"This is Not My Story Any Longer": HBO Confirms House of the Dragon Will Only Get 1 More Season

The dragons are coming home to roost.

HBO has officially confirmed what showrunner Ryan Condal hinted at months ago: House of the Dragon will wrap up after season 4. The announcement came from Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO, in a recent interview with Deadline, putting a definitive end date on the Targaryen civil war saga.

"Yes, that is the idea," Bloys said when asked if season 4 would be the show's last. "The idea has always been to follow the history of the Targaryens. If you know the books, you know how the Targaryens end up. So there is a natural end to this particular history of that House of the Targaryens."

The Four-Season Plan

The confirmation comes as season 3 sits in post-production, scheduled to premiere in summer 2026. Filming wrapped in October 2025 after a seven-month shoot, and actor Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen) has suggested an August release window.

Bloys said decisions about the final season's episode count haven't been finalised. "Ryan is working, like any show like this; he is finishing post on Season 3 and working with the writers on what Season 4 looks like. I don't know where he's landed on the episode count yet."

Season 4 is slated for 2028, giving fans roughly two years between the penultimate and final chapters. Whether the show will opt for a supersized finale remains unclear, though precedent from other HBO series suggests the possibility.

Behind-the-Scenes Tension

The announcement arrives alongside uncomfortable revelations about friction between George RR Martin and showrunner Ryan Condal. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Martin didn't mince words about their working relationship.

"It's worse than rocky," Martin said. "It's abysmal."

The author explained that their partnership functioned smoothly through season 1, where he would read scripts, provide notes, and see changes implemented. Everything shifted during season 2.

"Then we got into season two, and he basically stopped listening to me," Martin recalled. "I would give notes, and nothing would happen. Sometimes he would explain why he wasn't doing it. Other times, he would tell me, 'Oh, OK, yeah, I'll think about that.' It got worse and worse, and I began to get more and more annoyed."

The situation deteriorated to the point where HBO instructed Martin to submit notes through them rather than directly to Condal. The breaking point came during a Zoom call about season 3, where Martin reportedly declared: "This is not my story any longer."

The Blood & Cheese Controversy

Martin's frustrations boiled over in a now-deleted blog post from 2024, where he criticised the omission of Prince Maelor Targaryen (son of King Aegon II and Queen Helaena) from the Blood & Cheese storyline. He warned of "larger and more toxic butterflies to come" if the show proceeded with planned changes for seasons 3 and 4.

HBO backed Condal at the time, stating they believed he "and his team have done an extraordinary job." An HBO source told THR that the relationship between Martin and Condal "needed a reset," leading to a period where "everyone took a step back for a while until we could figure out a new way forward."

Martin has since stepped back from House of the Dragon to focus on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which premiered in January 2026. He's praised that show's adaptation and showrunner Ira Parker, creating a stark contrast to his views on Condal's work.

Looking Ahead

Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, Bloys expressed satisfaction with the series. "I'm thrilled with what Ryan has done, he's been a great collaborator with us," he said. The show maintains an 87% Rotten Tomatoes score across its first two seasons.

Season 3 promises the most explosive chapter yet, with major battles including the Battle of the Gullet and conflicts at Harrenhal. New cast members include James Norton as Ormund Hightower, Tommy Flanagan as Ser Roderick Dustin, and Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly.

For Martin, the tension hasn't completely severed ties. Condal previously told Entertainment Weekly: "I made every effort to include George in the adaptation process. I really did. But at some point, as we got deeper down the road, he just became unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way."

The showrunner added: "I can only hope that George and I can rediscover that harmony someday."

With season 3 arriving in mid-2026 and the finale scheduled for 2028, House of the Dragon will conclude its run with roughly half the episode count of its predecessor Game of Thrones. Whether that's enough time to properly adapt the Dance of the Dragons remains to be seen, though Bloys seems confident in the creative vision.

The final two seasons will determine if the show can stick the landing better than its predecessor did.