matt Smith recently broke his silence about a major fan theory surrounding his character in House of the Dragon. The critically acclaimed Game of Thrones prequel series has been renewed for a third season.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Smith was joined by the rest of the main cast of House of the Dragon to debunk some of the wildest fan theories. One of these theories involves his character of Daemon, speculating that he will be linked to the Three-Eyed Raven after Season 2 saw him witnessing Aegon's Dream, a prophetic vision that kicked off Aegon's Conquest and the Targaryen's dynasty in Westeros. "Interesting. I'm not--i...I hope so," Smith said, choosing his words carefully. "Good one. I like that."

The identity of Game of Thrones' Three-Eyed Raven remains a mystery in the HBO series, but the books do tell fans who the character might actually be. In the books, the...

House Of The Dragon: How Did Matt Smith Respond To Viral Daemon Targaryen Fan Theory?(Photo Credit –Facebook)

Right from the jump, House of the Dragon gave fans a fresh reason to rethink everything about Daemon Targaryen. During Entertainment Weekly’s Debunked video series, Matt Smith, who plays Daemon, was grilled on some of the wildest fan theories swirling online. One question stopped everyone in their tracks: Could Daemon become the next Three-Eyed Raven? It’s a jaw-dropper that hints at a possible mystical twist for his character, shaking up what we expect from him going forward.

This clue isn’t just a passing thought. It opens the door for Daemon’s arc to dive deeper into the magical lore of Westeros, an area the original Game of Thrones series barely scratched with him. If Daemon’s destiny ties into visions, time, or supernatural insight like the Three-Eyed Raven,...

One of the biggest Game of Thrones theories was just addressed by the cast of House of the Dragon, and some of them think it makes sense. After the groundbreaking fantasy series came to an end in 2019, HBO quickly began developing Game of Thrones spinoffs, the first of which became the critically acclaimed House of the Dragon, depicting the civil war known as the Dance of Dragons that nearly destroyed House Targaryen generations before the flagship takes place. Characters who are maesters — scholars and doctors in Westerosi society — continue to appear in House of the Dragon as advisors to the royal family.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, when asked about the long-standing conspiracy theory that the maesters orchestrated the downfall of House Targaryen and magic over the centuries of their rule, the House of the Dragon cast was mostly on board. Cast members including Emma D'Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Olivia Cooke...