The finale episode of ‘House of the Dragon’ leaked online on Friday, two days ahead of its scheduled release on Sunday. HBO, the production house, blamed the distribution partners in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
HBO spokesperson said to The Hollywood Reporter, “It appears to have originated from a distribution partner in the EMEA region, HBO is aggressively monitoring and pulling these copies from the internet.”
“We’re disappointed that this unlawful action has disrupted the viewing experience for loyal fans of the show, who will get to see a pristine version of the episode when it premieres Sunday on HBO and HBO Max, where it will stream exclusively in 4K.” he continued.
Focused on House Targaryen, HBO heavily marketed House of the Dragon as the prequel to Game of Thrones. HBO launched Its first season with 10 episodes on 21 August 2022. It starts Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen, Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Queen Alicent Hightower, Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys ‘The Sea Snake’ Velaryon and Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.
In 2017, an episode of the seventh season of Game of Thrones also leaked on illegal torrent sites ahead of its scheduled release date. HBO held third-party accountable.
“The first half of the season is, by its nature, scene-setting,” Sara Hess, executive producer of House of the Dragon said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “There is some really good stuff in there, but it is a windup. When we finally arrive in episode eight, that’s when we finally have the whole cast together for the first time.” The statement was given over why fans are loving the series.
