2022 will be remembered as the year of the return of two of the most beloved universes in pop culture. The House of the Dragon, from HBO MaxY The Rings of Power, by Prime Videorecover two historical sagas for a whole new audience. In addition, they explore new places in worlds as vast as they are rich in details, characters and unpublished places. Both series have the particularity of reconstructing the past of stories of special relevance in entertainment.
The House of the Dragon: a brutal, magical and mysterious story
The House of the Dragon tour the fictional Westeros again; this time, centuries away from his most decadent moments. The series shows the reign of the legendary Targaryens, turned into dark myths due to their strange and violent history.. After several failed attempts, HBO managed to find the right tone and time to extend George RR Martin’s saga in new directions.
With three episodes released, and a second season confirmed, it is a brutal story about greed, mixed with magic and mystery. However, the long shadow of Game of Thrones weighs on your argument. Without the variety of Noble Houses and visions of the power of the original, the production, for now, tries to narrate a broad story that at times exceeds it. So there are doubts that it can explore the great themes that support its premise neatly.
The Rings of Powerthe Prime Video flagship
To the other side, The Rings of Power is a project that will surely mark a milestone in streaming. The, for now, most expensive series in history, attempts to narrate The Second Age of JRR Tolkien’s literary saga. A feat with enormous risks in tow. The period within the mythology imagined by the British writer is barely outlined in stories and essays. So the production made the decision to build the environment of the narrative that counts, instead of adapting a traditional one.
The result has been considerable controversy and distrust on the part of the strict group of fans of the author. With two episodes available, it dazzles for its visual section, but it is weak in its argument.
The contrast between both productions gives rise to an inevitable question: Which one will last in the memory of pop culture? We leave you with an analysis of five essential points in this regard that, sooner or later, will define the landscape of today’s most important projects.
future potential
Perhaps the point in which they differ the most The House of the Dragon Y The Rings of Power. Prime Video only has the rights to the One Ring Trilogy and the novel The Hobbit. So his story is set at a point in the past of both narratives. But the limitation of licenses prevents the argument from going beyond a certain point. In fact, it so restricts your ability to explore new things that you’ll have a hard time expanding the universe you’ve only just begun to create.
So far, the planned five seasons for the story should span The Second Age of the Tolkien saga. A chronological point that is indirectly mentioned in the main books. But plot twists and main characters belong to the book The Silmarillionstill in the hands of the heirs of the writer. So the series faces the challenge of versioning the beloved literary universe on an entirely new scale. However, it will not be able to do anything other than show general events or, in the best of cases, so imprecise as to lose identity.
Secondly, The House of the Dragon It will surely be the first spin-off from the Song of Ice and Fire series. George RR Martin commented, over the last five years, that he wants to create an expanded world in constant growth. Furthermore, he specified that he envisions it in the style of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. so yes The House of the Dragon turns out to be a hit, it’s more than likely that other shows set in Westeros will hit the screen quickly. Currently, at least one is already in early production and it is the story of Jon Snow, with his own. showrunner and production team.
Money, investment, expectations
Another big difference between the productions of The House of the Dragon Y The Rings of Power. On this occasion, the winner is the current flagship series of Prime Video. depending on the medium ScreenRantthe production cost of the first season The Rings of Power is $462 million. This allows us to calculate that filming each chapter took around $60 million. This is an astronomical sum that exceeds Netflix’s investment for stranger thingswhich reached $30 million per episode.
The result, moreover, is evident on the screen. The visual section is opulent and the staging of a surprising thoroughness. For its pilot, Prime Video managed to capture all the beauty of imaginary landscapes with a level of realism that was disconcertingly neat. Especially in a year in which the quality of productions with a high percentage of digital work has been debated insistently.
At the other extreme, The House of the Dragon has something of modest, with $200 million as investment for its first season. It is inevitable to notice the difference between its digital sets, costumes and scenery. Even in the level of detail, when capturing the anatomy of the already iconic dragons of the saga. Usually, the result is less finished than the Prime Video production and much less spectacular than it was expected to be.
A divided audience on the quality of the story
This is the section in which he triumphs, comfortably, The House of the Dragon versus The Rings of Power. Until now, the three chapters of the series pleasantly surprised the disappointed fans of Game of Thrones. Prior to the show’s premiere, most fans of the original story were wary of the production. Specifically, due to the poor results of the eighth and final season of its predecessor.
But the prequel to the original surprised by its well planned and better executed script. Also for his ambition to become more violent and bold as the story progresses. Each chapter exceeds the previous in daring and, in particular, the intention of its creators to capture the world of Martin in all his cruelty is evident.
On the other hand, The Rings of Power It was a bittersweet disappointment for a considerable part of the fandom of Tolkien’s work. Whether it’s because of the new additions, the plot adapted to a contemporary sensibility, or because it’s actually a new story. Whatever the answer, the series provoked a more intense rejection reaction than expected. It’s, despite becoming the most watched show of the year on Prime Video. However, there are still serious doubts about its content, narration and coherence.
Will the production be able to weave together a series of fragments of a rigorous mythology created for a universe that is held in very specific terms? It is not very clear what will happen in the future.
audience reach
At this point, the big loser could be The House of the Dragon. With a violent, cruel and bloody tone, the series did not wait too long to show its tone. Its first episode featured beheadings, castrations, and a questionable graphic surgical procedure that killed a main character onscreen. In addition to the usual explicit sex scenes of the Martin saga.
This is not a surprise for the fans, but yes may be a problem for an audience other than the one you were surprised with Game of Thrones. The program is intended for and focuses on an essentially adult audience.
For its part, The Rings of Power It is a production that has the potential to amaze and move audiences of all ages. With its epic, emotional and almost naive story, the saga of the Lady Elf Galadriel and her fight against evil, it’s a family production. Of course, this is a careful strategy by Prime Video, which made sure to get a PG-13 rating for its most expensive show.
The story will not be incomplete
At this point, the productions of The House of the Dragon Y The Rings of Power they have the same goals. And, apparently, they plan to achieve them regardless of the result of their respective first seasons. According to Prime Video, The Rings of Power would be extended by five deliveries. In October the second film begins to be filmed. Whether or not it’s as resounding a success as the platform hopes, there will at least be a conclusion or something close to the central story.
Something similar happens with The House of the Dragon, that confirmed a second season just days after the premiere of the first episode from the first. It is not yet clear if the Targaryen saga could stretch to more than four, as has been suggested. But for now, the adaptation of fire and blood will tell the essence of their conflict. Which, without a doubt, could be a strategy to secure the expanding universe of the great history of Westeros and its rulers.