House of the Dragon season 2: Everything we know so far

With returning favorites, fresh faces, and a plot boiling with intrigue and so much drama, here is everything know about House of the Dragon season 2!

Breathe fire and saddle up, folks – House Targaryen will be returning to our screens with a second serving of intrigue, power plays, and fire and blood. House of the Dragon is gearing up for an epic yet shorter comeback after a fantastic first season.

Lucky for us, House of the Dragon managed to escape the grasp of the ongoing SAG-AFTA and WGA strikes, meaning its slot for a summer 2024 return is still looking mighty good.

So, while we wait for our favorite white-haired royalties and their family issues that put the Skywalkers to shame antics, here’s all we know about the second season of House of the Dragon and what you can expect when it returns.

The Targaryens and the Hightowers: A civil war is brewing

After a fantastic first season that roped fans in with its intrigue and unforgettable characters, House of the Dragon is all set to continue the gripping saga of House Targaryen, which is based on George R. R. Martin’s history book-like installment Fire and Blood.

Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, this prequel goes deep into the bloody, fiery, and absolutely unfair civil war that consumes Westeros as well as the Targaryens after the reign of King Viserys I. Co-creator Ryan Condal has previously affectionally called this war-filled story a “bloody feast,” and if the first season was just the setting of the feast table, get ready for season two serving up the hot main course.

Dragons and drama: A feast for fans

Fans of Alicent and Rhaenyra will be delighted to know that season 2 will go deeper into their story. According to backstage footage, “Rhaenyra the Cruel” is going to be a thing. It’s just a title, right? Right?

As we know, the Game of Thrones universe does have quite a few titles for different characters, and they could be a sign of both respect and disrespect. For us Fire and Blood readers, we are excited to see how the phenomenal actor Emma D’Arcy portrays Rhaenyra as she goes through some changes both mentally and physically.

Expect more twists, turns, and betrayals as these two powerhouses, the Targaryen and the Hightowers, continue their quest for power and survival of their own.

House of the Dragon season 2 cast

Praise the dragons – we are getting the original (surviving, of course) cast members back!

Olivia Cooke will be reprising her role as the enigmatic Alicent Hightower, Emma D’Arcy as the intense Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Matt Smith as the morally grey Prince Daemon Targaryen. The return of their beautiful and familiar faces guarantees that their fiery chemistry and captivating performances will continue to leave us amazed and immersed.

Here’s a breakdown of the new and returning characters we’re expecting to see in season 2:

• Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
• Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
• Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen
• Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
• Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
• Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon
• Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole
• Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers
• Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong
• Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower
• Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull
• Sam C. Wilson as Blood (Rumored)

Will there be new characters in House of the Dragon season 2?

Indeed, we are getting new characters to get obsessed with!

Simon Russell Beale will be blessing the series as Ser Simon Strong, Freddie Fox will be playing Ser Gwayne Hightower, Gayle Rankin is entering the realm as the mysterious and mystical Alys Rivers, and Abubakar Salim portraying Alyn of Hull are just a few of the fresh faces joining the series in the second season. I know, your next question is “Will they be making it OUT of the second season?” and my answer is: patience, grasshopper.

While the spotlight has primarily been on the Targaryens, the Starks should also be making an appearance. Cregan Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, should be introduced in season 2 as he does have a role to play in this story, especially around the events we’ve witnessed towards the end of the first season. I say should because there has been no official casting announcement for Cregan Stark, and as antsy as I am awaiting such news, I have faith we’ll hear something sooner or later.

How many episodes will House of the Dragon season 2 have?

Alright, here’s when I get a little upset.

Remember when shows used to have about 20 episodes in a season? Then they had 10?

Well, House of the Dragon season 2 will have a whopping eight episodes coming our way. No news or hints as to how long each episode is, but I hope and expect they’ll be around 50 minutes to an hour. Ugh.

Has filming started for House of the Dragon season 2?

Lights, cameras, dragons! Filming has already started, taking place in Hertfordshire before continuing to the gorgeous city of Céceras, Spain.

What is the release date for House of the Dragon season 2?

While HBO’s CEO Casey Bloys has dropped some breadcrumbs, it’s safe to say that House of the Dragon is still on track for a 2024 premiere. Summer or fall, we shall have our dragons at some point next year. As soon as an actual release date is given, we shall give you an update.

And that’s all as far as a glimpse into the House of the Dragon’s upcoming second season.

With returning favorites, fresh faces, and a plot boiling with intrigue and so much drama, we can barely wait for the second season to arrive. Follow in my footsteps and rewatch the first season of House of the Dragon on Max at any time!