News Analysis India

Tag: HBO

  • HBO drama ‘Winning Time’ cancelled after two seasons

    By Express News Service

    HBO’s sports drama series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has been cancelled after two seasons. The news of the cancellation surfaced moments after the season finale episode of the second season. 

    Created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman. The series centered around the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers basketball teams.

    The first season comprised 10 episodes, premiered on March 2022, and was renewed for a second season, which premiered on August 6, 2023. The first season focuses on the 1979–1980 NBA season, Jerry Buss’ first as owner and Magic Johnson’s rookie year.

    The second season takes place between 1980 and 1984. The series starred an ensemble cast, including John C. Reilly, Jason Clarke, Jason Segel, Gaby Hoffmann, Rob Morgan, and Adrien Brody, among others. 

    HBO’s sports drama series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has been cancelled after two seasons. The news of the cancellation surfaced moments after the season finale episode of the second season. 

    Created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman. The series centered around the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers basketball teams.

    The first season comprised 10 episodes, premiered on March 2022, and was renewed for a second season, which premiered on August 6, 2023. The first season focuses on the 1979–1980 NBA season, Jerry Buss’ first as owner and Magic Johnson’s rookie year.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The second season takes place between 1980 and 1984. The series starred an ensemble cast, including John C. Reilly, Jason Clarke, Jason Segel, Gaby Hoffmann, Rob Morgan, and Adrien Brody, among others. 

  • Angus Cloud, breakout star of ‘Euphoria,’ dies at 25

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: Angus Cloud, the actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria,” has died. He was 25.

    Cloud’s publicist, Cait Bailey, said Cloud died Monday at his family home in Oakland, California. No cause of death was given.

    In a statement, Cloud’s family said goodbye to “an artist, a friend, a brother and a son.

    “Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,” the family said. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”

    “We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone,” his family added.

    Cloud hadn’t acted before he was cast in “Euphoria.” He was walking down the street in New York when casting scout Eléonore Hendricks noticed him. Cloud was resistant at first, suspecting a scam. Then casting director Jennifer Venditti met with him and series creator Sam Levinson eventually made him a co-star in the series alongside Zendaya for its first two seasons.

    To some, Cloud seemed so natural as Fez that they suspected he was identical to the character — a notion that Cloud pushed back against.

    “It does bother me when people are like, ‘It must be so easy! You get to go in and be yourself.’ I’m like, ‘Why don’t you go and do that?’ It’s not that simple,” Cloud told Variety. “I brought a lot to the character. You can believe what you want. It ain’t got nothing to do with me.”

    The part made Cloud the breakout star of one the buzziest shows in television. He had a supporting role in his first film, “The Line,” a college drama starring Alex Wolff and John Malkovich that premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Festival. Cloud was recently cast to co-star in “Scream 6.” He’s also made cameos in music videos for Juice WRLD, Becky G and Karol G.

    The third season of “Euphoria” hasn’t yet begun filming.

    “There was no one quite like Angus,” Levinson said in a statement. “He was too special, too talented and way too young to leave us so soon. He also struggled, like many of us, with addiction and depression. I hope he knew how many hearts he touched. I loved him. I always will. Rest in peace and God Bless his family.”

    We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/G92zRWkbfH
    — HBO (@HBO) July 31, 2023
    HBO said in a statement that Cloud “was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and ‘Euphoria’ family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”

    LOS ANGELES: Angus Cloud, the actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria,” has died. He was 25.

    Cloud’s publicist, Cait Bailey, said Cloud died Monday at his family home in Oakland, California. No cause of death was given.

    In a statement, Cloud’s family said goodbye to “an artist, a friend, a brother and a son.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,” the family said. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”

    “We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone,” his family added.

    Cloud hadn’t acted before he was cast in “Euphoria.” He was walking down the street in New York when casting scout Eléonore Hendricks noticed him. Cloud was resistant at first, suspecting a scam. Then casting director Jennifer Venditti met with him and series creator Sam Levinson eventually made him a co-star in the series alongside Zendaya for its first two seasons.

    To some, Cloud seemed so natural as Fez that they suspected he was identical to the character — a notion that Cloud pushed back against.

    “It does bother me when people are like, ‘It must be so easy! You get to go in and be yourself.’ I’m like, ‘Why don’t you go and do that?’ It’s not that simple,” Cloud told Variety. “I brought a lot to the character. You can believe what you want. It ain’t got nothing to do with me.”

