To the Cast to the Release Date, Everything to Know About ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 2
Let the civil war commence—are you Team Green or Team Black?
Every Sunday night for 10 weeks in the fall of 2022, the world paused for an hour with the only movement happening in our living rooms on the television screen. When it was announced that a prequel to Game of Thrones was in the works following the fall of the House of Targaryen, it was met with a bit of hesitancy. Game of Thrones had become a cult favorite, and it was hard to see how any show could even come close to matching it.
From the first episode, House of the Dragon had captured the hearts of millions of watchers across the globe and gained a massive following within an exponentially short amount of time. The messy politics, massive dragons, blond wigs—what was there not to love? As the finale has officially aired, fans are already asking the only question that truly matters—will there be a season 2? Well, here’s what we know so far.
Is there a season 2?
The status for Season 2 is as certain as the satisfaction that will arise from the inevitable death of Ser Creston Cole. (In other words, yes, a second season is most definitely happening.) The plans for Season 2 are already underway. According to showrunner Ryan Condal, writing on Season 2 began before the show even premiered. "Because of the incredibly demanding production schedule of the show, facets of the show have to overlap with one another, which means that we were writing Season 2 long before they ever announced it, while we were in post in Season 1."
Shortly after the finale episode, executive producer and writer Sarah Hess confirmed in an interview with Variety that they are "currently writing the finale of Season 2."
When is the release date?
It was predicted that filming would not begin until the spring of 2023, meaning that the upcoming season would likely air no earlier than the beginning of 2024. Condal told Variety, "We really have to storm right into the making of Season 2 now in order to keep pace with our fans’ healthy appetites for material and HBO’s need and desire to release the show in a reasonable timeframe from season to season."
Once the actors' strike began, the show was able to continue production, and it was leaked that the first episode is rumored to be titled, "A Son For A Son."
We now have a release date per Variety that Season 2 will premiere in June 2024.
If Season 2 follows the same pattern as the first, then it should consist of 10 episodes that will drop weekly on Sundays. While such a wait sounds absolutely excruciating, we know that it will all be worth it in the end. Until then, it provides the perfect excuse to rewatch Game of Thrones to help fill some of the time.
Who’s in the cast?
Most of the cast from the first season will be returning back for Season 2. The most important are the main protagonists and antagonists which include Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans).
Of course, the children also play an extremely important role throughout the story—we’re looking at you, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell)—and will likely return for their roles as well. This includes Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia), and Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell).
What is the plot?
House of the Dragon Season 2 will likely pick up right after the ending moment from the finale. Rhaenyra had just received word that her son, Lucerys Velaryon, had died due to the actions of her half-brother, Aemond. Prior to this moment, we had seen Rhaenyra act with a calm and patient mind regarding how she wanted to retaliate on the usurping of her throne. However, hell hath no fury like a mother scorned. It’s one thing to take her crown, it’s another to kill her son. Many have referred to this moment as the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, a.k.a. the Targaryen Civil War.
If it wasn’t obvious from the villainous look in her eyes, if there was anything holding Rhaenyra back from her full force, then consider that obstacle removed. The battle lines have been drawn, and there will be hell to pay.
In the Variety interview, Hess also spoke of the team implementing the "Blood and Cheese" storyline within the second season. For a quick spoiler-free rundown of "Blood and Cheese", the plot follows two characters actually named Blood and Cheese that seek to kill Alicent at the command of Rhaneyra and Daemon to avenge the death of Lucerys.
Along the way, we can expect a lot more dragon fights, bloodshed, and the colors green and black drifting across the screen.
