The highly anticipated third season of HBO Max's House of the Dragon has officially begun filming in the UK. Showrunner Ryan Condal recently shared insights into the upcoming season and addressed George R.R. Martin&rsquo;s criticism of the show.
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Based on Martin&rsquo;s novel Fire &amp; Blood, the series chronicles the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, a brutal conflict that shaped the history of Westeros and set the stage for Game of Thrones.
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<h2>George R.R. Martin&rsquo;s criticism</h2>
In his Not a Blog LiveJournal, Martin expressed disappointment over House of the Dragon, particularly its omission of key characters from the books.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Condal responded to Martin&rsquo;s remarks:
"It was disappointing. I will simply say I've been a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire for almost 25 years now, and working on the show has been truly one of the great privileges of, not only my career as a writer but my life as a fan of science fiction and fantasy. George himself is a monument, a literary icon in addition to a personal hero of mine, and was heavily influential on me coming up as a writer."
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<h2>What to expect in season 3</h2>
Despite the criticism, Condal expressed excitement for Season 3, calling it the show&rsquo;s most ambitious yet:
"This is certainly our biggest season to date, both in terms of ambition and just the practical size&mdash;the amount of sets. We're creating that narrative parabola here and starting to come down into, if not the endgame."
The first two seasons of House of the Dragon are currently streaming on Max.
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House of the Dragon's showrunner, Ryan Condal recently shared insights into the upcoming season and addressed George R.R. Martin’s criticism of the show.

The highly anticipated third season of HBO Max's House of the Dragon has officially begun filming in the UK. Showrunner Ryan Condal recently shared insights into the upcoming season and addressed George R.R. Martin’s criticism of the show. Also Read: Kim Soo Hyun gains followers on Instagram following emotional press conference Based on Martin’s novel Fire & Blood, the series chronicles the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, a brutal conflict that shaped the history of Westeros and set the stage for Game of Thrones. Also Read: Did you know Val Kilmer didn't want to do Tom Cruise's Top Gun initially? Thought script was 'silly and....' George R.R. Martin’s criticism In his Not a Blog LiveJournal, Martin expressed disappointment over House of the Dragon, particularly its omission of key characters from the books. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Condal responded to Martin’s remarks: "It was disappointing. I will simply say I've been a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire for almost 25 years now, and working on the show has been truly one of the great privileges of, not only my career as a writer but my life as a fan of science fiction and fantasy. George himself is a monument, a literary icon in addition to a personal hero of mine, and was heavily influential on me coming up as a writer." Also Read: L2 Empuraan: The Mohanlal starrer faces new controversy over Mullaperiyar dam issue What to expect in season 3 Despite the criticism, Condal expressed excitement for Season 3, calling it the show’s most ambitious yet: "This is certainly our biggest season to date, both in terms of ambition and just the practical size—the amount of sets. We're creating that narrative parabola here and starting to come down into, if not the endgame." The first two seasons of House of the Dragon are currently streaming on Max. Also Read: Val Kilmer's brutal and insightful takes on his iconic roles

"It was disappointing,": House of the Dragon's showrunner responds to George R.R Martin's criticism of the show

George R.R. Martin has shared a glowing review of the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The series is based on his novellas Tales of Dunk and Egg and The Hedge Knight and is expected to stream on Max in 2025.
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<h2>What is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms about?</h2>
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones and follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire, Egg, who will one day become King Aegon V Targaryen.
<h2>Martin's praise for the series</h2>
Speaking to Collider, Martin expressed his enthusiasm for the adaptation, stating, "I've seen Dunk and Egg, the first season, and it's great, and now they're working on the second season." He also emphasised that the two lead characters are particularly special to him, saying, "They're not what most people would expect in a fantasy story."
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<h2>Tone and style</h2>
Unlike Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will have a lighter tone with more humour. Martin described it as "a little softer than Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, as well as a little more humorous. I hope the audience will be open to that kind of change."
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<h2>The cast</h2>
The show stars Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall, alongside Dexter Sol Ansell, Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel, Daniel Ings, and Sam Spruell in key roles. Ira Parker (House of the Dragon, The Last Ship) is serving as the showrunner.
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Entertainment | Hollywood: Discover the thrilling new series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, as hailed by Game of Thrones creator, inspired by the captivating novella Tales of Dunk and Egg.

