House of the Dragon Season 2: Everything We Know So Far

After the utter disappointment that was Game of Thrones Season 8, it's surprising viewers warmed so quickly to House of the Dragon, the series' first spinoff.

With House of the Dragon Season 1 delivering bumper ratings and giving us some of the best Game of Thrones content, all eyes are on the second season.

But what do we know about House of the Dragon Season 2?

House of the Dragon Season 2 Renewal Status

HBO officially renewed House of the Dragon shortly after the series premiered in August 2022, citing strong TV ratings.

"We are beyond proud of what the entire HOUSE OF THE DRAGON team has accomplished with season one," said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming.

"Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see-TV.

A huge thank you to George, Ryan, and Miguel for leading us on this journey. We couldn't be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season two."

So, there we have it. House of the Dragon Season 2 is official.

House of the Dragon Season 2: How Many Episodes Have Been Ordered?

When the season got a pickup, it was set to span ten episodes, in line with House of the Dragon Season 1.

However, news broke months later that the episode order had been cut to just eight episodes.

At the time, a reason wasn't given for the decision, but Orsi later told Deadline that it was driven by the middle of the season "treading water."

"There was some question about the narrative shape of Season 2," Orsi told the outlet.

"We were developing it with Ryan Condal and [EP] Sara Hess, and we realized that we were sort of treading water narratively in the middle of the season," Orsi said.

"So it just felt much more rigorous, more urgent emotional arc for our characters if we compressed the season," she added, revealing that the resolution of the season was changed in the process, as well as the starting point for House of the Dragon Season 3.

We must stress, though, that the series hasn't been officially picked up for Season 3, but things are moving in the right direction.

The show could lose a lot of ground in the ratings in Season 2 and still be considered a lock for renewal. It's that big.

House of the Dragon: Will it End After Season 2?

Since the series was announced, there's been a big debate about when the source material would run out.

In the aforementioned interview with Deadline, Orsi seemed to believe that the show would likely end after three or four seasons.

"It hasn't been finalized yet; it's still under discussion," Orsi said about the length of the series.

"George and Ryan are going to meet after the writers strike.

They had originally planned to meet before the strike took place, and that was to figure out at what point the series itself was going to end. Is it four seasons?

I don't think, from where I sit at this point will be any less than four. But it could be more. We'll see."

House of the Dragon Season 2 Cast: Who's In?

The confirmed names for House of the Dragon Season 2 so far include:

- Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen

- Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen

- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower

- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower

- Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen

- Steve Touissant as Corlys Velaryon

- Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole

- Matthew Needham as Larys Strong

There is a chance that Milly Alcock and Emily Carey could return as young Rhaenyra and Alicent, respectively.

It will all come down to whether the creatives see the value in going back to the past with the story.

With a sprawling series like this, there are many new cast members joining the new season.

New members include Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, and Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome.

Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne are also joining the cast.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Plot: What's About to Go Down?

House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 10 concluded with the war between Rhaenyra and Alicent in full swing after Vhagar devoured Lucerys and Arrax.

The final scene of the finale found Rhaenyra hearing the news of her son's demise, setting the stage for the mother of all wars on House of the Dragon Season 2.

The most exciting aspect of the series is that it gives us a different perspective on the source material, so we're sure there will be many big swings in the storytelling department.

We spent 10 episodes learning the finer details of what pushes these two sides to war, and we expect the second season to be filled with drama as the fight gets well and truly underway.

House of the Dragon Season 2: Has Filming Started?

While many shows are in flux right now due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, House of the Dragon completed production on its second season in September 2023.

The news means that the show has managed to complete production without hiccups.

House of the Dragon: When Does Season 2 Premiere?

HBO's plan for House of the Dragon is to premiere in June 2024.

Of course, they decided against revealing an exact date, but it's a good place to hang our hats for now.

As soon as we have more information, we'll drop it right here.

No expense was spared in bringing House of the Dragon Season 1 to life, and it should be a similar case for the second season.

HBO wants to get this right, so all we can do is await word on a premiere date.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Posters Tease the War Between the Greens and the Blacks

HBO released the first two posters for House of the Dragon Season 2, and they tease the war to come.

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In the first, we see Alicent, seemingly looking at Rhaenyra, accompanied by the tagline "Blood for Blood."

With the war getting underway after House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 10, Rhaenyra will be out for blood, which will likely send the Greens into a tailspin.

In the second photo, we have Rhaenyra with the following tagline:

Fire to Fire.

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Given that Rhaenyra has some dragons at her disposal and Targaryen blood coarsing through her veins, she's ready for war, whether Alicent is ready or not.

They look like great photos, right?!

House of the Dragon: Is There a Season 2 Trailer?

The teaser trailer below was released a while ago.

But now we have not one, but two full trailers for House of the Dragon Season 2.

If the dueling posters didn't make it clear, the trailers go a step further, proving the case for both the Greens and the Blacks and why victory should be theirs.

Ladies first!

Here's a look at what we can expect as the Black Council fights for Queen Rhaenerys.