House of the Dragon Season 2: Inside Scoop on Its Release Date & Exciting Updates!
Prepare for a scorching sequel as House of the Dragon Season 2 continues to ignite our screens Discover the latest updates, release date predictions, returning cast members, captivating story details, and an enticing trailer to fuel your anticipation
Warning: Spoilers for George R.R. Martin's book, Fire & Blood! Production for season 2 of House of the Dragon is well underway, but there are concerns about the ongoing SAF-AFTRA strike and its potential impact on the release date. Coming three years after the controversial conclusion of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon has been a successful return to the world of Westeros. It has received positive reviews from both critics and audiences, and has been a ratings hit for HBO. While season 1 addressed any doubts, the focus now lies on what lies ahead for House of the Dragon in season 2 and beyond.
Season 2 of House of the Dragon is expected to take things to the next level, building on the dramatic events of the season 1 finale. With the coronation of both Aegon and Rhaenyra, and the tragic death of Lucerys at the hands of Aemond, civil war looms on the horizon, promising even greater conflicts and bloodshed. This Game of Thrones spinoff has been designed for the long run and is expected to continue for several years. Here is a breakdown of what is currently known about House of the Dragon season 2.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Latest News
House of the Dragon season 2 will proceed despite the Hollywood strikes, as clarified by the latest news. While numerous productions will be halted, House of the Dragon will continue filming during the Screen Actors Guild strike. Unlike most productions in Hollywood, the cast of House of the Dragon consists mainly of UK actors who belong to a different union called Equity.
This distinction sets the House of the Dragon actors apart from SAG actors, who are bound by their union to participate in the strike. Additionally, Equity actors will not have the same legal protection as SAG actors during the strike. If the House of the Dragon actors were to join the strike, they could potentially face termination or legal action for violating their contracts. Therefore, it appears that the House of the Dragon actors will carry on with filming the second season, avoiding the delays caused by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike experienced by many other shows.
Why House Of The Dragon Season 2 Hasn't Been Delayed By The Hollywood Strikes
Despite the ongoing WGA strike and the subsequent SAG-AFTRA strike, House of the Dragon Season 2 will proceed with its production schedule. The scripts for the season had already been completed prior to the announcement of the strikes, allowing the show to continue filming. However, due to the strike, there will be no room for additional writing during the filming process, which is typically common for large-scale productions like House of the Dragon. The strike, initiated by the Writers' Guild of America on May 2, 2023, is a result of failed negotiations regarding fair wages for writers. Notably, other popular shows such as Stranger Things Season 5 and the MCU's Blade film have experienced delays due to the strike. Nevertheless, House of the Dragon Season 2, along with its fantasy rival The Rings of Power, will press on with production even without the presence of writers on set.
While the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike continues to disrupt productions currently in progress, House of the Dragon season 2 will once again manage to avoid any delays. Unlike the actors affected by the strike who are affiliated with the Screen Actors Guild, the majority of the cast for House of the Dragon season 2 consists of actors from the United Kingdom who are members of the Equity union. Consequently, due to the varying regulations between the two unions, the Equity actors do not possess legal protection against potential repercussions if they were to participate in the Sag strike. This means that the cast of House of the Dragon would potentially face termination if they choose to go on strike.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Is Confirmed
HBO wasted no time in renewing House of the Dragon for a second season, following the impressive viewing numbers of its premiere season. Despite the negative reception towards Game of Thrones season 8, House of the Dragon managed to win over audiences. Author George R.R. Martin has expressed that the story of House of the Dragon will span across four seasons, and it is highly likely that his wish will be granted.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Release Date Prediction
Despite fans receiving fewer episodes, House of the Dragon will have a shorter episode count with only eight episodes, compared to the previous season's ten-episode run (via TV Line). The decision to reduce the episode count is believed to be driven by creative factors rather than financial ones, which is a promising indication. However, in addition to this update, there are reports suggesting that these discussions about the episode count are also linked to early talks of House of the Dragon's third season and the potential conclusion of the series either after that or in its fourth season.
Filming for the highly anticipated second season of House of the Dragon is set to commence no later than Spring 2023. According to a report by Spanish newspaper Hoy (via Watchers on the Wall), production will return to Cáceres, which served as the iconic King's Landing in the first season, around April and May. However, there are chances that filming could start earlier, as the UK's Leavesden Studios were utilized extensively during the production of the inaugural season. Actor Steve Touissant, known for his character Corlys Velaryon, hinted on Twitter that production would be commencing in the near future.
As well as filming, there will be an extensive post-production period, especially since season 2 of House of the Dragon is expected to feature larger-scale battles and more dragons. Filming for season 1 of House of the Dragon concluded in February 2022, six months before its eventual release, despite facing interruptions due to Covid-related shutdowns. As for the release of House of the Dragon season 2, which is anticipated to be around April 2024, it is a reasonable assumption as this slot has traditionally been occupied by Game of Thrones. However, HBO has indicated that the release window for House of the Dragon season 2 will most likely be in the summer of 2024.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Cast: Who Will Return?