    The part made Cloud the breakout star of one the buzziest shows in television. He had a supporting role in his first film, “The Line,” a college drama starring Alex Wolff and John Malkovich that premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Festival. Cloud was recently cast to co-star in “Scream 6.” He’s also made cameos in music videos for Juice WRLD, Becky G and Karol G.

    The third season of “Euphoria” hasn’t yet begun filming.

    “There was no one quite like Angus,” Levinson said in a statement. “He was too special, too talented and way too young to leave us so soon. He also struggled, like many of us, with addiction and depression. I hope he knew how many hearts he touched. I loved him. I always will. Rest in peace and God Bless his family.”

    We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/G92zRWkbfH
    — HBO (@HBO) July 31, 2023
    HBO said in a statement that Cloud “was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and ‘Euphoria’ family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 to be shorter as HBO looking forward to season 3

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: The upcoming second season of the fantasy drama “House of the Dragon” will consist of eight episodes, two less than season one.

    According to the entertainment website Deadline, the decision is part of a long-term plan for the series, which includes network HBO considering renewing the prequel spin-off of “Game of Thrones” for a third chapter.

    An HBO spokesperson, who confirmed the news to the publication that season two will contain eight episodes, emphasised that the episode count trim was story-driven.

    The development comes as production is about to begin on the second season in the UK for an expected premiere in the summer of 2024.

    HBO green-lit season two soon after “House of the Dragon” premiered on August 21, 2022, as it drew the largest audience for any new original series in the history of the premium broadcaster — “over 20 million viewers across linear, on-demand and HBO Max platforms in the US, based on a combination of Nielsen data and first-party data”.

    “House of the Dragon” is based on George R R Martin’s book “Fire & Blood”, a history of House Targaryen set 200 years before the events described in “Game of Thrones”, which ended its eight-season run in 2019.

    In what is a relatively common practice, HBO did not reveal the episode order in the season two renewal announcement last summer.

    The second chapter was supposed to have another 10-episode run, which eventually changed, leading to some script rewrites.

    Potential season three is being prepared and might go ahead, with HBO considering committing to moving ahead with scripts, casting and a production plan.

    A portion of the plot originally intended for season two, including a major battle, is moving to season three, according to insiders.

    “House of the Dragon” is now more likely to run for four seasons, but that has not been determined, added sources.

    “House of the Dragon” features an ensemble cast of Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans.

    “Game of Thrones” veteran Miguel Sapochnik was the showrunner on season one of “House of the Dragons” along with co-creator Ryan Condal.

    For the second season, Condal will now serve as solo showrunner with Sapochnik continuing as an executive producer on the series.

    Alan Taylor, another “Game of Thrones” veteran, will also join as a director and executive producer on the second season of the show.

    LOS ANGELES: The upcoming second season of the fantasy drama “House of the Dragon” will consist of eight episodes, two less than season one.

    According to the entertainment website Deadline, the decision is part of a long-term plan for the series, which includes network HBO considering renewing the prequel spin-off of “Game of Thrones” for a third chapter.

    An HBO spokesperson, who confirmed the news to the publication that season two will contain eight episodes, emphasised that the episode count trim was story-driven.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The development comes as production is about to begin on the second season in the UK for an expected premiere in the summer of 2024.

    HBO green-lit season two soon after “House of the Dragon” premiered on August 21, 2022, as it drew the largest audience for any new original series in the history of the premium broadcaster — “over 20 million viewers across linear, on-demand and HBO Max platforms in the US, based on a combination of Nielsen data and first-party data”.

    “House of the Dragon” is based on George R R Martin’s book “Fire & Blood”, a history of House Targaryen set 200 years before the events described in “Game of Thrones”, which ended its eight-season run in 2019.

    In what is a relatively common practice, HBO did not reveal the episode order in the season two renewal announcement last summer.

    The second chapter was supposed to have another 10-episode run, which eventually changed, leading to some script rewrites.

    Potential season three is being prepared and might go ahead, with HBO considering committing to moving ahead with scripts, casting and a production plan.

    A portion of the plot originally intended for season two, including a major battle, is moving to season three, according to insiders.

    “House of the Dragon” is now more likely to run for four seasons, but that has not been determined, added sources.

    “House of the Dragon” features an ensemble cast of Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans.

