Did House Of The Dragon Steal Its Best Scene From Another Film?
House of the Dragon borrowed many elements of a dragon fight sequence from How to Train Your Dragon.
For those who have not seen the House of the Dragon Season 1 finale, look away, as there will be heavy spoilers in the rest of this article. Now, for those who are fans of behind-the-scenes features, it was revealed that during the big dragon fight between Aemond’s Vhagar and Luke’s Arrax was inspired by How to Train Your Dragon. What is odd about the entire sequence, is that it looks a bit too identical to the hit animated feature, which you can see above.
Director of the House of the Dragon finale, Greg Yaitanes, did admit to watching How to Train Your Dragon to get inspiration for the big moment between Aemond and Luke. However, the similarities in the way that both scenes play out seem to indicate that Greg might have borrowed a bit more than just been inspired. However, though it might seem like theft, it could be a testament to how the animated feature was shot and be seen more as a compliment.
House of the Dragon features a ton of dragons, as its name suggests, though none have quite fought one another. That was until the wild season finale that saw Aemond attempt to finally get justice for Luke taking his eye when they were much younger. The issue is that Luke was sent to Storm’s End as a messenger, and in times of war, a messenger is not meant to be touched.
Aemond clearly does not have full control of Vhagar, who happens to be the biggest dragon in the realm, and subsequently makes a meal of both Luke and Arrax in the House of the Dragon finale. The implications of this death are now certainly going to plunge the realm into full-blown war. The sequence of Aemond and Luke evading one another was fantastically shot though, and it seems that How to Train Your Dragon was the direct inspiration for the entire sequence.
The finale of House of the Dragon ended with the cliffhanger that Luke is now dead, and Rhaenyra seemingly being told about this treachery. The sad part is that it is going to take another two years before the world finds out what is going to happen next, assuming that most of us have not yet read the books that detail the fall of House Targaryen. The next season is being billed for a 2024 release window.
Though House of the Dragon borrowed much of the same shots from How to Train Your Dragon, there aren’t that many visual mediums of dragons fighting to pull inspiration from. Greg Yaitanes was simply honoring Roger Deakins, who was the visual consultant for How to Train Your Dragon. Deakins is a world-renowned cinematographer who has worked on films like Blade Runner: 2049, 1917, and No Country for Old Men.
The House of the Dragon finale is now setting the stage for the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, which is going to bring in far more elements of dragons fighting. We are not sure how much of How to Train Your Dragon can be accessed, but the next season of the hit HBO series might feature brand-new sequences no one has ever seen before.
