Game of Thrones Showrunners Have Not Yet Watched House of the Dragon

Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have largely distanced themselves from the George R.R. Martin franchise, which means they also haven’t watched the prequel series House of the Dragon. Understandably, having devoted a decade of their lives to bringing eight seasons of the fantasy series together, which only concluded back in 2019, would mean they have earned a well-deserved break from the franchise, though whether they’ll eventually check out the prequel series is yet to be revealed. A new season of House of the Dragon is set to premiere on HBO this summer.

During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the pair confirmed that they hadn’t watched the series, though Weiss had recently rewatched Game of Thrones with his family, while Benioff hasn’t watched the show since its series finale. Despite their longtime involvement in the core series, the pair also turned down the chance to be credited as producers on House of the Dragon, despite the guaranteed financial gain that would come with the involvement.

“HBO was kind of confused,” Benioff confessed about refusing the contractually guaranteed credit. “I remember their lawyer saying, ‘But it’s just money, we’re just going to pay you.’” 

Weiss added, “I don’t think there is such a thing as free money. For us, if our name is on it, especially that, while being completely detached and uninvolved, it felt like the strain that would come with that hands-off approach — with its success or failure or anything in between — was not worth it.”

The showrunners aren’t the only ones staying away from the prequel, for the time being, as Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau all previously expressed that they hadn’t jumped into the spinoff.

“It’s too weird. I’m so happy it’s happening. I’m over the moon about all the awards… I just can’t do it,” Clarke confessed to Variety last year. “It’s so weird. It’s so strange. It’s kind of like someone saying, ‘You want to go to this school reunion that’s not your year? Want to go to that school reunion?’ That’s how it feels. I’m avoiding it.”  

“I have not,” Coster-Waldau confirmed to Entertainment Weekly when asked about whether he watched the show. “One day it came on and I saw the opening credits. And it was a little strange because it was the same music and the title sequence was kind of similar … I was like, ‘Ah, this is too soon. Too soon.’” 

He added, “I’ll wait. I’ll give it a couple of seasons, then I can binge-watch it and then there’s the whole thing. But I know that so many people love that show, and I’m really happy for them.”

A new season of House of the Dragon is set to premiere on HBO this summer.

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