It’s a disappointing day for House of the Dragon as the highly anticipated Season 3 of the series will have its release date postponed to a future date. And with the Season 2 finale being over a year old now, fans are outraged that it will take longer for them to witness the next arc of the narrative.
In a recent talk with The Wrap, actress Olivia Cooke, who plays the role of Alicent Hightower in the series, confirmed that Season 3 will not wrap up production till October 2025. Thankfully, she did give us a brief timeline of where things are concerning filming, saying:
We’re very much filming. We’re nearly done. We have got about a month and a half left.
This means fans will have to wait for the final product on HBO until at least mid-2026, considering post-production on top of the delayed filming schedule. Fans of the Game of Thrones prequel series have let Cooke know in the past just how passionate and sometimes rabid they can be when things don’t go their way.
Olivia Cooke’s Role in House of the Dragon Didn’t Sit Right With Many Fans
House of the Dragon is no stranger to wild twists and NSFW shocks, but the one thing fans really can’t stand is when the show itself gets delayed or a new season gets pushed back.. The justification here is that they already wait almost an entire year for a new season, and when it’s taken from them, they feel betrayed and lied to.
In Cooke’s case, she has experienced this overflowing passion from the community firsthand. In a recent interview with THR, she recalled seeing fans publicly express their hatred for her character online.
She discussed it further, stating that she feels Alicent has been a remarkably decisive character and has stirred the emotions of the fandom, some of whom have been extremely hostile, saying:
[Alicent has] really stirred up a lot of feelings. It’s odd to be on the receiving end of that as someone who has only ever tried to convey her with as much complexity as possible.
She also recalled how many of her cast members have received from the more rabid section of the fandom, which also allowed her own thoughts on the matter to be known:
Some of the fans have been f***ing horrible to our cast. It makes me really angry that we’re then supposed to just bow down and [pay] obeisance to these people that only want to say the most debased, hate-filled things. But thankfully, we’ve all experienced it in our own way, and we’ve got each other, which doesn’t make it right.
Even her co-star Emma D’Arcy has faced similar backlash in the past, with the fandom questioning their role in the series. Despite this, they strive to remain faithful to the series and its execution, even if delays and fan outrage are to be suffered in the process.
What to Expect From House of the Dragon Season 3?
Despite the filming delays, the upcoming Season 3 of House of the Dragon is still highly anticipated, especially with the Dance of the Dragons storyline finally being brought to life. In fact, the first two episodes of the last season had some elements from this storyline, which had to be shifted into Season 3.
Therefore, one of the most critical events in the narrative, the Battle of the Gullet, will be a pivotal moment of Season 3, culminating in character-defining and visually stunning sequences. The series will also delve deeper into betrayals, cunning Targaryen schemes, and Aegon II’s developing leadership struggles.
Last but not least, we will also see new players take the stage in this dramatically evolving war with characters like Ormund Hightower, deepening the narrative around House Hightower.
| Series | House of the Dragon |
| No. of Seasons | 2 |
| Showrunners | Ryan J. Condal, Miguel Sapochnik |
| IMDb Ratings/ Rotten Tomatoes Score | 8.3/10, 87% | 77% |
Are you disappointed that House of the Dragon Season 3 has been postponed? Tell us in the comments below.
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO Max (US).