    “Game of Thrones” veteran Miguel Sapochnik was the showrunner on season one of “House of the Dragons” along with co-creator Ryan Condal.

    For the second season, Condal will now serve as solo showrunner with Sapochnik continuing as an executive producer on the series.

    Alan Taylor, another “Game of Thrones” veteran, will also join as a director and executive producer on the second season of the show.

  • Nicole Kidman to star in new HBO show ‘The Perfect Nanny’

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES:  Nicole Kidman is back in the HBO fold as the Hollywood actor is set to headline the premium cable network’s new limited series “The Perfect Nanny”.

    Kidman, who earlier starred in HBO’s critically-acclaimed series “Big Little Lies” and “The Undoing”, will feature alongside “PEN15” co-creator Maya Erskine in the show, based on author Leila Slimani’s novel of the same title.

    According to the entertainment news outlet The Hollywood Reporter, Erskine will also write and executive produce the series.

    Published in France as “Chanson Douce” (Lullaby), Slimani’s novel is a thriller that follows the increasingly co-dependent relationship between a couple and the nanny they hire.

    It won France’s prestigious Prix Goncourt in 2016, and its translation became an international bestseller.

    ALSO READ | Nicole Kidman joins Taylor Sheridan series

    The official logline of the show reads, “A seemingly perfect nanny goes to work for a couple with two young children, but her helpful personality eventually deteriorates into something sinister.”

    Legendary Entertainment is the co-studio with HBO.

    ALSO READ | Nicole Kidman to be honoured with AFI Life Achievement Award

    Kidman and her Blossom Films partner Per Saari will also executive produce along with Pascal Caucheteux of Why Not Productions and Philippe Godeau of Pan-Europeenne.

    LOS ANGELES:  Nicole Kidman is back in the HBO fold as the Hollywood actor is set to headline the premium cable network’s new limited series “The Perfect Nanny”.

    Kidman, who earlier starred in HBO’s critically-acclaimed series “Big Little Lies” and “The Undoing”, will feature alongside “PEN15” co-creator Maya Erskine in the show, based on author Leila Slimani’s novel of the same title.

    According to the entertainment news outlet The Hollywood Reporter, Erskine will also write and executive produce the series.

    Published in France as “Chanson Douce” (Lullaby), Slimani’s novel is a thriller that follows the increasingly co-dependent relationship between a couple and the nanny they hire.

    It won France’s prestigious Prix Goncourt in 2016, and its translation became an international bestseller.

    ALSO READ | Nicole Kidman joins Taylor Sheridan series

    The official logline of the show reads, “A seemingly perfect nanny goes to work for a couple with two young children, but her helpful personality eventually deteriorates into something sinister.”

    Legendary Entertainment is the co-studio with HBO.

    ALSO READ | Nicole Kidman to be honoured with AFI Life Achievement Award

    Kidman and her Blossom Films partner Per Saari will also executive produce along with Pascal Caucheteux of Why Not Productions and Philippe Godeau of Pan-Europeenne.

  • HBO cancels sci-fi drama Westworld after four seasons

    By Express News Service

    HBO’s hit sci-fi drama series Westworld has been cancelled after four seasons. The series had just released the last episode of season 4 in August 2022.

    According to reports, the decision to axe the series was made at HBO due to a number of factors including the heavy production cost, declining viewership for the series, and the recent changes at the top management level at HBO’s parent company Warner Bros. 

    In a recent interview, Westworld’s co-creator Jonathan Nolan revealed that he was hoping HBO would renew the series for a fifth and final season so they could wrap up the series.

    Co-creator Lisa Joy had also mentioned that they were always working towards a specific ending since the beginning and that she hoped they would get to tell the story they had initially planned. 

    The series had one of the strongest first seasons, with high critical reception and viewership numbers. However, the ratings for the series went through a sharp decline after the second season and the fans too started complaining about the story getting more intentionally over-complicated. 

    Westworld creator Jonathan Nolan is currently working on a sci-fi series for Amazon Prime Video titled The Peripheral, starring Chloë Grace Moretz in the lead, which premiered its first episode on 21 October 2022.

    (This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

    HBO’s hit sci-fi drama series Westworld has been cancelled after four seasons. The series had just released the last episode of season 4 in August 2022.

