With 2024 in the rearview mirror, it’s worth looking back at some of the biggestGame of Thronesmoments from the past year — and the franchise had quite a few exciting developments.The premiere ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 was chief among them, even if theGame of Thronesspinoff’ssecond outing proved more divisive than its predecessor. AndHouse of the Dragonseason 2 adapted several huge moments from George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood, some leading to praise and others resulting in backlash.
In addition to the major things that happened on-screen,theGame of Thronesfranchise also saw exciting updates off-screen. Although there was no news on a potential release date forThe Winds of Winter,there were updates on new TV and film projects. There were also a few less positive developments, but they generated plenty of attention, highlighting the popularity of theGame of Thronesfranchise, years after the original show’s final episode.
10House Of The Dragon Season 2 Premiered
The Targaryen Spinoff Returned After 2 Years
House of the Dragonseason 2’s premiere was the biggest and most exciting developmentfor theGame of Thronesfranchise in 2024, as fans had been waiting for the return of the Targaryen prequel since its first season ended back in 2022. With the sophomore season promising to kick offthe Dance of the Dragonsafter all of season 1’s setup, there was a lot to look forward to. And althoughHouse of the Dragonseason 2 faced more criticism than the first outing, it still proved a strong addition to the series and the franchise overall.
House of the Dragon’s new episodes delivered on the tensions established during season 1, and they featured some much-anticipated events from Martin’sFire & Blood.
House of the Dragon’s new episodes delivered on the tensions established during season 1, and they featured some much-anticipated events from Martin’sFire & Blood. Even season 2’s smaller details helped maintain the spinoff’s reputation as one of the highest-quality and best ongoing fantasy shows.There were criticisms ofHOTDseason 2’s treatment of the source material and its finale. However, even with these complaints,House of the Dragon’s viewership and positiveRotten Tomatoesscores left no room to deny the prequel’s continued success.
9House Of The Dragon Was Renewed For Season 3
Another Outing Was Confirmed Before Season 2’s Premiere
House of the Dragonwas officially renewed for season 3just ahead of the show’s season 2 premiere, marking another win for the series in 2024. The creators have been vocal about a four-season plan, but it’s a relief to know that theGame of Thronesspinoff won’t leave us hanging, especially afterHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s ending. WhileHouse of the Dragonseason 3likely won’t arrive until 2026 at the earliest, its renewal givesGame of Thronesfans something to look forward to.
9 Biggest House Of The Dragon Season 3 Theories, From Daemon Being The 3-Eyed Raven To Alicent & Rhaenyra’s Romance
House of the Dragon season 3 is on its way. Here are some of the most popular theories and predictions for what’s going to happen in the prequel.
It also proves that Warner Bros. and HBO still have high hopes for the franchise, as season 3 was green-lit before season 2 even debuted.Production onHouse of the Dragonseason 3is set to begin in early 2025, so it seems the Targaryen prequel is chugging full speed ahead. With any luck, the third outing will prove less controversial than the second one. Season 2’s quieter moments should pay off in the next chapter, which will break viewers' hearts its inevitable battles and losses.
8A Game Of Thrones Movie Was Announced
The Fantasy Franchise Is Making The Jump To The Big Screen
Reports of aGame of Thronesmoviesurfaced in October, and this was the most surprising turn of events for the franchise in 2024. Details about the upcoming project remain sparse, but the news that the fantasy franchise will make the leap to the big screen is a huge deal. After all, a three-part film was David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’original plan forGame of Thronesseason 8. And HBO previously seemed reluctant to expand its fantasy franchise outside of television. However, a movie could beexactly whatGame of Thronesneedsto feel like an event again.
If the project replicates the epic battle sequences and stunning cinematography ofGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon,it’s certain to draw crowds to movie theaters.
Although there’s no word on what the upcomingmovie could be about,there are plenty ofGame of Thronesstories that lend themselveswell to this medium. If the project replicates the epic battle sequences and stunning cinematography ofGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon,it’s certain to draw crowds to movie theaters. Doing so could mean big things for the franchise in the future, including even more films.
7House Of The Dragon Season 2 Adapted Blood & Cheese
The Highly Anticipated Scene Proved Divisive
Ever sinceHouse of the Dragondebuted, those familiar with Martin’sFire & Bloodanticipated the book’s infamous Blood and Cheese scene being adapted. AndHouse of the Dragonseason 2 jumped right into it, bringing the tragic moment to life at the end of its very first episode.Blood and Cheese was always going to cause a stir after airing, as the murder of Helaena Targaryen’s child was bound to land among the spinoff’s most brutal and shocking moments. However,House of the Dragonseason 2’s take on Blood and Cheese got even more attention than expected.
Even ifHouse of the Dragon’s Blood and Cheese adaptation didn’t impress every viewer, it certainly proved a major talking point in 2024.
This was becausethechanges thatHouse of the Dragonmadeto the book’s Blood and Cheese scene didn’t go over so well with viewers. Maelor’s absence inHOTDcomplicated matters, and Helaena’s response to the incident — which saw her offering a necklace to the assassins instead of her own life — proved an odd choice. Perhaps the most unpopular decision was to remove Helaena’s tragic choice in the source material. But even ifHouse of the Dragon’s Blood and Cheese adaptation didn’t impress every viewer, it proved a major talking point in 2024.