George R.R. Martin has shared a glowing review of the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The series is based on his novellas Tales of Dunk and Egg and The Hedge Knight and is expected to stream on Max in 2025. Also Read: Netflix releases action-packed new trailer for Devil May Cry What is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms about? A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones and follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire, Egg, who will one day become King Aegon V Targaryen. Martin's praise for the series Speaking to Collider, Martin expressed his enthusiasm for the adaptation, stating, "I've seen Dunk and Egg, the first season, and it's great, and now they're working on the second season." He also emphasised that the two lead characters are particularly special to him, saying, "They're not what most people would expect in a fantasy story." Also Read: Princess Mononoke returns to IMAX for Studio Ghibli's 40th year anniversary Tone and style Unlike Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will have a lighter tone with more humour. Martin described it as "a little softer than Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, as well as a little more humorous. I hope the audience will be open to that kind of change." Also Read: John Wick 5 confirmed: Keanu Reeves returns to action The cast The show stars Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall, alongside Dexter Sol Ansell, Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel, Daniel Ings, and Sam Spruell in key roles. Ira Parker (House of the Dragon, The Last Ship) is serving as the showrunner. Also Read: Star Wars: Andor showrunner teases surprise Rogue One cameo in season 2

GOT creator George R.R. Martin praises A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms spinoff

Season 1 of 'House of the Dragon' was a huge success! It had several re-castings and time jumps. But, did you know if co-creator and author George R.R. Martin had the deciding vote, he would have liked the series to start at least 40 years before Viserys was chosen as the heir to the Iron Throne? The author revealed the same in a recent interview and shared that he would've liked more time jumps and re-castings in the first season of the popular OTT series.&nbsp;

In a video interview with Penguin Random House, Martin said, "That [beginning] was not handed down by some muse from ancient Greece. We — myself and the other writers — had a lot of spirited discussions about where to begin that story."

He added, "I would have began it like 40 years earlier with the episode I would have called ‘The Heir and the Spare,’ in which Jaehaerys’s two sons, Aemon and Baelon, are alive. And we see the friendship, but also the rivalry, between the two sides of the great house. You know, Aemon dies accidentally when a Myrish crossbowman shoots him by accident on Tarth and then Jaehaerys has to decide who becomes the new heir. Is it the daughter of the older son who’s just died or is it the second son, who has sons of his own and is a man and she’s just a teenage girl?"

In an excited tone, Martin further shared, "You would have had 40 more years and you would have had even more time jumps and you would have even more re-castings and, yeah, I was the only one who was really enthused about that."

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Owing to the massive success of its first season, 'House of the Dragon'&nbsp;has been renewed for a second season and according to&nbsp;showrunner Condal, there will be no more significant time jumps or re-castings.&nbsp;

In the last episode of season one, we saw&nbsp;the gruesome death of Prince Lucerys (played by Elliot Grihault). The boy’s tragic demise will surely heat up the cold war that Targaryens and Hightowers have been waging long before King Viserys' death. In the next season, we will get to see how Rhaenyra Targaryen will avenge her son's death.

Season 1 of 'House of the Dragon' was a huge success! It had several re-castings and time jumps. But, did you know if co-creator and author George R.R. Martin had the deciding vote, he would have liked the series to start at least 40 years before Viserys was chosen as the heir to the Iron Throne?

