The wait is almost over for HBO's House of the Dragon, and co-showrunner Ryan Condal wants to make sure everything is perfect for the big premiere. Game of Thrones was known for having a few cameos throughout its eight-season run, including NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Tolkien's grandson Royd Tolkien, and famous singer Ed Sheeran all appearing in the series. However, perhaps the most infamous cameo is the Starbucks cup which was accidentally featured in the fourth episode of the final season of the HBO show.
It's only for a few seconds, but a Starbucks drink is clearly seen next to Emilia Clarke in the frame as big celebrations and feasts ensue after the battle with the White Walkers. Millions of fans watched Game of Thrones, and many viewers began pointing out the production mistake. House of the Dragon wants to avoid a similar problem, and Ryan Condal said they meticulously kept the set clear of Starbucks and other non-Thrones-related products. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Condal says they maintained 'a very heavily policed set — there was lots of Starbucks-hunting going on.'
He defended the Game of Thrones error, saying mistakes like that happen all the time, however, they're only noticed when it's a massive production like the HBO show was. He says, 'that stuff happens all the time. It just happened to be a very - I mean, it just goes to show how many people watched that series.'
Miguel Sapochnik Joked About Starbucks Being All Over The House of the Dragon Set
Miguel Sapochnik, the second co-showrunner for House of the Dragon, took a different angle on the Starbucks conundrum, jokingly saying he left cups all over the set.
"You know what, we tried to leave them everywhere we could, so that later on we could paint them out digitally. So, what I'd like people to look for is see if you can see where the Starbucks cups were that we removed digitally after the fact, and then if you can find one, there is a prize.
Audiences expect a grand entrance when House of the Dragon premieres later this month, and HBO has spared no expense in creating a prequel worthy of being in the same family as Game of Thrones. However, don't expect to see everyday items sneaking into the frame with the upcoming series. House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Aug. 21.