House of the Dragon will have less sex than Game of Thrones, according to showrunners

‘Game of Thrones’ was criticised for its graphic depictions of sexual violence, including one notorious season five scene

House of the Dragon will “pull back” on the sex scenes compared to Game of Thrones.

The HBO hit series featured numerous sex scenes, as well as graphic depictions of sexual assault. Since its release, many fans have taken issue with the nature of these scenes.

Showrunners for the forthcoming prequel series House of the Dragon have said that the spin-off show will feature less sex than the original.

Michael Sapochnik – who directed several Game of Thrones episodes – will serve as a showrunner on the new series, which stars Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, and Olivia Cooke.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sapochnik said that House of the Dragon “pulls back” on the number of sex scenes.

He did, however, add that the series will not shy away from depicting the sexual violence of Targaryen life.

“If anything, we’re going to shine a light on that aspect,” Sapochnik. “You can’t ignore the violence that was perpetrated on women by men in that time. It shouldn’t be downplayed and it shouldn’t be glorified.”

He said that co-showrunner Ryan Condol and himself have “carefully” and “thoughtfully” approached the instances of sexual violence on the new series.

Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith in ‘House of the Dragon' (HBO)

During its time on air, Game of Thrones was criticised by many viewers for its “gratuitous” depictions of sexual assault. One scene in particular – in which Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) is raped by Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) – caused controversy.

Another aspect of Game of Thrones that the showrunners wanted to change for House of the Dragon was diversity in its casting.

“It was very important for Miguel and I to create a show that was not another bunch of white people on the screen,” Condal said.

The official full-length trailer for HBO’s House of the Dragon was recently released – and fans are thrilled.

House of the Dragon debuts on 21 August 2022. In the UK, the series will air on Sky Atlantic.

The new series will introduce a new dynasty into the TV universe: the ancient House Velaryon.