When is the House of the Dragon season 2 release date? Who would have thought it, ey? Game of Thrones is somehow back, and it’s actually really good. Set roughly two centuries before the War of the Five Kings and the coming of the Night King, the fantasy series takes us back to a Westeros ruled by the Targaryens.
During this time, the Targaryen family’s power is at its peak, and none of the great houses can challenge them. Yet the weak King Viserys plants the seed of his family’s doom when he names his daughter Rhaenyra Targaryen heir over his son Aegon II.
During the first season of the TV series, we saw how the royal family slowly turned against each other as two factions, the Greens and the Blacks, attempted to claim the Iron Throne for themselves. It all came to a head when Viserys died, and a civil war broke out, but what does the future hold for the fantasy series? Here’s everything you need to know about the House of the Dragons season 2 release date.
House of the Dragon season 2 release date speculation
The House of the Dragon season 2 release date is likely to be the summer 2024, based on a recent interview with HBO boss Casey Bloys. The exec told Variety that it’s a “good guess” that the show won’t be eligible for the 2024 Emmy season, which ends its window on May 31, 2023. So the release date will be after that deadline.
Bloys also made it clear that speed is not the main focus for the team, adding: “My philosophy is a good script is number one priority. I am not doing it based on wanting to have one a year, two a year. I want to do it based on the scripts that we’re excited about.”
Pre-production on the sophomore season has begun, though, and filming could start as soon as March 2023, according to a report in Digital Spy. It’s an incredibly tight turnaround on a show that requires a lot of post-production work. Those dragons don’t create themselves.
House of the Dragon season 2 cast speculation
The House of the Dragon cast members who survived season 1 will return in season 2. That includes Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, etc.
Check out the main House of the Dragon cast list below:
- Emma D’Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
- Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower
- Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen
- Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole
- Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
- Matthew Needham as Larys Strong
- Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen
- Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
- Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon
- Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen
Unfortunately, two actors who are unlikely to return are Paddy Considine and Elliot Grihault, who played the House of the Dragon characters King Viserys Targaryen and Prince Lucerys, respectively, as both died at the end of season 1. Game of Thrones has always been a bloodbath, and House of the Dragon season 1 was no different.
We also know plenty of new faces will be introduced, including the Starks, although there’s no casting news on who’ll be playing the lords of Winterfell just yet. There have also been reports that the TV series is casting the brutal mercenary duo Blood and Cheese. But what role will these characters play in the House of the Dragon season 2 plot?
House of the Dragon season 2 plot speculation
We know an awful lot about the House of the Dragon season 2 plot thanks to the book Fire and Blood that inspired the TV series. The show will likely pick up where the first season left off with Rhaenyra’s eldest son Jacaerys off trying to gather support for his mum from the Starks in The North.
From there, we’ll see the Targaryen civil war really heat up as the Blacks and Greens rampage across the Riverlands as they battle to claim the Iron Throne. Writer Sara Hess has confirmed that the second season will adapt the story of Blood and Cheese, two assassins who cause chaos in the Red Keep.
We’re unsure quite how many seasons House of the Dragon will have, so it’s difficult to predict where the series will end, but if we were asked to guess, we think season 2 will end with Rhaenyra capturing King’s Landing and forcing Aegon to flee the Red Keep.
Where can I watch House of the Dragon season 2?
You’ll be able to watch House of the Dragon season 2 on HBO Max in the US and NOW/Sky in the UK. For now, you can catch up on the show on those same streaming services.
If you love House of the Dragon, then check out our list of the best Game of Thrones characters or take a look at our guide to some of the series’ greatest dragons like Balerion the Black Dread, Syrax, Meraxes, Vhagar, Vermithor, Arrax, Caraxes, Seasmoke, and Meleys.
