House of the Dragon has proven to be a worthy spin-off of Game of Thrones, with plenty of gnarly battles, political drama, shocking gore and questionable family relations.
The first season concluded with Rhaenyra Targaryen ready to raise hell on the Hightowers and their armies. But what comes next? We’ve rounded up everything we know about when House of the Dragon is returning, which cast members should be back and a few plot details to get you prepared.
For fans of the fantasy genre, we also have a similar roundup for season 3 of The Witcher on Netflix. Alternatively, here’s all the information you need if you want to re-watch Game of Thrones in its entirety.
Spoilers for season 1 of House of the Dragon below.
House of the Dragon release date speculation
House of the Dragon is set to begin filming for season 2 early next year, with no official release date as of yet. However, HBO Max boss Casey Bloys told Vulture that a 2024 release date seems likely.
When HBO provides more information, we will update this article.
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How many episodes will House of the Dragon season 2 have?
George RR Martin confirmed in his blog that the next season will have “10 hours” every season to tell the story, implying that season two should have 10 episodes, like the first season.
House of the Dragon season 2 cast and crew: Who could return?
Whilst the official cast list for season 2 hasn’t been confirmed, we expect to see the following characters back:
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
- Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower
- Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
- Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
- Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole
- Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon
- Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon Targaryen
- Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
- Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen
- Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen
- Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen
- Matthew Needham as Larys Strong
- Jefferson Hall as Jason Lannister and Tyland Lannister
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
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It is unlikely that we will see Viserys I (played Paddy Considine) again, after the King met his demise towards the end of the first season – the same goes for Lucerys Velaryon (played by Elliot Grihault).
There have been some new characters announced for next season. Simon Russell Beale will play Ser Simon Strong, the great uncle to Larys Strong. Freddie Fox has been cast as Ser Gwayne Hightower, brother of Queen Alicent Hightower.
Gayle Rankin will play Alys Rivers, a healer based in Harrenhal who is also suspected to be Ser Lyonel Strong’s daughter. Finally, Abubakar Salim will play Alyn of Hull, a Velaryon sailor. In the books, he is rumoured to be the bastard of The Seasnake.
Miguel Sapochnik, the showrunner from season one, has stepped away from House of the Dragon. Taking over will be Ryan Condal, the co-runner for the first season, and Alan Taylor, who directed some episodes during the first two seasons of Game of Thrones.
It is expected that the creator of the book series – George RR Martin – will return as an executive producer.
What is the plot of House of the Dragon season 2?
The second season will pick up when the Targaryen civil war kicks off, also known as the Dance of the Dragons. Westeros will be split on the two claims to the throne: one from King Aegon II Targaryen, who took the throne after his mother Alicent mistakenly heard her late husband say that he wanted his son to become heir.
The second is from Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen – the original choice of Viserys as his first-born daughter. She believes that the Hightowers stole the throne whilst she was away at Dragonstone, and as such claims that Aegon’s coronation is considered treachery.
At first, it seemed like Rhaenyra was willing to find a peaceful resolution to this conflict. However, all of that will change following the gruesome death of her son, Lucerys Velaryon, who was eaten by Prince Aemond’s dragon, Vhagar.
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It may have been a mistake, but considering the bad blood between the two boys, it won’t appear that way to others. Rhaenyra is almost certain to enact her revenge on Alicent and her family – and if it is true to the books, it will be truly brutal.
Executive producer Sara Hess told The Hollywood Reporter that the next season will also delve into the toxic dynamic between Rhaenyra and her husband (and don’t forget, uncle) Daemon.
In addition, whilst the show will ultimately still centre around the stories of Alicent and Rhaenyra, it will expand into more of an ensemble show, according to EW.
As for the young King, Aegon Targaryen II, actor Tom Glynn-Carney claims that his character will “cause havoc” in season two.
Will there be more than two seasons of House of the Dragon?
Almost certainly. Variety revealed that George RR Martin has signed a five-year deal to create content with HBO and HBO Max, so this could imply that House of the Dragon will run for at least that amount of time.
Whilst the series has only been renewed for a second season, it was one of the biggest HBO series, so we would be surprised if it were cancelled.
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How can I watch House of the Dragon?
In the US, you can watch House of the Dragon on HBO if its included in your cable package. Alternatively, you can stream it on Max – accounts start from £9.99 per month for ad-supported viewing.
As with Game of Thrones, UK viewers will get access via Sky Atlantic for Sky TV customers, and on the flexible streaming service now Now – which has packages starting from £9.99 per month for its Entertainment Membership.
If for some reason you can’t access either of these channels, here’s how to watch HBO outside of the US.
Author: Hannah Cowton, Senior Staff Writer
Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She's also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.