    According to reports, the decision to axe the series was made at HBO due to a number of factors including the heavy production cost, declining viewership for the series, and the recent changes at the top management level at HBO’s parent company Warner Bros. 

    In a recent interview, Westworld’s co-creator Jonathan Nolan revealed that he was hoping HBO would renew the series for a fifth and final season so they could wrap up the series.

    Co-creator Lisa Joy had also mentioned that they were always working towards a specific ending since the beginning and that she hoped they would get to tell the story they had initially planned. 

    The series had one of the strongest first seasons, with high critical reception and viewership numbers. However, the ratings for the series went through a sharp decline after the second season and the fans too started complaining about the story getting more intentionally over-complicated. 

    Westworld creator Jonathan Nolan is currently working on a sci-fi series for Amazon Prime Video titled The Peripheral, starring Chloë Grace Moretz in the lead, which premiered its first episode on 21 October 2022.

    (This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

  • HBO axes ‘Westworld’ after four seasons

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Dystopian sci-fi series “Westworld” has been cancelled by American premium network HBO after four seasons.

    The show’s cancellation comes as a surprise as “Westworld” was once considered one of HBO’s biggest tentpoles and there were hopes for a fifth season, according to entertainment news website The Hollywood Reporter.

    Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, “Westworld” was based on the 1973 Michael Crichton’s movie of the same name.

    “Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step.

    We are tremendously grateful to them, along with their immensely talented cast, producers and crew, and all of our partners at Kilter Films, Bad Robot and Warner Bros.Television. It’s been a thrill to join them on this journey,” HBO said in a statement.

    The fourth season of “Westworld” premiered on HBO in June this year.

    The show hailed from Nolan and Joy’s Kilter Films and JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros Television.

    “Making ‘Westworld’ has been one of the highlights of our careers. We are deeply grateful to our extraordinary cast and crew for creating these indelible characters and brilliant worlds.

    “We’ve been privileged to tell these stories about the future of consciousness, both human and beyond, in the brief window of time before our AI overlords forbid us from doing so,” Kilter Films said.

    “Westworld” featured Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, James Marsden, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth, Ed Harris, Tessa Thompson, and Anthony Hopkins among others.

    LOS ANGELES: Dystopian sci-fi series “Westworld” has been cancelled by American premium network HBO after four seasons.

    The show’s cancellation comes as a surprise as “Westworld” was once considered one of HBO’s biggest tentpoles and there were hopes for a fifth season, according to entertainment news website The Hollywood Reporter.

    Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, “Westworld” was based on the 1973 Michael Crichton’s movie of the same name.

    “Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step.

    We are tremendously grateful to them, along with their immensely talented cast, producers and crew, and all of our partners at Kilter Films, Bad Robot and Warner Bros.Television. It’s been a thrill to join them on this journey,” HBO said in a statement.

    The fourth season of “Westworld” premiered on HBO in June this year.

    The show hailed from Nolan and Joy’s Kilter Films and JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros Television.

    “Making ‘Westworld’ has been one of the highlights of our careers. We are deeply grateful to our extraordinary cast and crew for creating these indelible characters and brilliant worlds.

    “We’ve been privileged to tell these stories about the future of consciousness, both human and beyond, in the brief window of time before our AI overlords forbid us from doing so,” Kilter Films said.

    “Westworld” featured Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, James Marsden, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth, Ed Harris, Tessa Thompson, and Anthony Hopkins among others.

  • Maisie Williams on ‘Game of Thrones’ final season: It definitely fell off at the end 

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Over three years after the divisive series finale of “Game of Thrones”, actor Maisie Williams has admitted that the epic fantasy show “fell off at the end” despite a strong start.

    Maisie, who played the fan-favourite character Arya Stark in the HBO series, said she recently got a chance to sit back and rewatch “Game of Thrones” which courted controversy during its eighth and final season.

    “It definitely fell off at the end. It started really strong. (But) It kinda popped off,” Maisie said on Twitch, a video live-streaming service, with her brother James Williams.

    “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss were under fire for below-par script writing, poor portrayal of women and a rushed climax in the last season of the HBO series, which culminated in May 2019.

    Back then angry fans of the series, based on author George RR Martin’s book series “A Song of Ice and Fire”, had also started an online petition to remake the last chapter with different writers.

    While her co-stars Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) had defended the show’s final season amid criticism, Maisie had only shared a breezy response on Twitter.

    “Just here for the memes,” she had posted.