Season 1 of 'House of the Dragon' was a huge success! It had several re-castings and time jumps. But, did you know if co-creator and author George R.R. Martin had the deciding vote, he would have liked the series to start at least 40 years before Viserys was chosen as the heir to the Iron Throne? The author revealed the same in a recent interview and shared that he would've liked more time jumps and re-castings in the first season of the popular OTT series. In a video interview with Penguin Random House, Martin said, "That [beginning] was not handed down by some muse from ancient Greece. We — myself and the other writers — had a lot of spirited discussions about where to begin that story." He added, "I would have began it like 40 years earlier with the episode I would have called ‘The Heir and the Spare,’ in which Jaehaerys’s two sons, Aemon and Baelon, are alive. And we see the friendship, but also the rivalry, between the two sides of the great house. You know, Aemon dies accidentally when a Myrish crossbowman shoots him by accident on Tarth and then Jaehaerys has to decide who becomes the new heir. Is it the daughter of the older son who’s just died or is it the second son, who has sons of his own and is a man and she’s just a teenage girl?" In an excited tone, Martin further shared, "You would have had 40 more years and you would have had even more time jumps and you would have even more re-castings and, yeah, I was the only one who was really enthused about that." Also read: Teary-eyed Matthew Perry looks back at massive weight fluctuations due to substance abuse Owing to the massive success of its first season, 'House of the Dragon' has been renewed for a second season and according to showrunner Condal, there will be no more significant time jumps or re-castings. In the last episode of season one, we saw the gruesome death of Prince Lucerys (played by Elliot Grihault). The boy’s tragic demise will surely heat up the cold war that Targaryens and Hightowers have been waging long before King Viserys' death. In the next season, we will get to see how Rhaenyra Targaryen will avenge her son's death.

HOTD would've started 40 years earlier with more time jumps if George R.R. Martin had the last say

`Game of Thrones` mastermind George R.R. Martin is not happy with the makers of the iconic TV show to end the series with only eight seasons. As per Variety, Martin wanted more seasons of `Game of Thrones` which is adapted from his hit book series.

In a conversation with The Wall Street Journal, Martin shared that he advocated for many more seasons for the series, giving the storytelling a larger canvas.

"I was saying it needs to be 10 seasons at least and maybe 12, 13. I lost that one," he told the Journal. Ultimately, Martin didn`t have much say in the final stretch of `Game of Thrones,` as the events of the series stretched beyond the storyline established by books he has published so far.

"I had no contribution to the later seasons except, you know, inventing the world, the story and all the characters," he said. "I believe I have more influence now [on `House of the Dragon`] than I did on the original show."

Martin also spoke about the unconventional process for developing a spinoff of the main series, in which five teams developing separate concepts visited Martin in Santa Fe, N.M. to pitch their respective visions.

"It was like we were in the NFL playoffs and I`m coaching all the teams," he said. "Emotionally, that was a little odd," he added.

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Meanwhile, Martin has come up with `House of the Dragon` -- the `Game of Thrones` prequel. It stars Emma D`Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower and Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower.

The show follows the Targaryen civil war known as the `Dance of the Dragons`, which broke out between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra after their father`s passing. The conflict sets House Targaryen`s most powerful dragons against other major houses in Westeros, including the Lannisters and Starks. Thanks to Daenerys Targaryen, it would be centuries before Westeros saw another dragon (Khaleesi).&nbsp;

`Game of Thrones` mastermind George R.R. Martin is not happy with the makers of the iconic TV show to end the series with only eight seasons. As per Variety, Martin wanted more seasons of `Game of Thrones` which is adapted from his hit book series.

