House Of The Dragon Season 2 – Release Window, Cast, And More Info

After the catastrophic fan reaction to the final season of HBO's hit series "Game of Thrones," the spin-off prequel "House of the Dragon" didn't exactly seem like a sure thing. But somehow, through the magic of great casting, a stellar story, and a whole bunch of dragons, the folks at HBO managed to get people obsessed with the world of Westeros once more, making "House of the Dragon" a bonafide hit. 

"House of the Dragon" follows the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war between factions of the ruling Targaryen family that divides not just the clan but threatens to throw the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms into a bitter and bloody war. The two factions, the Blacks and the Greens, each follow the person that they believe should have succeeded King Viserys I to the throne. The Blacks are led by his daughter with his first wife, the indomitable Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), while the Greens stand behind his son Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), whose mother is the fierce Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). The first season of the series set up all of the political intrigue behind the Iron Throne and introduced fans to a fascinating and complicated cast of characters, but season 2 is where things should get really interesting. So when is season 2 coming, and what should fans expect? Read on, faithful dragon fans. 

Things have been pretty chaotic in the movie and TV world as a result of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but "House of the Dragon" filming was unaffected, as scripts were finished before the strike began and the actors are under the UK-based Equity, not SAG-AFTRA. HBO network chief Casey Bloys told press (via Variety) that "House of the Dragon" season 2 will premiere in "early summer" 2024. The series will debut on HBO, just as season 1 did, and will likely be available to stream on Max at the same time. On March 4, 2024, it was confirmed by Variety that the second season will release sometime in June.

"House of the Dragon" is based on George R. R. Martin's "Fire and Blood," which is written more like a historical text than a standard fiction novel. It's both rather dense and lacking in certain details, so determining exactly what HBO will take from the book to adapt is anyone's best guess, but what's for certain is that season 2 will take us firmly into the Dance of the Dragons. Rhaenyra and her husband-uncle Daemon (Matt Smith) will face off against Alicent's sons Aegon II and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), though there are plenty of other Targaryens on both sides who will bring their dragons to the deadly dance. If you thought there weren't quite enough dragons in "House of the Dragon" season 1, season 2 will deliver on what you've been missing. 

Season 1 ended with the tragic death of Rhaenyra's son Lucerys, murdered by his cousin on dragonback, and season 2 will likely start with the immediate aftermath of that death and Rhaenyra's subsequent rage. There's a whole lot that happens during the actual Dance of the Dragons and "House of the Dragon" season 2 will only have eight episodes (per Deadline), so fans shouldn't expect a resolution to the Targaryen civil war this season. Showrunner Ryan Condal and author Martin have said that the series should be at least three or four seasons in order to tell the entire story.

Much of the central cast from season 1 of "House of the Dragon" will return for season 2, including Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Tom Glynn-Carney, and Ewan Mitchell, as well as Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower, Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Harry Collett as Jacaerys Targaryen, Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, Graham McTavish as Ser Harrold Westerling, and Matthew Needham as Larys Strong. 

Joining the cast are Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Castellan of the cursed Harrenhal and great-uncle to foot-fetishist spy Larys, Freddie Fox as Alicent's brother Ser Gwayne Hightower, Gayle Rankin as alleged witch Alys Rivers, and Abubakar Salim as Velaryon sailor Alyn of Hull.

Shockingly missing from cast announcements is the character of Nettles, a lowborn bastard with no ties to the Targaryen family who manages to tame a wild dragon as one of the dragonseeds (wannabe dragon riders). She's the only female dragonseed to claim a dragon, one of the only ones who doesn't look like a Targaryen, and she's a fiercely feminist character who makes "Fire and Blood" more than just a story about royal rivalries. Here's hoping they're just keeping Nettles' casting a secret.

It's assumed that much of the same crew that brought season 1 of "House of the Dragon" to life will return for season 2, but one major player will be absent. Season 1 co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik left his post at the end of season 1, though he has remained on board as an executive producer. His co-showrunner, Ryan Condal, remained on the show and was joined by "Game of Thrones" alum Alan Taylor, who directed at least some episodes in season 2 and has stepped into the co-showrunner role.