House of the Dragon: Redesigned Iron Throne was more “dangerous” than Game of Thrones

The redesigned Iron Throne on the set of House of the Dragon was more “dangerous” than its predecessor in Game of Thrones, according to the co-showrunner.

Game of Thrones was once the biggest show in the world. Words like “Targaryen” and “Dothraki” became part of the cultural lexicon across its eight-year run, where it became the most decorated drama in Emmy history.

And then, it just vanished. Its pop culture footprint is almost non-existent. Season 8’s ending was so controversial that it’s put the franchise on the backfoot since 2019. For many fans, it’ll take something special to convince them it’s worth investing in again.

Redemption may have arrived with House of the Dragon, an epic, decades-spanning Game of Thrones prequel that’s been made by fans, for the fans.

House of the Dragon’s redesigned Iron Throne was “dangerous”

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly ahead of the show’s release in August, co-showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik delved into its impressive production values, including the creation of a new Iron Throne.

Sapochnik, who famously directed the ‘Hardhome’ and ‘Battle of the Bastards’ episodes, estimates it took around 2,500 words to build the throne, including props from Warcraft, Netflix’s The Witcher, and the “remains of [HBO’s] opponents” in the fantasy genre.

The throne was so hazardous that the set had a yellow warning sign, reading: “Warning: Risk of Impalement.”

Sapochnik added: “Literally, we had to put [up] fences when we first built it. Some of them are real swords. It is as dangerous as it is [described] in the books.”

George R.R. Martin approved the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon

Martin – the author behind the Game of Thrones novels, including Fire & Blood, the direct source material for House of the Dragon – is very particular about the Iron Throne. It’s no small feat that he’s happy this time around.

In an earlier blog post, he wrote: “The HBO throne has become iconic. And well it might. It’s a terrific design, and it has served the show very well. There are replicas and paperweights of it in three different sizes. Everyone knows it. I love it. I have all those replicas right here, sitting on my shelves.

“And yet, and yet… it’s still not right. It’s not the Iron Throne I see when I’m working on THE WINDS OF WINTER. It’s not the Iron Throne I want my readers to see.

“The way the throne is described in the books… HUGE, hulking, black and twisted, with the steep iron stairs in front, the high seat from which the king looks DOWN on everyone in the court… my throne is a hunched beast looming over the throne room, ugly and asymmetric… the HBO throne is none of those things.”

House of the Dragon is due for release on August 21, 2022.