Written by Kianna Best on Aug 24, 2022. Posted in Production News

Viral TikTok documents the impact of House of the Dragon premiere

Following the premiere of the House of the Dragon on 21 August 2022, a viral TikTok captured a New York apartment full of dedicated fans. The series is a prequel to the award-winning Game of Thrones HBO series that arrived on screens in 2011. 10 million US viewers tuned in to return to the mythical landscapes of Westeros.

Three years after the success of its predecessor Game of Thrones, which saw series finale viewership at 19.3 million across the US in May 2019, its long-awaited prequel has shown a promising start. With a reported captivated audience of 10 million US viewers, the HBO series has beaten out the Game of Thrones 2011 premiere figures of 2.2 million US viewers.

Whilst staggering figures give an impressive edge to the series performance, videos such as Brett Hanfling's viral TikTok capture the real time impact directly on the eager audiences. Stood outside of a New York apartment building, the TikTok user caught the synchronised television screens lighting up as individuals tuned into the climactic battle scenes and became more familiar with the origins of their beloved franchise.

TikTok has consistently offered its platform as a hub for new discoveries and shared interests. A channel for global communication during the height of the pandemic, and a continued source of imaginative and personal content creation, the short-form content platform highlights audience responses to film, television, and other forms of popular media, through a more relatable lens.

On 21 August 2022, audiences were transported back to the familiar filmed landscapes, as well as given the opportunity to discover new territories. With the show’s base at Leavesdon Studios, the majority of filming took place across the open fields of England, including Cornwall’s St Michael’s Mount and Holywell beach. The previously used landscapes of Spain were also, including Caceres, which was used for season 7 of Game of Thrones, and the newly added La Calahorra, Spain’s southern municipality. Portugal also leant its spectacular settings for filming, including the hilltop of the Monsanto village and the Penha Garcia castle.

Images courtesy of Warner Media