House of the Dragon season 2: everything we know about the new season
House of the Dragon season 2 is on the way. The first season brought all the twists, gruesome deaths, and fiery battles you could want, but with the Targaryen civil war in full swing, expect things to get even bolder and bloodier as the Dance of the Dragon unfolds. Aegon Targaryen is king, but his half-sister Rhaenyra, the true heir to the Iron Throne, isn't going to accept being usurped quietly.
While not much is out there about House of the Dragon season 2 just yet, we've rounded up all there is to know about the new episodes below, from who the showrunners are to who we can expect to see in the cast – and our best guess at when the second season will actually arrive. We'll keep this page updated as more news breaks, too, so be sure to check back. For now, for the lowdown on our return to Westeros, look no further than our ultimate guide.
House of the Dragon season 2 release date speculation
House of the Dragon season 2 has not yet started filming, and with a show of this scale, we can expect a lengthy wait for more. Per The Hollywood Reporter, season 1 was filmed for 10 months and post-production VFX work was still being done in August (after the first episode premiered). THR predicts a 2024 return, which makes a lot of sense considering the lengthy production timeline.
House of the Dragon season 2 cast: who's likely to be back?
Despite the time jumps, we can expect the House of the Dragon season 2 cast to be broadly similar to season 1, with a few key absences, of course. Paddy Considine won't be back as King Viserys, for one thing, and we also likely won't be seeing Milly Alcock or Emily Carey back as young Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower – though it's possible they could return via flashback.
We can definitely expect to see Emma D'Arcy back as Rhaenyra, along with Matt Smith as her uncle/husband Daemon Targaryen. Harry Collett should also be back as Rhaenyra's firstborn son Jacaerys "Jace" Velaryon.
Eve Best will likely return as Rhaenys Targaryen and Steve Toussaint back as her husband Corlys Velaryon. Also expect to see Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen and Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen, Daemon's daughters with the late Laena Velaryon. Elliott Tittensor as Kingsguard member Erryk Cargyll also seems a safe bet, as does Graham McTavish as the former Lord Commander of the Kinsguard Ser Harrold Westerling.
As for the greens, expect Olivia Cooke back as Alicent, Rhys Ifans back as her father Otto, Fabien Frankel back as Kinsguard member Ser Criston Cole, and Matthew Needham back as the Littlefinger-esque Larys Strong. Tom-Glynn Carney will likely return as newly crowned king Aegon Targaryen, while we can expect Aemond Mitchell back as his brother Aemond Targaryen, and Phia Saban back as their sister (and Aegon's wife) Helaena Targaryen. Expect also Luke Tittensor as Arryk Cargyll, Erryk's identical twin, and Jefferson Hall as the other set of twins in the show, Jason and Tyland Lannister. Sonoya Mizuno will also most likely be back as Mysaria, AKA the White Worm.
House of the Dragon season 2 plot: here's what the next season could cover
We won't go too far into spoilers from George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, but it's safe to say that the Dance of the Dragons will be in full swing following the season 1 finale. The Targaryen civil war will bring in new characters and new dragons, and we can assume there'll be fewer time skips as the Dance barrels full speed ahead.
As for key events, expect to see Blood and Cheese, a clash between brothers, and a lot of battles. We might also be introduced to Daeron Targaryen, a child of Alicent and Viserys who hasn't yet appeared in the show, but has been confirmed by Martin to still exist.
Writer and executive producer Sara Hess has also teased to The Hollywood Reporter what's coming up for Daemon and Rhaenyra in season 2: "And right now, we're writing season two and figuring out, what is the nature of [Daemon's] relationship with Rhaenyra? There are many interpretations [in George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood] to that."
House of the Dragon season 2 showrunners and episode count
House of the Dragon season 1 showrunner Miguel Sapochnik stepped away from the series for season 2, meaning the second installment will be in the hands of Ryan Condal and Sapochnik's replacement Alan Taylor. Taylor directed episodes of seasons 1 and 2 of Game of Thrones, while Condal was co-showrunner of House of the Dragon season 1.
An episode count hasn't been officially confirmed just yet, but George R.R. Martin has suggested on his blog that all seasons of the show will be 10 episodes: "It is going to take four full seasons of 10 episodes each to do justice to the Dance of the Dragons, from start to finish."
And that's a wrap on everything we know about House of the Dragon season 2. While you wait for more, check out our guide to the best TV shows of all time to fill out your watchlist.
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