George R.R. Martin will be at the House of the Dragon panel at SDCC

HBO is revving up the marketing machine for House of the Dragon, its follow-up to Game of Thrones. We’ve already gotten trailers and posters; now, the cast and crew will talk about the show on a panel discussion at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, which is back live and in person after a three-year COVID absence.

The panel will take place in Hall H, which is famous for hosting especially noteworthy gatherings. The panelists include House of the Dragon showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, as well as actors Paddy Considine (King Viserys Targaryen), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon), Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen), Fabien Frankel (Criston Cole), Graham McTavish (Harrold Westerling), Milly Alcock (young Rhaenyra Targaryen), and Emily Carey (young Alicent Hightower).

The panel will be moderated by podcast host Jason Concepcion, who I don’t know. But I do know of the last member: George R.R. Martin, who wrote Fire & Blood, the book on which this new show is based. Martin tends to get yelled at whenever he leaves his home by fans who would prefer he keep working on The Winds of Winter, the long-awaited sixth book in his Song of Ice and Fire series, but I think it’ll be fun to see him speak publicly again, if only for a day.

And who knows? Maybe he’ll make an announcement at SDCC…probably not, though.

Get your own dragon in HBO’s interactive House of the Dragon exhibit at SDCC

In addition to the panel, HBO is also creating an “immersive experience” for fans called “House of the Dragon: The Dragon’s Den.” It sounds pretty intense: according to the press release, Comic-Con attendees will “step from our world into the sights and sounds of King’s Landing, interacting with people of the city, selecting their own dragon egg, and bravely demonstrating they are worthy of a bond with a dragon…[G]uests will be ushered by a designated Dragonkeeper through seven dynamic phases, encountering special interactions, and sound sensory elements Powered by Bose, on their journey.”

"The “House of the Dragon: The Dragon’s Den” culminates in the Throne Room, where, for the first time, fans will be able to see and sit on the new, mighty Targaryen-era Iron Throne for a photo moment, acknowledging the reign of Fire and Blood in this infamous era of Westeros.Having proven themselves true Targaryens, each person will hatch their personalized, virtual dragon egg in a new augmented reality app, House of the Dragon: DracARys, before exiting, enabling them to “raise” their dragon at home."

That sounds fun! Who wouldn’t want their own little dragon to raise at home, even if it’s digital? If nothing else, all this pomp shows that HBO is serious about promoting House of the Dragon.

San Diego Comic-Con 2022 will take place from Thursday, July 21 through Sunday, July 24. House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on August 21.

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