Fantasy is rapidly becoming one of the top genres on television, which is a perfect medium for the epic scope of the source material upon which numerous series are based. All the major streaming platforms have their own flagship fantasy series now, and there are others in the pipeline as well. HBO is preparing to release House of the Dragon this year, and the adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood has the potential to be the most successful fantasy series ever.
Source Material by One of the World’s Best Fantasy Authors
HBO is trying to take on Netflix and Disney+ with its HBO Max platform, which has already garnered more than 73 million viewers. The service owned by WarnerMedia Studios & Networks was astute in signing a deal with one of the world’s best fantasy authors, Martin, meaning that it now has exclusive access to his works. The 73-year-old writer’s contract also states that he will have a heavy hand in the development of series for the network, including screenplays for individual episodes.
This is an incredible coup, with Martin widely considered to be one of the greatest living fantasy authors. The American is often spoken of in the same sentences as the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, but the only problem is that he hasn’t finished penning his flagship series yet. Once A Song of Ice and Fire is finished, it may be possible to say that Martin is the greatest of all time. Until then, however, it would be prudent to wait and see if he can finish the novels as strongly as they started.
HBO Knows How to Market the Franchise to the Masses
To give House of the Dragon the best possible chance of success, it is highly likely that HBO will turn to the franchise model that has worked so well for it in the past. The new series already has an advantage over its predecessor, Game of Thrones, in that viewers are aware of this universe and have an idea about what they can expect. HBO can also recycle a lot of the marketing ploys that turned its last fantasy epic into such an unprecedented hit.
The viewing figures of the first Martin adaptation kept on increasing throughout its seven-season run, thanks to the influx of related media that cropped up around it. The Telltale Game series related to the HBO show was massive, and it helped that this was available for mobile, PC, and consoles. There was also the Game of Thrones slot from Microgaming, which has now been expanded into other casino titles like Game of Thrones Power Stacks. House of the Dragon could lead to new games like those that came before, and this would serve to raise awareness of the series in a variety of places.
What Other Fantasy Series Will it Contend With?
House of the Dragon is about to drop at an ideal time, with audiences primed for fantasy content and hungry for more. This is thanks to the rise of diverse options across the various streaming services. For it to become the biggest, though, the new HBO title will have to outdo its rivals in storyline and scale. This may prove difficult, as there are some well-loved series around.
One of the most popular offerings of recent times is Netflix’s The Witcher, which is based on a range of fantasy novels and short stories from Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The series has been lauded by fans of the books and console games, and the streaming service is pumping a huge budget into making it bigger and better each year.
Amazon Prime is trying to challenge its rivals with a couple of epic fantasies. It has already released The Wheel of Time, which is based on Robert Jordan’s iconic series, and will soon bring out its Lord of the Rings offering, which is said to have a budget of more than $1 billion.
Expectations are high for House of the Dragon, but all the stars are aligned for it to be an enormously successful offering. It has the potential to be the biggest fantasy series of all time, but will have strong competition from The Witcher and Lord of the Rings.
