George R. R. Martin, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series upon which Game of Thrones is based, revealed in an interview with the official Game of Thrones podcast that the upcoming House of the Dragon "is different from Game of Thrones in some significant ways".
The Game of Thrones finale, which aired on May 19, 2019, left many viewers dissatisfied and disappointed.
According to some reports, Martin was not involved with many of the creative decisions that occured from Season 5 onwards.
With House of the Dragon, this is set to change. He serves as co-creator with Ryan J. Condal and has greater creative input than with Game of Thrones. He also serves as one of the show's executive producers.
House of the Dragon will premiere on August 21, 2022. The HBO-produced show is highly anticipated and has been the subject of a massive marketing campaign. Martin granted this interview as part of the marketing efforts and bolster anticipation for the show.
The series chronicles a power struggle amongst the Targaryens for who will inherit the Iron Throne. The story takes place over almost three decades and culminates in a civil war, Dance of the Dragons, that marks the beginning of the end of Targaryen rule over Westeros.
Martin describes the show as "very human grounded". According to him:
House of the Dragon is much more like a Shakespearean tragedy, it’s full of gray characters who you can love or you can hate. And guys who seem to be really sons of bitches and bad guys will do heroic things, characters who seem to be good will do awful things. Kind of like human beings.
The first season has 10 episodes and, according to a report, costs just under $20 million each. Also, HBO is working on several other Game of Thrones spin-offs with fan-favorite, Kit Harrington, set to star in an upcoming sequel.