    The actor, who had started working on “Game of Thrones” when she was 12, also reflected upon feeling proud about starring in the sprawling series which went on to become a cultural phenomenon.

    “For the longest time. I could never see it from the outside. So I could never say that and actually understand it. For the first time, it feels good to be proud of it. It was 10 years of my life,” added Maisie.

    Referring to Arya’s father Ned Stark, played by Sean Bean, who was ruthlessly killed off in season one, she said, “I was heartbroken when Ned died, yet I knew it was coming.”

    LOS ANGELES: Over three years after the divisive series finale of “Game of Thrones”, actor Maisie Williams has admitted that the epic fantasy show “fell off at the end” despite a strong start.

    Maisie, who played the fan-favourite character Arya Stark in the HBO series, said she recently got a chance to sit back and rewatch “Game of Thrones” which courted controversy during its eighth and final season.

    “It definitely fell off at the end. It started really strong. (But) It kinda popped off,” Maisie said on Twitch, a video live-streaming service, with her brother James Williams.

    “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss were under fire for below-par script writing, poor portrayal of women and a rushed climax in the last season of the HBO series, which culminated in May 2019.

    Back then angry fans of the series, based on author George RR Martin’s book series “A Song of Ice and Fire”, had also started an online petition to remake the last chapter with different writers.

    While her co-stars Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) had defended the show’s final season amid criticism, Maisie had only shared a breezy response on Twitter.

    “Just here for the memes,” she had posted.

    The actor, who had started working on “Game of Thrones” when she was 12, also reflected upon feeling proud about starring in the sprawling series which went on to become a cultural phenomenon.

    “For the longest time. I could never see it from the outside. So I could never say that and actually understand it. For the first time, it feels good to be proud of it. It was 10 years of my life,” added Maisie.

    Referring to Arya’s father Ned Stark, played by Sean Bean, who was ruthlessly killed off in season one, she said, “I was heartbroken when Ned died, yet I knew it was coming.”

  • ‘True Detective’ S4 adds John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, Fiona Shaw

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Actors John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, and Fiona Shaw have joined the cast of HBO’s “True Detective” season four.

    Led by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, the new season of the anthology crime drama has been titled “True Detective: Night Country.”

    According to entertainment news outlet Variety, actors Finn Bennett and Anna Lambe have also boarded the project.

    The latest chapter focuses on Detectives Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Reis), who look to solve the case of six men, operating the Tsalal Arctic Research Station, vanishing without a trace, when the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska.

    The pair will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves and dig into the haunting truths that lie buried under the eternal ice, the official plotline reads.

    Hawkes will play Hank Prior, a police officer with old grudges hiding under a quiet surface, while Eccleston will star as Ted Corsaro, the regional Chief of Police and a political animal with a long history tying him to Danvers. Shaw will portray Rose Aguineau, a survivalist with a past full of secrets.

    “True Detective: Night Country” hails from Issa Lopez, who serves as writer, director, and showrunner. Alan Page Arriaga will also write and executive produce.

    Foster will executive produce in addition to starring. Filmmaker Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, and Mark Ceryak of Pastel are the other executive producers.

    LOS ANGELES: Actors John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, and Fiona Shaw have joined the cast of HBO’s “True Detective” season four.

    Led by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, the new season of the anthology crime drama has been titled “True Detective: Night Country.”

    According to entertainment news outlet Variety, actors Finn Bennett and Anna Lambe have also boarded the project.

    The latest chapter focuses on Detectives Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Reis), who look to solve the case of six men, operating the Tsalal Arctic Research Station, vanishing without a trace, when the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska.

    The pair will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves and dig into the haunting truths that lie buried under the eternal ice, the official plotline reads.

    Hawkes will play Hank Prior, a police officer with old grudges hiding under a quiet surface, while Eccleston will star as Ted Corsaro, the regional Chief of Police and a political animal with a long history tying him to Danvers. Shaw will portray Rose Aguineau, a survivalist with a past full of secrets.

    “True Detective: Night Country” hails from Issa Lopez, who serves as writer, director, and showrunner. Alan Page Arriaga will also write and executive produce.

    Foster will executive produce in addition to starring. Filmmaker Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, and Mark Ceryak of Pastel are the other executive producers.

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel ‘House of the Dragon’ renewed for second season

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: HBO has given a second season order for “House of the Dragon”, the prequel series to the popular fantasy drama “Game of Thrones”.

