MOVIE NEWS – HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, is being made on a much smaller budget than some upcoming blockbusters.

Although the final season of HBO’s fantasy epic disappointed many fans, House of the Dragon has everything it takes to live up to the greatness of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novel cycle.

The series will follow the Targaryen family, who ruled Westeros for nearly three centuries, particularly during the period known as the Dance of the Dragons.

According to Variety, it looks like the cost per episode for season 1 of House of the Dragon will be just under $20 million!

That figure alone would not seem low and is slightly higher than the $15 million per episode budget for season 8 of Game of Thrones – but it is a minimal amount compared to the other series and blockbusters in the same category that are currently in production.

According to production information revealing the costs, HBO got away with the surprisingly low sums because of its experience with such sprawling, world-building series as GoT, Westworld and His Dark Materials.

They claim “the team can produce high-quality series in the most efficient way possible.”

Compared to rival Amazon’s roughly $465 million budget for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, House of Dragons’ nearly $200 million total budget is virtually insignificant.

Season 4 of Netflix’s Stranger Things is rumoured to cost around $30 million per episode (although this figure is unconfirmed) and appears to be operating with nowhere near the scale of sets, costumes and wardrobe as HBO’s spin-off.

On the other hand, the mind-blowing CGI of Stranger Things is arguably more extensive and complex than House of the Dragon, which may play a significant role in the higher cost, and the same is true for The Rings of Power.

Source: Variety