HBO's House Of The Dragon Just Hit A Huge Production Milestone

The "Game of Thrones" prequel series "House of the Dragon" has been in the works for some time. The highly-anticipated show has some big shoes to fill after the precedent its predecessor set when it came to prestige television earning watercooler-level fame in today's TV landscape. "House of the Dragon" also has a lot to make up for, considering how universally hated the "Game of Thrones" ending was in 2019.

"House of the Dragon" will travel back in time about 200 years to the golden age of the Targaryen dynasty, a time when the family's claim to the Iron Throne was undisputed in Westeros. There will be sword fights, there will be fire, there will be blood, and there will most definitely be dragons. The prequel's teaser trailer, released in October 2021, teases a pretty and enticing take on game-changing events that set the stage for "Game of Thrones," introducing major characters onto the Westeros chessboard and all of their fates up in the air. The series will star big names, including Matt Smith and Graham McTavish, alongside talented actors such as Patty Constantine, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, and Steve Toussaint.

For everyone who was mystified by the Targaryen lore in "Game of Thrones," the prequel seems poised to deliver what fans are hungry for. And, speaking of the fans, many of them will be happy to learn about the important production milestone that "House of the Dragon" just hit this week.

According to George R.R. Martin's official blog, Season 1 of "House of the Dragon," the forthcoming "Game of Thrones" prequel show, had officially finished filming on February 17. And, from the tone of his post, it sounds like the prolific writer is actually pretty excited about what he's seen so far. He informed his fans that "yes, all 10 episodes" have wrapped shooting and also added that he has "seen rough cuts of a few of them, and I'm loving them." Martin went on to say, "Of course, a lot more work needs to be done. Special effects, color timing, score, and all the post-production work."

So, when can fans expect to see the first episode debut on HBO? In that same blog post, Martin rhetorically asks, "When will the dragons dance? I wish I could tell you. Lots of work remains to be done, as I said, and COVID-19 makes planning difficult." He goes on to offer his best guesses, telling fans, "This is spring [sic]? Unlikely. Maybe summer? Could be. Fall? Who knows? You'll know when I do."

It may be a little disappointing that fans can't get a more specific time frame for when the series will premiere. But at least we know for sure that "House of the Dragon" will be on HBO at some point this year. With the confirmation of a filming wrap and Martin's tease about seeing rough cuts of some episodes, it seems like it's only a matter of months before fire will rain down, thanks to those titular dragons.