House of the Dragon has been renewed for a second season by HBO, immediately following the debut of its first episode. This prequel to Game of Thrones has garnered the most overwhelming response for any original series in HBO’s history.
“We are beyond proud of what the entire House of the Dragon team has accomplished with season one. Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see-TV,” Francesca Orsi, the Executive Vice President of HBO Programming, said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season two.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the series!
What Is The Storyline Of House of Dragon Season?
The House of the Dragon chronology begins around 172 years before Daenerys Stormborn’s birth and the passing of her father, the Mad King, Aerys, who served as the Iron Throne’s final Targaryen until Game of Thrones premiered.
The civil war that occurred in Westeros was caused by conflicting opinions regarding who should take up the throne after the king. Princess Rhaenyra, who was the firstborn child of the king, was believed to have “Pure Valyrian blood” and was married to Prince Daemon Targaryen, who was her uncle and a potential successor.
Notably, both House Stark and House Lannister took sides in the conflict. The presence of dragons during this period was significant due to the Targaryens’ ability to ride them, as seen with Daenerys, the “mother of dragons,” in Game of Thrones. The civil war, which was frequently mentioned throughout the first season, was thought to have caused the dragons to be on the brink of extinction.
What Happened At The End Of House of Dragon Season 1?
The show’s first season concluded with a shocking twist, as an unexpected death took place. The episode began with Rhaenyra receiving the news of Viserys’ (played by Paddy Considine) passing. Due to Aegon’s illegal crowning and the stress of the situation, Rhaenyra suffered the loss of a stillborn child, a heart-wrenching scene.
While Daemon, played by Matt Smith, advocates for the enemy’s total destruction, Rhaenyra takes a diplomatic approach and sends her son Lucerys on her behalf. He swears that no violence will be involved as she seeks to enlist allies, rather than ruling over a pile of ashes. Their diverging opinions on the upcoming war are evident, but Rhaenyra remains resolute in her approach.
Despite Aemond Targaryen’s initial plan to play a prank on Lucerys by pursuing her through the skies, their dragons become uncontrollable and the situation takes a tragic turn. Despite Aemond’s efforts to prevent it, Lucerys falls from the sky as her dragon accidentally breathes fire at her.
The two dragons then engage in a deadly battle, which sadly results in the demise of both Lucerys and her dragon. Aemond is left feeling deeply saddened by the unfortunate events that have transpired.
House of Dragon Season 2 Trailer
The official trailer of the series is not out yet, fans can expect to see the trailer by the end of this year as the series is still in the production/filing phase.
The upcoming series “House of the Dragon” is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s book “Fire & Blood” and is set two centuries earlier than the events of “Game of Thrones”. Its primary focus will be on the well-known historical event of the “Dance of the Dragons” in Westeros.
The show will depict the intense civil war between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra, who were vying for control of the crown after the death of their father Viserys I. This war resulted in the annihilation of numerous dragons that belonged to House Targaryen. The audience should anticipate an intense drama with a ruthless tone, revolving around the inheritance disputes of a powerful family, and not a sitcom.
“I saw rough cuts of a couple more episodes of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, and was just as pleased as I was with the earlier episodes. Ryan and Miguel and their cast and crew are doing great work. Those of you who like complex, conflicted, grey characters (as I do) will like this series, I think. There will be plenty of dragons and battles, to be sure, but the spine of the story is the human conflicts, the love and the hate, character drama rather than action/ adventure,” Martin wrote in his official blogpost.
Is House of Dragon Season 2 Renewed?
Yes, House of Dragon is renewed for a second season, according to the makers of the series. The new season has started production, meaning fans can probably expect to see House of the Dragon season 2 in 2024
No exact release date has been announced for Season Two, but the earliest it could possibly air would be summer 2024. The second season of Game of Thrones will likely include another 10 episodes, though HBO has not specified how many. The filming of numerous significant scenes for House of the Dragon’s next installment was spotted in Wales.
