The fantasy game was irreparably changed by the arrival of Game of Thrones, and its spin-off prequel show, House of the Dragon, is working hard to live up to that legacy.
Thus far, it’s fared rather well. The show’s first season was popular among even reluctant Game of Thrones fans and quickly collected a massive viewership. Its second season is likely still a ways off, but a hint about what to expect once it finally arrives is keeping fans satiated for now.
Other upcoming fantasy releases should aid in distracting desperate House of the Dragon fans, as enthusiasm for season two of Shadow and Bone starts to rise online. The show is slated to arrive in exactly a week, and fans got an extra dose of hype when a glimpse of Jack Wolfe — set to appear as Wylan — showcased the actor’s broad musical range. Trailers see the young actor taking on an entirely different role in The Magic Flute, but proved how well-equipped he is to take on the Crow’s newest member as well.
A far older, and more established, fantasy powerhouse is also back in conversations, in the wake of Warner Bros.’ Lord of the Rings news. As people look back on the original trilogy — which helped pave the way for shows like Game of Thrones and Shadow and Bone — they’re finding themselves shocked by the low pay many members of the cast received.
Hints about House of the Dragon season two ramp-up hype
The next season of HBO’s House of the Dragon is likely still more than a year away, but fans of the Game of Thrones spin-off are lapping up any details they can get. The dragon-oriented show already boasts far more winged beasties than its predecessor, but all signs are pointing to the introduction of even more dragons in season two and beyond. Even author George R.R. Martin has praised the prequel show’s diversity in its approach to dragons, which serve as key characters across the series.
The Lord of the Rings actors didn’t make as much money as you might think
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films are some of the most popular fantasy releases of all time, so it may come as a surprise to learn how little some of the films’ most vital cast members made. In compensation for their genre-defining work across three popular films, actors like Sean Astin and Orlando Bloom made shockingly little, despite their massive impact — and key importance — across each of the first trilogy’s three films.
Shadow and Bones’ Wylan flexes his musical chops in The Magic Flute ahead of season two’s release
Mere days before season two of Shadow and Bone introduces him to the world as Wylan Hendriks, Jack Wolfe is set to debut as Tim in The Magic Flute, an ambitious adaptation of Mozart’s opera of the same name. The story weaves Mozart’s music into every moment of its runtime and takes viewers on a wild journey through a magical, imaginative world. Chatting with filmmaker Florian Sigl ahead of his film’s release, we learned a lot about the process that went into filmmaking, and the challenges the cast and crew faced in making a musical fantasy complete with action, romance, and even some comedy.