6House Of The Dragon Season 2 Brought The Battle Of Rook’s Rest To Life On-Screen
Rhaenys Targaryen Got A Proper Send-Off
The Battle of Rook’s Rest was another one of the most-anticipated moments ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2, and this conflict didn’t disappoint. Taking place inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 4, the Battle of Rook’s Rest gave Rhaenys Targaryen a proper send-off. Eve Best’s Queen Who Never Was quickly became a fan-favoriteHouse of the Dragoncharacter, and bidding farewell to her wasn’t easy. However,House of the Dragonmade sure to give her a worthy ending.
The Battle of Rook’s Rest also gave viewers more dragon action, and it saw Aemond and Aegon shining. The cliffhanger regarding Aegon’s fate kept viewers talking, and the show’s take on the battle was generally well-received.It was among the biggest highlights ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2, rendering it one ofGame of Thrones' best moments of the year as well.
5House Of The Dragon Introduced The Dragonseeds
The New Dragonriders Make Season 3 More Exciting
The Dragonseeds are a crucial part of the Dance of the Dragons in Martin’s source material, andtheir introduction inHouse of the Dragonseason 2 marked another huge momentfor theGame of Thronesfranchise. Although the sophomore season only marks the beginning of their character arcs, Addam of Hull, Hugh, and Ulf are already shaping up to be intriguing additions to theGame of Thronesspinoff. And episode 7’s brutal Dragonseeds sequence is another high point of season 2, sitting alongside the Battle of Rook’s Rest as one of its most memorable moments.
With the Dragonseeds being so important toHouse of the Dragon’s story, and with all of them making strong first impressions, it’s no surprise that their introduction lands amongGame of Thrones’biggest 2024 moments.These new dragonriders makeHouse of the Dragonseason 3 even more exciting, leveling the playing field between the Blacks and the Greens.
4George R.R. Martin Published A Blog Post Criticizing House Of The Dragon
Not every majorGame of Thronesmoment in 2024 was a positive one, asGeorge R.R. Martin’s takedown ofHouse of the Dragonwarrants inclusion. The author shared his thoughts about theGame of Thronesprequel in a post on hisNot a Blog— one he later took down. Martin’s feelings about the changes made to his source material validated many viewers who were dissatisfied with season 2’s interpretation of events. Martin stated that he thought Blood and Cheese was “stronger” inFire & Blood,and he noted the negative impact cutting Maelor has had.
It will go down as one of the franchise’s most memorable and discussed events of 2024, even if it wasn’t as exciting as movie announcements and show renewals.
Martin’s post also suggested that he isn’t thrilled about the directionHouse of the Dragonseason 3 is taking with certain events. Naturally, the author being so forward about his feelings stirred up plenty of conversations online, and it even got aresponse from HBO boss Casey Bloys. It will go down as one of the franchise’s most memorable and discussed events of 2024, even if it wasn’t as exciting as movie announcements and show renewals.
3A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms' Main Cast & Release Window Were Revealed
The Next Game Of Thrones Spinoff Took Big Steps Forward
Game of Thrones' next spinoff got exciting updates throughout 2024, with the main cast being announced earlier in the year and the show’s release window getting confirmation later on. Based on Martin’s book of the same name,A Knight of the Seven Kingdomswill be very differentfromGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon.That’s an exciting prospect on its own, but the show taking massive strides forward in 2024 is also ramping up the anticipation for it. That’s for the best, asThe Hedge Knightis set to debut sometime in 2025.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomswill follow the characters Dunk and Egg, and 2024 also brought news of who will play them: Peter Claffey (Dunk) and Sol Ansell (Egg). In addition to these exciting casting updates,George R.R. Martin also praisedthe upcoming spinoff. This bodes well for its success in 2025, and its overall progression in 2024 deserves recognition.
2Kit Harington Revealed The Jon Snow Spinoff Was Shelved
This Was Another Disappointing Moment For The Game Of Thrones Franchise
WhileGame of Thrones’movie news and 2025 show are both exciting, one of its spinoffs got a disappointing update in 2024: its Jon Snow sequel. The Jon Snow spinoff was supposed to see Kit Harington return as the iconicGame of Thronescharacter, revealing what became of him afterGame of Thrones’ending. Sadly,Harington revealed that theJon Snow series was no longer in developmentin April. According to him, the spinoff was shelved because they “couldn’t find the right story to tell.”
My Dream Game Of Thrones Sequel Needs To Become A Reality After HBO’s Jon Snow Spinoff Cancellation
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The news aboutGame of Thrones’Jon Snow spinoff came as a blow to some fans, while others were relieved HBO wasn’t actively making a sequel. Either way, it conjured plenty of conversations aboutGame of Thronesand its franchise future. It was certainly one of the biggest developments to arise in 2024, even if it wasn’t necessarily a positive one. However, HBO’s Casey Bloys has since offeredhope that a Jon Snow series could be revisitedin the future.
1George R.R. Martin Gave The Bleakest Update On The Winds Of Winter Yet
The Author Admitted Readers Might Be Right
The Winds of Winteris taking a long timeto come out, and the delays have caused plenty of frustration amongA Song of Ice and Firefans.Martin addressed the backlashhe’s gotten because of them, and the author’s comments might be the bleakest update he’s given about the book. While he still seems generally positive, and he insists the sixthASOIAFbook is a priority,he also acknowledged that fans could be right about him never finishingThe Winds of Winter:
“A lot of people are already writing obituaries for me. [They’re saying] ‘Oh, he’ll never be finished.’ Maybe they’re right. I don’t know. I’m alive right now! I seem pretty vital!”
Of course, there’s no guarantee that any author will live to complete their story, and Martin’s comments suggest he’s still aiming to wrap things up. But his “maybe they’re right” has gotten plenty of attention online, cementing this particularWinds of Winterupdate as one ofGame of Thrones' most notable moments of the last year.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
