'House of the Dragon' Ratings Boost as 'Rings of Power' Nears

HBO drama series "House of the Dragon" drew roughly 10 million viewers in its debut, a firm marker in the so-called "streaming wars" ahead of the release of another fantasy epic, Amazon Prime's "Lord of the Rings" prequel HOLLIE ADAMS AFP/File
HBO drama series "House of the Dragon" drew roughly 10 million viewers in its debut, a firm marker in the so-called "streaming wars" ahead of the release of another fantasy epic, Amazon Prime's "Lord of the Rings" prequel HOLLIE ADAMS AFP/File
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'House of the Dragon' Ratings Boost as 'Rings of Power' Nears

HBO drama series "House of the Dragon" drew roughly 10 million viewers in its debut, a firm marker in the so-called "streaming wars" ahead of the release of another fantasy epic, Amazon Prime's "Lord of the Rings" prequel HOLLIE ADAMS AFP/File
HBO drama series "House of the Dragon" drew roughly 10 million viewers in its debut, a firm marker in the so-called "streaming wars" ahead of the release of another fantasy epic, Amazon Prime's "Lord of the Rings" prequel HOLLIE ADAMS AFP/File

As "House of the Dragon" debuted to nearly 10 million US viewers this weekend, HBO appears to have claimed first blood in its much-hyped TV fantasy epic showdown with Amazon's upcoming "Lord of the Rings" prequel.

Set in the same Medieval-inspired Westeros world as smash hit "Game of Thrones," "House of the Dragon," which launched Sunday, is a crucially important series for the premium cable network and its streaming platform HBO Max, AFP said.

HBO is banking on its prequel matching the wild popularity of the original "Thrones," which over eight seasons became appointment viewing, spawned countless imitations and delivered 59 Emmys -- a record for a drama at television's equivalent of the Oscars.

A press release on Monday hailed 9.986 million viewers as "the largest audience for any new original series in the history of HBO" -- although some analysts noted that "new original" might be pushing a definition for a spin-off, and that its parent title drew a whopping 17.4 million to the debut of its final season.

Still, the figure represents a success for newly merged Warner Bros Discovery, which is under intense scrutiny as it tries to navigate its place in a rapidly changing entertainment landscape dominated by the so-called "streaming wars."

On September 2, fierce competition will arrive in the form of "The Rings of Power," another swords-and-dragons-themed epic of the small screen, this time taking place in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, and created by retail giant Amazon's own streaming platform Prime Video.

Said to be a passion project for Amazon's uber-wealthy founder Jeff Bezos, "The Rings of Power" has been commissioned for five seasons, and has been dubbed the most expensive show ever made.

Its overall budget of around $1 billion dwarfs the $150 million spent so far on "House of the Dragon," though HBO has several other glossy Westeros-set prequels, sequels and spin-offs in the works.

'Great fantasy'
Creatives and executives on each side have been careful to play down talk of a rivalry.

And in reality, comparisons between the shows may be harder to draw than in TV ratings battles of the past.

HBO's return to Westeros, and its predecessor show's addictive blend of scheming dynasties, gory violence and arguably gratuitous sex, has drawn generally warm praise from critics, though reviews for Amazon's show remain under strict embargo.

While HBO has been happy to celebrate its strong early ratings figures, Amazon is under no obligation to publish viewing statistics.

Indeed, many in the more "traditional" side of Hollywood have noted that Prime Video -- which produces both television and film -- may not be especially interested in the same metrics as its apparent rivals.

Earlier this year, the head of the movie theater industry's trade body told AFP his group was "very concerned" about Amazon Prime, noting that the subscription service's business model was not "trying to make money" off its movies and shows, but instead getting consumers to "buy their groceries and use their shipping services."

Still, fantasy fans including George R.R. Martin -- author of the books on which both "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon" are based on -- have expressed hope that both can be a success.

"I want both shows to find an appreciative audience, and give them great television. Great fantasy," Martin wrote in a recent blog post.

"The more fantasy hits we have, the more great fantasy we are likely to get."



Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio Join Martial Arts Forces in 'Karate Kid: Legends' 

Jackie Chan speaks onstage during the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards, in Santa Monica, California, US, February 7, 2025. (Reuters) 
Jackie Chan speaks onstage during the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards, in Santa Monica, California, US, February 7, 2025. (Reuters) 
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Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio Join Martial Arts Forces in 'Karate Kid: Legends' 

Jackie Chan speaks onstage during the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards, in Santa Monica, California, US, February 7, 2025. (Reuters) 
Jackie Chan speaks onstage during the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards, in Santa Monica, California, US, February 7, 2025. (Reuters) 

Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio blend fighting techniques to train a new karate kid in the latest instalment of the martial arts movie franchise.

"Karate Kid: Legends", released this week, stars Ben Wang as Beijing kung fu whizz Li Fong who moves with his mother to New York, where he befriends pizza restaurant owner and retired boxer Victor and his daughter Mia.

When that friendship irks a local karate champion, Li enters a karate tournament and begins training with his old kung fu teacher Mr. Han, played by Chan, and Macchio's Daniel LaRusso, the protagonist of the original 1984 film "The Karate Kid" who learned karate from mentor Mr. Miyagi.

"They presented the concept to me ... connecting the Miyagi to the Han family and how that made sense ... I was like 'That's kind of clever. Okay, so how do we maintain this connective tissue into Li Fong's story that is organic and truthful'," Macchio told Reuters in a joint interview with Chan and Wang.

"That was the challenge at first and figuring that out. Working with Jackie was like, 'Woohoo sign me up - when, where?' And then who's the kid? If we don't love this kid, then you have no movie. So all those, like it happens with 'The Karate Kid' universe, is magic dust that comes down and somehow it continues to resonate. So I'm excited for the next generation version."

The movie is Macchio's fourth "Karate Kid" film playing LaRusso, a character he also portrayed in the "Cobra Kai" television series.

Chan reprises the role of Mr. Han, a character he first played in the 2010 film "The Karate Kid" opposite Jaden Smith.

"Now we've both become a Miyagi," Chan said, referring to both his and Macchio's characters becoming mentors.

"I remember when I saw the first one. Why him (Macchio)? Why not me? ... I want to be 'The Karate Kid'. (Now) We work together."

Wang, 25, said Chan's 2010 film introduced him to the franchise.

"Stepping into it, it's a terrifying thing in a certain way because it's a beloved franchise and ... the fans love it so much, so I want to do right by them," he said. "But it's also a great honor because a lot of people auditioned for this part, so I know how special and lucky it is that I get to do this with the two of them."