`Game of Thrones` mastermind George R.R. Martin is not happy with the makers of the iconic TV show to end the series with only eight seasons. As per Variety, Martin wanted more seasons of `Game of Thrones` which is adapted from his hit book series. In a conversation with The Wall Street Journal, Martin shared that he advocated for many more seasons for the series, giving the storytelling a larger canvas. "I was saying it needs to be 10 seasons at least and maybe 12, 13. I lost that one," he told the Journal. Ultimately, Martin didn`t have much say in the final stretch of `Game of Thrones,` as the events of the series stretched beyond the storyline established by books he has published so far. "I had no contribution to the later seasons except, you know, inventing the world, the story and all the characters," he said. "I believe I have more influence now [on `House of the Dragon`] than I did on the original show." Martin also spoke about the unconventional process for developing a spinoff of the main series, in which five teams developing separate concepts visited Martin in Santa Fe, N.M. to pitch their respective visions. "It was like we were in the NFL playoffs and I`m coaching all the teams," he said. "Emotionally, that was a little odd," he added. Also read: ansal Mehta slams KRK for spreading rumours of cancelled shows of Taapsee Pannu-starrer 'Dobaaraa' Meanwhile, Martin has come up with `House of the Dragon` -- the `Game of Thrones` prequel. It stars Emma D`Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower and Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower. The show follows the Targaryen civil war known as the `Dance of the Dragons`, which broke out between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra after their father`s passing. The conflict sets House Targaryen`s most powerful dragons against other major houses in Westeros, including the Lannisters and Starks. Thanks to Daenerys Targaryen, it would be centuries before Westeros saw another dragon (Khaleesi).

George R.R. Martin urged HBO to make 'Game of Thrones' run for 10 seasons

Hit fantasy TV show Game of Thrones&nbsp;pulled in nearly 9 million viewers on Sunday, its highest one-day audience figures ever, for the season six finale broadcast on HBO. 
 
Nielsen said 8.9 million people watched the 10th and final episode of the latest season, either live or on playback, on Sunday. 
 
The Emmy-winning show tells the story of noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne, all the while keeping one eye on the &quot;White Walkers&quot; leading hordes of the undead toward an invasion from the North. 
 
Based on George R.R. Martin&#39;s A Song of Ice and Fire&nbsp;novels, the show has been distinguished by steadily rising audience figures. Just three million tuned in for the finale of season one. 
 
Its previous audience record for live and same-day viewing was 8.1 million for the last episode of Season five. 
 
Season six was the first time the show largely moved past the source material from the books. 
 
In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, the entertainment industry website, the show&#39;s creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss said the end is near. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s two more seasons we&#39;re talking about,&quot; Benioff was quoted as saying on Monday. &quot;From pretty close to the beginning, we talked about doing this in 70-75 hours, and that&#39;s what we&#39;ll end up with. Call it 73 for now.&quot; 
 
The creators said their intention was to tell one cohesive story and not overstay their welcome. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve known the end for quite some time and we&#39;re hurtling towards it,&quot; said Benioff. &quot;We&#39;re definitely heading into the end game now.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

8.9 million people watched the 10th and final episode of the latest season, either live or on playback, on Sunday

Hit fantasy TV show Game of Thrones pulled in nearly 9 million viewers on Sunday, its highest one-day audience figures ever, for the season six finale broadcast on HBO. Nielsen said 8.9 million people watched the 10th and final episode of the latest season, either live or on playback, on Sunday. The Emmy-winning show tells the story of noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne, all the while keeping one eye on the "White Walkers" leading hordes of the undead toward an invasion from the North. Based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the show has been distinguished by steadily rising audience figures. Just three million tuned in for the finale of season one. Its previous audience record for live and same-day viewing was 8.1 million for the last episode of Season five. Season six was the first time the show largely moved past the source material from the books. In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, the entertainment industry website, the show's creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss said the end is near. "It's two more seasons we're talking about," Benioff was quoted as saying on Monday. "From pretty close to the beginning, we talked about doing this in 70-75 hours, and that's what we'll end up with. Call it 73 for now." The creators said their intention was to tell one cohesive story and not overstay their welcome. "We've known the end for quite some time and we're hurtling towards it," said Benioff. "We're definitely heading into the end game now." (AFP)

'Game of Thrones' season finale scores record ratings

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"It was disappointing,": House of the Dragon's showrunner responds to George R.R Martin's criticism of the show

GOT creator George R.R. Martin praises A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms spinoff

HOTD would've started 40 years earlier with more time jumps if George R.R. Martin had the last say

George R.R. Martin urged HBO to make 'Game of Thrones' run for 10 seasons

'Game of Thrones' season finale scores record ratings