House of the Dragon Episode 2 has finally revealed the opening credits for the Game of Thrones prequel… and it’s a little familiar, to say the least.
HBO’s audio logo is downright pavlovian. That zip, static crackle, and “ahh” is the precursor to prestige evening entertainment. The question is: which show’s theme comes next in your head?
For some people, it’s Thomas Newman’s plucking as a satellite soars over the planet in The Newsroom. For others, it’s the boom of a tuba in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
For most viewers, it’s Ramin Djawadi’s spine-tingling theme for Game of Thrones, the rousing soundtrack for an ever-shifting Westeros. House of the Dragon had big shoes to fill – so why even bother changing it?
House of the Dragon Episode 2 shows the opening credits for the first time
The opening credits for House of the Dragon follow a river of blood as it trickles and flows past various sigils and symbols in the history of House Targaryen.
Similarly to how Game of Thrones’ map erected iconic landmarks from the series, House of the Dragon’s credits appear to unfold in a model of Old Valyria, much like King Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) in the show.
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One fan explained on Twitter: “For anyone wondering, this shows the Targaryen family tree, from the Doom of Valyria to King Aegon the Conqueror with his Valyrian blood flowing to his descendants. You can see the symbols like King Viserys’ golden crow, and Rhaeneyra with her Valyrian steel necklace.”
As for the music, it’s essentially the same as Game of Thrones, only in a higher register. Speaking to EW about composing the new theme, Djawadi said: “We very much wanted to keep the DNA alive for House of the Dragon from the original show.
“We will hear themes that we remember from the original show, but because it’s all new characters, this is 200 years before, there is a ton of new material I’ve written, a lot of new themes that we will hear.”
House of the Dragon Episode 3 will be available on September 4 in the US and September 5 in the UK.