Published Jun 3, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT
Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy.
Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones).
Things have never looked better for Game of Thrones. While there is little doubt that this is one of the biggest franchises of all time, it wasn't always clear how bright a future the on-screen version of George R.R. Martin's fantasy world would be. Up to about season 7 of the central Game of Thrones series, HBO was flying high—virtually untouchable. Unfortunately, that finale solidified the controversy, and with bad tastes in their mouths, audiences walked away a little less confident in the franchise as a whole.
Of course, given Game of Thrones' status as a cultural phenomenon, HBO couldn't just leave things off on that bitter note. Talk of potential spinoffs began almost immediately, but the franchise needed to move forward carefully. Further projects could either reclaim Game of Thrones' former glory or solidify its divisiveness. Everything hung on that next series. Thankfully, House of the Dragon performed admirably with its first season. It wasn't quite enough to make us forget Game of Thrones season 8, but it was a start.
Now, as we reach the middle of 2026, the Game of Thrones franchise has officially expanded into its second spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. This series was a pleasant surprise. It's shorter and simpler than its predecessors, but Ser Duncan the Tall's story still managed to claim an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' success serves as the perfect lead-up to the return of House of the Dragon season 3, which is meant to finally dive into the real meat of Westeros' Dance of the Dragons.
Game Of Thrones' Current Victories Balance Out Past Disappointments
House of the Dragon has had two good seasons, but it has yet to really reach Game of Thrones' level of excellence. Season 3 not only has the potential to change that, but it looks as if this upcoming installment could actually deliver on the sorts of features Game of Thrones never could. The premiere is meant to open up right into the Battle of the Gullet, one of the most devastating conflicts of the Dance of the Dragons. From this point on, the more withdrawn aspects of House of the Dragon should fade away as the true chaos of this civil war burns its scar into Westerosi history.
The timing of this key season of House of the Dragon couldn't be more perfect. Earlier this year, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms proved that there is far more to the Game of Thrones franchise than intense political intrigue and bloody spectacle. This spinoff is 90% quaint, heartwarming comedy, with that remaining 10% dedicated to the franchise's more traditional violent chaos. This, paired with House of the Dragon's climactic return, perfectly showcases that the sky is still the limit for the Game of Thrones franchise. It won't just be defined by that controversial season 8 finale.
Can The Game Of Thrones Franchise Keep It Up?
After House of the Dragon season 3 turns the volume back up on the franchise, there will only be one more installment before this first Game of Thrones spinoff comes to a close. Around the same time as that finale, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms should have already put out its sophomore season and could be diving into a third. By then, it's perfectly possible, given the success of the current franchise, that more spinoff TV shows will be ready to hit screens. We also can't forget about that Aegon the Conqueror movie we've officially been promised.
All of this contributes significantly to Game of Thrones' bright future. With several projects ongoing, even a couple of disappointments wouldn't be enough to pull the whole franchise down in the way season 8 did. Still, it's important that HBO put a great deal of consideration into every Game of Thrones TV show and movie it produces in the coming years.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon both add immense value to the overarching narrative, as would an Aegon the Conqueror movie. These stories retroactively make Game of Thrones better. Every single additional project should do the same. If the franchise again becomes only about spectacle and profit, viewers will feel it, and approval will decline. So long as we continue with this current formula, there's still a bright future ahead.
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Game Of Thrones
10/10
Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00
Showrunner David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
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Isaac Hempstead Wright
Brandon Bran Stark
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English (US) ·