House of the Dragon season 3

The third season of the American fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon premiered on HBO on June 21, 2026, in the United States, and will consist of eight episodes. The season covers the events of the book Fire & Blood, a prequel novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. The season was ordered on June 13, 2024, three days before the premiere of the second season. Ryan Condal acts as the sole showrunner for the season. The third season was filmed from March to October 2025.

Overview§

The third season of the American fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon premiered on HBO on June 21, 2026, in the United States and concluded on August 9, 2026. It comprises eight episodes, each of around one hour. The season covers the events of the book Fire & Blood, a prequel novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. The season was ordered on June 13, 2024, three days before the premiere of the second season. Ryan Condal acts as the sole showrunner for the season. The third season was filmed from March to October 2025. The season follows in the aftermath of the second season's final episodes, in which the war known as the "Dance of Dragons" between Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother Aegon II Targaryen continues, causing House Targaryen to become further divided. Aegon is supported by the Green Council and his mother Alicent Hightower, while Rhaenyra is supported by the Black Council and her husband and uncle Daemon Targaryen, both sides seeking allies from the great houses of Westeros and fighting for the support of their armies to claim their rightful positions to the Iron Throne. House of the Dragon features a sizeable ensemble cast, including established actors such as Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Matthew Needham, and Sonoya Mizuno. The season premiere was watched by 21.5 million viewers across both linear and streaming platforms worldwide upon its release. A fourth and final season was ordered in November 2025.

Development§

On his personal blog in December 2023, George R. R. Martin stated that the third and fourth seasons were being written. Ahead of the second-season premiere, the series was renewed for a third season in June 2024. Like the second season, the third comprises eight episodes. A fourth and final season was ordered in November 2025.

Casting§

In January 2025, James Norton was announced to have joined the cast for the third season as Ormund Hightower. Tommy Flanagan and Dan Fogler were announced to have joined the cast as Roderick Dustin and Torrhen Manderly respectively in March 2025. In April 2025, Tom Cullen, Joplin Sibtain, and Barry Sloane were announced to have joined the cast as Luthor Largent, Jon Roxton, and Adrian Redfort respectively. Annie Shapero was announced to have joined the cast as Alysanne Blackwood in July 2025.

Filming§

Filming for the third season started on March 21, 2025, at Leavesden Studios, Watford, and concluded by that October.

Broadcast§

The third season premiered on June 21, 2026.

International broadcast§

In New Zealand, the series is distributed by Sky's SoHo TV channel and Neon streaming service. SKY broadcasts the show via its main cable television services and other digital streaming platforms in the Philippines. In India, JioHotstar distributes the show. Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the series airs on Sky Atlantic and its accompanying streaming service Now in the UK. In Canada, House of the Dragon is available on Bell Media's Crave streaming service and its HBO linear channel. The series is available for streaming on Binge and Foxtel in Australia.

Critical response§

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the third season holds an approval rating of 91% based on 163 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The fate of Westeros comes to a head in a reinvigorated and riveting third season of House of the Dragon, complete with wicked new characters and more thrilling battles, crafting a punchy prequel that matches the expectations of its predecessor." On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the third season gained a score of 75 out of 100 based on 27 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Viewership§

The Season 3 premiere saw 21.5 million viewers across both linear and streaming platforms worldwide.