HBO delivered a blow for those waiting for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and now it may have a knock-on effect on the release of another Game of Thrones spinoff series. What does it mean for House of the Dragon season 3?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was initially supposed to arrive in 2025. That was word from HBO back when the first teasers and casting details arrived. In fact, production is underway, so it seemed almost certain that a 2025 release date was possible.
Then HBO delivered the blow at the Upfronts. As Variety reports, the series will arrive in 2026, and while it’s “winter 2026,” according to Casey Bloys, it’s still later than we hoped. At the same time, this could have a knock-on effect for House of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon season 3 may be pushed to 2027
While House of the Dragon season 3 hadn’t been confirmed for2026, all eyes were on that year for the release. After all, the first season arrived in 2022, and the second season arrived in 2024. Both became summer shows to look forward to, and many hope that we would get the third season in summer 2026.
With the hold on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, we could see HBO hold back House of the Dragon. The premium cable network won’t want to air two shows within the same franchise in one year. The idea of airing The Hedge Knight adaptation in the fall of one year and House of the Dragon in the summer of the next year made a lot of sense. It would keep people subscribed to HBO if they were only interested in this franchise but not spread out the shows too much. Putting the shows on in the same year means that HBO will need to find another Game of Thrones spinoff to air in 2027, and that’s proving a little difficult.
House of the Dragon can keep the season 4 wait to a minimum
However, while we could have to wait an extra year for House of the Dragon season 3, it could mean a shorter wait for season 4. We know that the fourth season is happening, and that it will be the final season. By holding back until 2027 for season 3 of the Targaryen dynasty series, HBO could produce season 4 before season 3 airs and finalize episodes just after.
It could allow season 4 to air in 2028, which would have likely been the original plan. From there, HBO will just need to find another Game of Thrones series to bring.
House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max.