    The show’s early renewal follows its smash-hit debut with the first episode, which dropped on August 21 and drew the largest audience for any new original series in HBO history, the American premium network said in a statement on Friday.

    “The first episode has now been seen by over 20 million viewers across linear, on-demand and HBO Max platforms in the US, based on a combination of Nielsen data and first-party data,” the company said.

    “House of the Dragon” is based on George R R Martin’s book “Fire & Blood”, a history of House Targaryen set 200 years before the events described in “Game of Thrones”, which ended its eight-season run in 2019.

    Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, said the network is beyond proud of the show’s first season.

    “Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see-TV. A huge thank you to George, Ryan, and Miguel for leading us on this journey. We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season two,” she added.

    “House of the Dragon” features an ensemble cast of Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans.

    Ryan Condal is attached as the showrunner and executive producer on the show along with Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed “Game of Thrones” episodes such as ‘The Battle of Bastards’ and ‘The Winds of Winter’. Condal and Martin are credited as co-creators and executive producers.

    LOS ANGELES: HBO has given a second season order for “House of the Dragon”, the prequel series to the popular fantasy drama “Game of Thrones”.

    The show’s early renewal follows its smash-hit debut with the first episode, which dropped on August 21 and drew the largest audience for any new original series in HBO history, the American premium network said in a statement on Friday.

    “The first episode has now been seen by over 20 million viewers across linear, on-demand and HBO Max platforms in the US, based on a combination of Nielsen data and first-party data,” the company said.

    “House of the Dragon” is based on George R R Martin’s book “Fire & Blood”, a history of House Targaryen set 200 years before the events described in “Game of Thrones”, which ended its eight-season run in 2019.

    Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, said the network is beyond proud of the show’s first season.

    “Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see-TV. A huge thank you to George, Ryan, and Miguel for leading us on this journey. We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season two,” she added.

    “House of the Dragon” features an ensemble cast of Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans.

    Ryan Condal is attached as the showrunner and executive producer on the show along with Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed “Game of Thrones” episodes such as ‘The Battle of Bastards’ and ‘The Winds of Winter’. Condal and Martin are credited as co-creators and executive producers.

  • Westeros returns in a tepid affair in ‘House of the Dragon’

    Express News Service

    The showrunners (Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik) of House of the Dragon, the new prequel to Game of Thrones based on GRR Martin’s Fire & Blood made a choice. In the text that introduces this world-a Westeros ruled by early Targaryens-they highlight that the events in this series began about one hundred and seventy-two years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.

    The text dissolves gently only for the number and the name Daenerys Targaryen to remain on screen a few seconds longer. They made a choice. Not just because she’s the most familiar Targaryen for the show’s audience but also because she remains the most magnetic, lasting figure in retrospect considering how the ending, her ending, was received by the fans around the world.

    Let’s face it, Game of Thrones is zeitgeist defining but unlike what people would have you believe, no one’s really forgotten the show. Maybe people have grown cynical and don’t expect Martin to finish the original canon, but the show’s audience has not aged by much since.

    The eighth season was panned widely for people who felt cheated by the death of Daenerys, the one who was born to rule Westeros, the Targaryen to bring the glory days of her family again. All of it was blamed on many baseless factors, the show is terrible in its treatment of women (it is but the arc of Daenerys isn’t part of it), and the writers made stuff up because Martin has not completed the books (yes but a careful reading of the book will tell you that it’s probably not going to be much different).

    Most people had made up their minds and were ready to hail the queen with Daenerys sitting on the throne and when that did not come to fruition—for entirely logical reasons in a show that didn’t stick its landing—they rose in revolt. But The Mad King’s daughter was indeed destined to be his true heir. The reception to the final season of Game of Thrones gives us the illusion that people are done with Westeros.

    HBO and the showrunners know better than that. In Fire & Blood they saw another Daenerys in Rhaneyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock playing the younger version and Emma D’Arcy the adult), the young princess locked in a civil war with her crazy family tree in what was eventually christened as Dance of the Dragons in Westeros history.

    Maybe they want to take advantage of the budget and the dragons, the power struggle and characters with familiar last names and shared history but for anyone who knows the story, this doesn’t end any different. So, the show will be judged by its journey rather than its end, like any work should be.

