House of the Dragon Season 3 was confirmed to be in development at HBO even before the second season of the fantasy series premiered. It has now been more than a year since the news of renewal, but fans are still awaiting updates on the release date of the next chapter.
Based on George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, the show serves as a prequel to Game of Thrones and has acquired a dedicated fan following over the years. It revolves around the civil war between two sects of the Targaryen family.
The production on the third season of the series is going on in full swing, and fans are now eager to know if there is a release date set for House of the Dragon Season 3. While HBO has not yet announced the exact premiere date, it has confirmed that the show will return just outside the 2026 Emmy eligibility window.
Has HBO announced the release date of House of the Dragon Season 3?
HBO has not officially announced the release date of House of the Dragon Season 3. However, it is known that the series will return in the summer of 2026. During the Emmys this year, Casey Bloys, the CEO and content chairman at HBO, revealed that the upcoming season will be released just outside the Emmy Award eligibility window in 2026.
Since the Emmy window closes on May 31, 2026, House of the Dragon Season 3 might premiere in June 2026, going by the comment of Bloys. This is in accordance with the previous season, which debuted in June 2024.
While Game of Thrones mostly released new seasons yearly, the prequel has followed a biennial release schedule since the beginning. Considering the extensive use of CGIs and the scale of the story, the production team needs more time to come up with a new season.
What to expect from House of the Dragon Season 3?
We might finally witness a full-blown war between the Blacks and the Greens in the third season. The audience has waited for the war for a long time, as the first two seasons were mostly spent setting up the conflict.
The season is expected to open with the Battle of Gullet, which is counted among the most brutal battles in Westeros' history. At the same time, no character is safe, and there will be multiple deaths as the war ensues. Not only the royal family members, but their dragons will also meet their end in the upcoming season.
Showrunner Ryan Condal has already teased how House of the Dragon Season 3 is going to have a massive scale and be a major improvement from Season 2. He said on the podcast The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of:
“Every day I walk around there and look at the things that we're building and the things that we're doing and the number of costumes and extras and all that... I knew it was bigger than season 2, but I don't think I realized quite how much.”
The actors whose characters survived the events of Season 2 will be returning to the show for the third season. These include Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon, Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen, Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen, and Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen.
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