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House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Aug. 21, and the Targaryen-focused Game of Thrones prequel promises to return fans to Westeros in spectacular fashion. It’s been a while since viewers visited George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world, and many are eager to return to it. But how many episodes can they expect from House of the Dragon Season 1 on HBO?

How many episodes is ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 1?

Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower in an episode of 'House of the Dragon' Season 1. Alicent is standing behind Rhaenyra and their faces are touching.
Milly Alcock and Emily Carey in ‘House of the Dragon’ | HBO/Ollie Upton

There’s no shortage of miniseries capping at six or seven episodes nowadays, but those hoping for a prolonged visit to Westeros are in luck.

According to HBO, House of the Dragon Season 1 boasts the same episode count as the early seasons of Game of Thrones. The prequel will feature 10 chapters in total, all of them clocking in at about an hour.

That leaves plenty of time to cover the Dance of Dragons, the Targaryen civil war outlined in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. Season 1 will likely tackle the lead-up to the confrontation, and it may dig into the actual fight for the Iron Throne as well.

‘House of the Dragon’ episode release schedule on HBO

Now that we know House of the Dragon consists of 10 episodes in total, let’s look at when viewers can expect new installments on HBO. Like Game of Thrones, the prequel will air every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with the premiere arriving on Aug. 21.

Here’s the full episode release schedule for House of the Dragon Season 1 on HBO:

  • Episode 1 – Aug. 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • Episode 2 – Aug. 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • Episode 3 – Sept. 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • Episode 4 – Sept. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • Episode 5 – Sept. 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • Episode 6 – Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • Episode 7 – Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • Episode 8 – Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • Episode 9 – Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • Episode 10 – Oct. 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

New chapters will also be available to stream on HBO Max starting at 9 p.m. ET every Sunday. Per CNET, that means viewers on the West Coast can tune in a little early if they have access to the platform.

Will the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel get a season 2?

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‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel ‘House of the Dragon’ Will Have 1 Major Thing in Common With the Original Series

A 10-episode first season may be capable of setting up The Dance of Dragons, but will House of the Dragon elaborate on the Targaryen civil war in a second outing?

HBO hasn’t officially greenlit the Game of Thrones prequel for another batch of episodes. However, the creators behind the show certainly seem eager for more.

During an interview with Collider, showrunner Ryan Condal highlighted how much history the series could explore — and confirmed that they already have a direction in mind for House of the Dragon Season 2:

“There’s 170 years of history in front of us, so you have to figure out, at what point do you do lower the curtain on this particular story? We’ve always had a good sense of that. I think we have a good plan for Season 2, if HBO is willing and eager to continue telling the story with us. There is really 300 years of Targaryen history to explore, and there are many stories within there that are really fascinating.”

Whether the Game of Thrones prequel actually gets another go-round is likely up to viewership. So, let’s hope plenty of fans tune in for this new adventure in Westeros.

House of the Dragon premieres on HBO on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

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