    From what we see in the first episode, we can tell that the grammar and the feel of Game of Thrones is retained in House of the Dragon. Confined to King’s Landing for now and not as peripatetic as the older series, the small folks, the Maesters, the council, the Hand of the King, the iron throne, the tourneys and the sex workers (an orgy paused for a speech is particularly laughable) make a familiar return as does blood, gore and an endless appetite for violence.

    To add to dismembered members and torsos we have a C-section performed on an unwilling, helpless queen. What’s more, even if the score is reused, Ramin Djawadi’s rousing theme keeps paying us a visit through the pilot episode.

    “It’s tepid”, says King Viserys as he feels the water his pregnant wife is resting in. That’s a word that can be used for the pilot too. It’s a long way to go from here and there will be dragons but the characters feel less compelling.

    The first episode of Game of Thrones ended with the discovery of incest and a man pushing a kid out of the window, all for love. House of the Dragon does not yet have such a moment that will shock us into awe. But it is the Targaryens and all that incest is not far behind. As for the rest, we must wait.

    Biweekly Binge

    A fortnightly column on what’s good in the vast ocean of content in the streaming platforms around you

    Series: House of the DragonStreaming on: Disney+ Hotstar

    The showrunners (Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik) of House of the Dragon, the new prequel to Game of Thrones based on GRR Martin’s Fire & Blood made a choice. In the text that introduces this world-a Westeros ruled by early Targaryens-they highlight that the events in this series began about one hundred and seventy-two years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.

    The text dissolves gently only for the number and the name Daenerys Targaryen to remain on screen a few seconds longer. They made a choice. Not just because she’s the most familiar Targaryen for the show’s audience but also because she remains the most magnetic, lasting figure in retrospect considering how the ending, her ending, was received by the fans around the world.

    Let’s face it, Game of Thrones is zeitgeist defining but unlike what people would have you believe, no one’s really forgotten the show. Maybe people have grown cynical and don’t expect Martin to finish the original canon, but the show’s audience has not aged by much since.

    The eighth season was panned widely for people who felt cheated by the death of Daenerys, the one who was born to rule Westeros, the Targaryen to bring the glory days of her family again. All of it was blamed on many baseless factors, the show is terrible in its treatment of women (it is but the arc of Daenerys isn’t part of it), and the writers made stuff up because Martin has not completed the books (yes but a careful reading of the book will tell you that it’s probably not going to be much different).

    Most people had made up their minds and were ready to hail the queen with Daenerys sitting on the throne and when that did not come to fruition—for entirely logical reasons in a show that didn’t stick its landing—they rose in revolt. But The Mad King’s daughter was indeed destined to be his true heir. The reception to the final season of Game of Thrones gives us the illusion that people are done with Westeros.

    HBO and the showrunners know better than that. In Fire & Blood they saw another Daenerys in Rhaneyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock playing the younger version and Emma D’Arcy the adult), the young princess locked in a civil war with her crazy family tree in what was eventually christened as Dance of the Dragons in Westeros history.

    Maybe they want to take advantage of the budget and the dragons, the power struggle and characters with familiar last names and shared history but for anyone who knows the story, this doesn’t end any different. So, the show will be judged by its journey rather than its end, like any work should be.

    From what we see in the first episode, we can tell that the grammar and the feel of Game of Thrones is retained in House of the Dragon. Confined to King’s Landing for now and not as peripatetic as the older series, the small folks, the Maesters, the council, the Hand of the King, the iron throne, the tourneys and the sex workers (an orgy paused for a speech is particularly laughable) make a familiar return as does blood, gore and an endless appetite for violence.

    To add to dismembered members and torsos we have a C-section performed on an unwilling, helpless queen. What’s more, even if the score is reused, Ramin Djawadi’s rousing theme keeps paying us a visit through the pilot episode.

    “It’s tepid”, says King Viserys as he feels the water his pregnant wife is resting in. That’s a word that can be used for the pilot too. It’s a long way to go from here and there will be dragons but the characters feel less compelling.

    The first episode of Game of Thrones ended with the discovery of incest and a man pushing a kid out of the window, all for love. House of the Dragon does not yet have such a moment that will shock us into awe. But it is the Targaryens and all that incest is not far behind. As for the rest, we must wait.

    Biweekly Binge

    A fortnightly column on what’s good in the vast ocean of content in the streaming platforms around you

    Series: House of the Dragon
    Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar