The budget for House of the Dragon season 1 is remarkably larger than Game of Thrones’ early funding, proving just how different the two inaugural seasons will be. While Game of Thrones earned a larger budget as the series became increasingly popular, there wasn’t room for excess during season 1. Game of Thrones' first season averaged approximately $6 million per episode, which would be raised to roughly $15 million by season 8. For comparison, the budget for Stranger Things season 4 was about $30 million per episode.
House of the Dragon's creators have boasted about their more breathable financing — approximately $20 million per episode — by explaining they have a “severed head” budget. This is a reference to how author George R.R. Martin wanted to cameo in Game of Thrones season 1 by having his face be one of the severed heads on the Red Keep’s walls. However, the fake severed heads were expensive, and Game of Thrones’ small budget meant they couldn’t afford to give the author his desired appearance. Now, not only does House of the Dragon have far more funding than Game of Thrones’ final season, but the “severed head budget” quip proves the relative splendor of the prequel’s debut.
Although Game of Thrones season 1 was still visually striking with its CGI, on-location filming, and close-quarter fighting, House of the Dragon’s more than tripled budget indicates its first season will be a different type of spectacle. Game of Thrones season 1 was largely defined by its more modest political set-up, with its budget not being enough to support big battles, huge dragons, and extended looks at the White Walkers. House of the Dragon’s $20 million per episode budget, however, indicates the first season will quickly indulge in the pageantry of its dragons, combat-heavy confrontations, and the chaos that descends upon the realm. Proving how different it is from Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon season 1 has a lot more ground to cover in only 10 episodes, so its budget is necessary for how many groundbreaking moments need to appear on-screen in a short amount of time.
Why House Of The Dragon’s Budget Is So Much Bigger Than GOT
House of the Dragon’s bigger budget is partially due to the sheer amount of dragons heavily featured in its first season, as they require significant funding for CGI and design purposes. Game of Thrones, however, only had three dragons, with the season 1 finale only briefly depicting a baby dragon on Daenerys’s shoulder. Knowing that the dragons were a significant pull for Game of Thrones, HBO likely prioritized this expensive aspect when financing the prequel’s first season.
Of course, Game of Thrones season 1’s budget was also initially smaller because it wasn’t clear how successful the show would be. HBO now understands how valuable a property the Game of Thrones franchise is, so shelling significantly more money into House of the Dragon would have been a prime concern for the company – especially considering the prequel is battling fan skepticism after the original show’s finale. House of the Dragon is set to be a continuation of the high-quality production of Game of Thrones’ later seasons, so reverting to a small budget for its first season wouldn’t make sense for the franchise.
Despite House of the Dragon’s budget being so much higher than that of Game of Thrones season 1, the new HBO series is still quite moderate compared to the price of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings show, which cost over twice as much as House of the Dragon. The House Targaryen-centric Game of Thrones prequel spinoff also knows it can succeed by using its budget with efficiency rather than unnecessary flamboyance, as Game of Thrones’ modest budget allowed for infrequent yet awe-inspiring spectacles while prioritizing the less expensive character-based interactions. However, with so many dragons and highly populated battles that will make up the biggest conflicts, House of the Dragon isn’t apt to let its increased budget go to waste.