House of the Dragon season 2: Release date speculation, cast, plot and news

By Lewis Knight

Published: Monday, 24 October 2022 at 12:00 am

After a blistering first season of House of the Dragon, it’s fair to say that Game of Thrones has been restored to its former glory, with fans now desperate to know when they can expect the next episodes to drop.

The prequel series whisked us back to roughly two centuries before the events of the original smash hit, showing us a time when House Targaryen ruled supreme with an arsenal of dragons at their disposal.

However, all is not well within the boundaries of King’s Landing, where divisions and rivalries within the family have pushed it to the brink of civil war – which finally sparked following the death of King Viserys (Paddy Considine).

At the centre of the conflict is his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), who had been promised the throne, and his second wife Queen Alicent Hightower, who believes her son to be the rightful heir.

House of the Dragon scored an early renewal from US broadcaster HBO after only its first episode had aired, so we can be sure that this story will continue. Here’s everything we know so far about season 2.

House of the Dragon season 2 release date speculation

""
Olivia Cooke as Queen Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon
Ollie Upton/HBO

House of the Dragon season 2 is widely expected to be released on Sky Atlantic and NOW in 2024.

Filming on the new episodes is due to commence early next year in 2023.

It’s likely the series will take between six to nine months to shoot, before then entering the lengthy post-production process to polish up its substantial visual effects among other editing jobs.

That means a conservative estimate is that House of the Dragon season 2 could premiere in spring 2024, which could see the show return to the April launch date that the original Game of Thrones stuck to for most of its run.

Who will star in House of the Dragon season 2?

""
Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen

House of the Dragon burned through a lot of actors in its first season, with numerous characters either being killed off or aged up over the course of 10 episodes.

However, the following members of the House of the Dragon cast are currently expected to return for the second season. Expect more details over the coming months.

It is uncertain whether Graham McTavish will reprise his role as Ser Harrold Westerling as the character has no role in the civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons, according to George RR Martin’s book Fire and Blood. He was also seen to resign from the Kingsguard in the ninth episode of the season.

It is unlikely that we will see Paddy Considine reprise his role as the late King Viserys I Targaryen, who was in an awful state when we bid him farewell unless he appears in flashbacks.

The same is true for Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as the younger versions of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, respectively, although that may irk fans given the high praise both actors received.

""
Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen in House of the Dragon
Ollie Upton/HBO

“[They’re] not a part of the story that we’re telling, yet. That’s not a thing that we’re doing right now,” said showrunner Ryan Condal (via Variety), who later added: “I’m not closing the door on anything.”

We can likely expect returns from supporting characters, including Kurt Egyiawan as Grand Maester Orwyle, Paul Kennedy as Lord Jasper Wylde, Phil Daniels as Grand Maester Gerardys, Luke Tittensor as Ser Arryk Cargyll, Elliott Tittensor as Ser Erryk Cargyll, and Roger Evans as Lord Borros Baratheon.

Additionally, there will inevitably be a plethora of new characters introduced in the second season.

How many episodes do we expect for House of the Dragon season 2?

House of the Dragon season 2 is expected to consist of 10 episodes, just as the first season did.

What will be the plot of House of the Dragon season 2?

""
Tom Glynn-Carney as Prince Aegon Targaryen, Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen and Phia Saban as Princess Helaena Targaryen
HBO

Picking up where season 1 left off, House of the Dragon’s next chapter will dive headfirst into the devastating Targaryen civil war, known among fans as the Dance of the Dragons.

The conflict will see the citizens and nobles of Westeros side with who they want to see take the Iron Throne, with their options being Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen and the young King Aegon II Targaryen.

Expect more gory violence to ensue as well as quieter, more emotional scenes as the human cost of the war is explored, which will take a particularly heavy toll on former friends Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower.

House of the Dragon writer and executive producer Sara Hess has also told The Hollywood Reporter that season 2 will examine the uncomfortable dynamic between Rhaenyra and her husband/uncle Daemon.

“Right now, we’re writing season two and figuring out, what is the nature of his relationship with Rhaenyra? There are many interpretations [in Fire & Blood] to that,” she said.

Is there a House of the Dragon season 2 trailer?

Not just yet! Given the huge amount of work that goes into every episode of the show, we would guess that fans are a while off from seeing any footage from the new episodes.

Rest assured, we’ll update this page as soon as anything does arrive.

Read more:

House of the Dragon airs on Sky Atlantic and is available on NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.

The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.