House of the Dragon is a follow-up to the original Game of Thrones (GoT) series, which aired its season finale back in 2019. If you’ve seen the first few episodes of House of the Dragon (HotD), then you already know that it has been a great success! The debut was so popular that HotD produced the largest audience of any new original series in HBO history with more than 20 million viewers.
From the very start, the GoT series hooked many fans with its storyline of political corruption around who was the true heir of the Seven Kingdoms, to numerous violent murder scenes, and the rise of Daenerys Targaryen. For many, Game of Thrones was regarded as one of the most realistic fantasy stories ever produced.
Such was the success that the show revamped interest in the fantasy and historic genre, with Netflix looking to replicate the show’s success through such series as The Last Kingdom. This impact was particularly felt in the gaming industry through the success of The Witcher (also adapted by Netflix). The GoT influence could also be seen in mobile gaming. The range of Slingo titles hosted on Gala Bingo includes Slingo Fire and Ice, which is very loosely based on Game of Thrones, drawing not only from the title of the books, but also the show’s imagery and music. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is another action role-playing game comparable to GoT that has proven to be a huge hit, demonstrating the strength of the fantasy genre.
If you are a GoT (and HotD) fan and are looking for some films to fill the gap while you wait for the next episode below are a few you should check out.
1. Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001–2003)
Arguably all fantasy owes a huge debt to J.R.R. Tolkien, and George R.R. Martin has publicly stated that he reads Lord of the Rings every few years. The film trilogy had a massive impact on the fantasy genre as it showed that high fantasy could be taken seriously. While much softer in tone than GoT, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy remains the benchmark of all fantasy films and series and is a must-see for fans of the genre. It also has some of the best fantasy battle series ever committed to screen.
2. Kingdom Of Heaven (2005)
The film Kingdom of Heaven is an epic about love, royalty, knights, and war – just like Game of Thrones. In fact, the historic period covered by the film is set around the same period of history that Martin based GoT on. While the theatrical version of the film got mixed reviews, the extended cut is seen as an unappreciated masterpiece. Like GoT, the Medieval visuals and realism allow viewers to get a good idea of what it would be like to live in such a world.
3. The Princess Bride (1987)
A fan favorite of the fantasy genre is the movie The Princess Bride. Adapted by Willian Goldman from his own novel, it is the tale of a handsome young farm boy named Wesley, who falls in love and is separated from his one true love, the beautiful Buttercup. Just like in Game of Thrones, there is magic, giants, love, lies, treachery, and romance. Like Lord of the Rings it is a much softer take on fantasy, but one that has some of the genre’s most iconic scenes – such as the game of poison.
Game of Thrones is a classic series that will be difficult to ever top on TV. Yet on the silver screen, there have been films that are equal to the show and you should seek them out if you are a fan of GoT.