House of Dragon Season 2 Cast And Crew
STARRING:
- Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen (9 episodes)
- Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen (9 episodes)
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower (4 episodes)
- Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen (5 episodes)
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower (9 episodes)
- Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon (6 episodes)
- Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen (7 episodes)
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria (5 episodes)
- Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole (9 episodes)
- Milly Alcock as Young Rhaenyra Targaryen (5 episodes)
- Emily Carey as Young Alicent Hightower (5 episodes)
- Graham McTavish as Harrold Westerling (9 episodes)
- Matthew Needham as Larys Strong (5 episodes)
- Jefferson Hall as Tyland Lannister / Jason Lannister (6 episodes)
- Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon (2 episodes)
- Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon Targaryen (2 episodes)
- Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen (3 episodes)
- Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen (2 episodes)
- Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen (2 episodes)
- Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen (2 episodes)
PRODUCERS
- George R.R. Martin: Co-creator, executive producer
- Ryan Condal: Co-creator, executive producer, showrunner
- Miguel Sapochnik: Executive producer, showrunner
- Vince Gerardis: Executive producer
- Sara Hess: Executive producer
- Ron Schmidt: Executive producer
- Jocelyn Diaz: Executive producer
- Ira Parker: Co-executive producer
- Greg Yaitanes: Co-executive producer
- David Hancock: Co-executive producer
- Charmaine DeGraté: Co-executive producer
- Karen Wacker: Producer
- Angus More Gordon: Producer
- Alexis Raben: Producer
- Kevin Lau: Producer
- Richard Sharkey: Consulting producer
DIRECTORS
Miguel Sapochnik: Episodes 1, 6, and 7
Greg Yaitanes: Episodes 2, 3, and 10
Clare Kilner: Episodes 4, 5, and 9
Geeta Vasant Patel: Episode 8
House of Dragon Season 2 Series Production House
The creators of the series are Martin and Ryan Condal, who are also the showrunners and executive producers. They are joined by Miguel Sapochnik, a renowned Emmy-winning director recognized for his exceptional work on Game of Thrones.
Other executive producers include Ron Schmidt, Sara Lee Hess, Vince Gerardis, and Martin himself. Condal is responsible for writing the pilot and additional episodes, while Sapochnik directed them. Sapochnik was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award in 2016 for his directing work on Game of Thrones, particularly for the “Battle of the Bastards” episode.
In addition, he shared an Outstanding Drama Series Emmy with Martin, Gerardis, and other producers for the final season. The series will also feature episodes directed by Clare Kilner and Geeta V. Patel, as well as Banshee’s Greg Yaitanes.
How Many Episodes Did The First Season Of House of Dragon Have?
In total, there are 10 episodes in the House of the Dragon season 1 that are released every week, starting from the 21st of August, 2022.
The run time for each episode is as follows.
| Episode 1 | “The Heirs of the Dragon” | 66 minutes |
| Episode 2 | “The Rogue Prince” | 54 minutes |
| Episode 3 | “Second of His Name” | 63 minutes |
| Episode 4 | “King of the Narrow Sea” | 63 minutes |
| Episode 5 | “We Light the Way” | 60 minutes |
| Episode 6 | “The Princess and the Queen” | 68 minutes |
| Episode 7 | “Driftmark” | 59 minutes |
| Episode 8 | “The Lord of the Tides” | 68 minutes |
| Episode 9 | “The Green Council” | 58 minutes |
| Episode 10 | “The Black Queen” | 59 minutes |
Where Can You Watch House of Dragon Season?
House of the Dragon can be streamed on HBO, Hulu.
Is House of Dragon Season Based On a Book?
House of the Dragon is a novel that draws inspiration from George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, a captivating account of significant events that happened centuries before the events that transpired in Game of Thrones.
Although it’s not part of the main series A Song of Ice and Fire, Fire & Blood provides essential background information, similar to The Silmarillion in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings universe. It reads more like a compelling historical account than a novel but serves as an invaluable reference for the distant timeline, which won’t have a direct impact on Game of Thrones.
In contrast to Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire trilogy, Martin has already written down all of the events that will be chronicled in House of the Dragon. Martin has stated that he intends to write a Fire & Blood sequel, but that book would focus on Westeros’ history in the years following the conclusion of the show’s plot.
How Popular Is the House of Dragon Series?
“House of the Dragon,” the highly anticipated prequel to “Game of Thrones,” premiered on HBO on August 21, 2022, to a staggering 10 million viewers on both HBO and HBO Max for its first episode alone. This is a remarkable increase compared to the debut of “Game of Thrones” in 2011, which only amassed 4.2 million viewers.
The success of “House of the Dragon” can be attributed to the franchise’s popularity over the years and the extensive marketing efforts by HBO, along with fans actively sharing their excitement for the show on social media, making it the #1 most talked-about TV show since its debut.
How excited are you for the second season? Do you have any fan theories for the second installment of the series? Was the HBO adaptation as good as the books? Let us know below!