The majority of the actors from season 1 are expected to make a return for The House of the Dragon season 2. With the inclusion of several time jumps, the adult cast of House of the Dragon seems to be finalized, indicating that all surviving characters are likely to be reprised. Consequently, the show will once again be spearheaded by Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, with an added emphasis on their offspring. Drawing from the events of season 1, the core ensemble for season 2 will be as follows:
Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower
Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole
Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen
Steve Toussain as Corlys Velaryon
Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen
Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen
Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon
Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen
Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen
Graham McTavish as Harrold Westerling
Matthew Needham as Larys Strong
In House of the Dragon season 2, viewers can expect the introduction of various new characters. One of them is Cregan Stark, the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, who will meet Jace at Winterfell. Jace will also encounter Jeyne Arryn, the Lady of the Eyrie and Warden of the East. Additionally, the discussions about dragons will lead to the emergence of new dragonriders in House of the Dragon season 2, including Hugh Hammer, who claims Vermithor and is a blacksmith's bastard, Ulf White, a man-at-arms who claims Silverwing, and Nettles, a young bastard girl who tames the wild dragon Sheepstealer and becomes a close companion of Daemon.
Four new cast members have recently been announced for House of the Dragon season 2. Gayle Rankin (Men) will take on the important role of Alys Rivers, a powerful witch from Harrenhal who experiences visions of the future and becomes a valuable ally to the Greens. Ser Gwayne Hightower, played by Freddie Fox (The Crown), will also support the Greens as Alicent's brother and a member of the City Watch. Simon Russell Beale (Into The Woods) will portray Ser Simon Strong, indicating that Harrenhal will become a highly contested stronghold. Lastly, Abubakar Salim (Jamestown) will join the Blacks as Alyn of Hull, a sailor in the Velaryon fleet.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Story Details
House of the Dragon took a rather uncommon step by recasting some key characters during the first season, primarily due to a time jump in the storyline. Emily Carey and Milly Alcock held significant roles as the younger versions of Allicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen, respectively. However, the roles were later taken over by Olivia Cooke and Emma D'Arcy. Unfortunately, Alcock confirmed that both she and Carey won't be returning for the second season of House of the Dragon since there won't be any flashbacks featuring Rhaenyra and Allicent.
Season 2 of The House of the Dragon will seamlessly pick up where season 1 concluded, focusing on the captivating Dance of the Dragons. As Aegon and Rhaenyra proclaim themselves as the King and Queen correspondingly, the intense battle for the Iron Throne intensifies, particularly following Aemond's controversial actions at Storm's End. While it remains uncertain how much of Fire & Blood will be incorporated into season 2, the book provides valuable insight into significant events that may unfold in the forthcoming episodes. The recently released set photos from House of the Dragon season 2 hint at further thrilling dragon encounters, jaw-dropping betrayals, and impactful character deaths.
In the story, there are multiple tragic deaths and injuries, as well as a conflict between twins. The event known as "Blood and Cheese" could be the reason why Rhaenyra Targaryen earned the nickname Rhaenyra the Cruel. Additionally, in season 2, the Dragonseeds story could be adapted, where non-Targaryens become dragon riders. Rhaenyra goes through significant changes due to heartbreak. In House of the Dragon season 2, there will be a broader exploration beyond King's Landing and Dragonstone, including Jacaerys heading to the Vale of Arryn and Winterfell. The season will also feature five new dragons. Showrunner Ryan Condal hinted at the possibility of the Blood and Cheese events, referencing his study of historical rat traps. While no casting has been announced for the two assassins, Condal's comments suggest their importance. Furthermore, the storytelling in House of the Dragon season 2 will resemble that of Game of Thrones, with season 1 serving as a setup and exposition of the Targaryen Civil War. Major time jumps or recasts are not expected going forward.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Trailer
Additionally, there are indications that the upcoming second season of House of the Dragon will showcase a crucial clash in the Dance of the Dragons known as the Battle of Rook's Rest. This particular confrontation stands as one of the initial noteworthy engagements where the opposing armies will directly confront each other. With the inclusion of intense dragon-on-dragon confrontations, it is expected that this battle will serve as the major action sequence of HotD season 2, resulting in significant casualties on both sides.
As the production for House of the Dragon season 2 is set to begin in the spring of 2023, there is currently no content available, including teasers, trailers, BTS images, or promotional materials. In comparison, House of the Dragon season 1 premiered in August 2022, with the first teaser being released in October 2021. If the anticipated release date for season 2 in summer 2024 remains unchanged, there is a possibility that the trailer release schedule will mirror that of the previous season. Despite filming commencing in March 2023 (via Digital Spy), there should still be sufficient time for a fall trailer release, even if it only consists of a House of the Dragon season 2 teaser.
