House Of The Dragon Season 2 Release Date, Cast, Possible Plotlines, Trailer And More Details

"Game of Thrones" prequel series "House of the Dragon," set nearly 200 years before the former show, depicts the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of Dragons. Season 1 blew fans' minds with its depictions of families in crisis, cultural upheaval, and a whole lot of dragons. Now, Season 2 is barreling towards us, promising even more mayhem and monarchy.

As the series is based on George R.R. Martin's Targaryen history book "Fire and Blood," there's no shortage of source material for "House of the Dragon" to draw on. The story of Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock/Emma D'Arcy), for example, remains mostly untold. Viewers have barely glimpsed the tangled history of the Velaryons. And of course, all the children introduced in Season 1 have to grow up and cause their own problems. In short, fans have a whole lot ahead of them.

So, what do we know about Season 2? It will reportedly feel similar to the middle seasons of "Game of Thrones," thanks to its immense scope. Viewers can also expect to see several fan favorite characters return, as well as some new ones. There will be no shortage of bloody, brutal action. What else is in store for "House of the Dragon" Season 2? That's what we're here to reveal.

"House of the Dragon" Season 1 premiered back in August 2022, so we've been waiting quite a while for the draconic series to return. Now, we know exactly when the show will play on HBO and Max — expect "House of the Dragon" Season 2 on June 16, 2024.

Luckily for fans, "House of the Dragon" Season 2 was less impacted by the dual Hollywood strikes than many other productions. Indeed, filming on Season 2, which took place outside the U.S., wrapped up as the strikes ground on. What's more, HBO is already looking forward to "House of the Dragon" Seasons 3 and 4, according to George R. R. Martin. When describing a trip to London, he wrote, "I also spent two days locked in a room with Ryan Condal and his writing staff ... talking about the third and fourth seasons of 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON.' They were lively, fun discussions, and we got some good work done ... though two days was not nearly enough. There is so much ground to cover that I am not sure twenty days would have been enough." In January 2024, rumors emerged that "active development" on Season 3 had officially begun.

Notably, Season 2 of "House of the Dragon" will consist of eight episodes. This might come as a surprise, as Season 1 spans 10 installments, but director Clare Kilner argues it's for the best. "[Ryan Condal's] decision was to give it a good opening and a good ending," she told The Hollywood Reporter, "and they're jam-packed with emotional and visually exciting events."

In the Season 1 finale, Rhaenyra's (Emma D'Arcy) second son Lucerys (Elliott Grihault) is killed in a dragon battle against his uncle, Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). Rhaenyra's Black faction is thus set to engage in a deadly war against her former best friend and stepmother, Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). The ongoing tragedy of the Targaryen family is likely to be the focus of Season 2; as showrunner Ryan Condal put it to Deadline, "This series is very much about a house tearing itself apart from within." After watching rough cuts of the first two episodes, George R.R. Martin concurred, noting, "I thought both episodes were just great ... Powerful, emotional, gut-wrenching, heart rending. Just the sort of thing I like. (What can I say? I was weaned on Shakespeare, and love the tragedies and history plays best of all.)"

The family's increasing turmoil is poised to earn a serious body count. Behind-the-scenes photos from June 2023 reveal a whole host of actors made up to look like battlefield casualties. Other footage shows Lannister soldiers on horseback and what appears to be a section of the Wall. Why are the Lannisters mustering their forces? What could bring characters to a location as dangerous and remote as the Wall? Only war, which is poised to be the centerpiece of Season 2.

War also means increased numbers of the family's signature beast. According to Deadline, five new dragons, including the high-profile Moondancer and the legendarily beautiful Sunfyre, will arrive in Season 2.

Emma D'Arcy is set to reprise their role as Rhaenyra Targaryen alongside Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen in Season 2 of "House of the Dragon." Eve Best and Steve Toussaint will return as Rhaenys Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon, chief lieutenants for the Blacks. Tom Glynn-Carney will feature as Aegon II, while Phia Saban stars as Aegon's sister-wife, Queen Helaena. Olivia Cooke's Alicent Hightower remains a central figure for the Greens, as well as Rhys Ifans as Alicent's father Ser Otto Hightower and Fabien Frankel's Ser Criston Cole.

Ewan Mitchell, who portrays the dastardly Aemond Targaryen, will return, as will Bethany Antonia and Phoebe Campbell, who play Daemon's daughters, Baela and Rhaena. We'll also see Sonoya Mizuno back as Mysaria. Intriguingly, Maddie Evans' Dyana — the servant Aegon assaults and Alicent comforts in Season 1 — will return for Season 2. What that will mean for the Red Keep's storylines is yet unknown.

New cast members are also set to debut. Harry Collett's Jacaerys Velaryon travels north to negotiate with the Starks, which means fans can expect to return to Winterfell. We'll meet Cregan Stark there, played by Tom Taylor. A number of characters attached to Harrenhal will appear as well, including Simon Russell Beale, who will play castellan Simon Strong, and Gayle Rankin, who will play healer Alys Rivers. Elsewhere, Freddie Fox is set to portray Gwayne Hightower, Alicent's brother; Abubakar Salim is set to debut as Alyn of Hull, a Velaryon sailor; and Robert Rhodes will portray Silver Denys, a Targaryen bastard.

Showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik (who directed several "Game of Thrones" episodes, including "The Battle of the Bastards") spearheaded Season 1 of "House of the Dragon," with author George R.R. Martin credited as an executive producer. However, Sapochnik announced his departure from the series in 2022, leaving Condal as the driving force behind "House of the Dragon."

However, he won't be the only one making big behind-the-scenes decisions. After Sapochnik left, it was announced that Alan Taylor would join the series as an executive producer and director. Taylor is a Westeros veteran, previously working on "Game of Thrones" and directing episodes such as Season 1's "Baelor." As a director, he also helmed the 2013 MCU installment "Thor: The Dark World," and he's very much looking forward to returning to the world of "Thrones."

"It's a pleasure and an honor to be back at HBO, immersing myself in the world of the Targaryens," Taylor said in a statement. "I look forward to working closely with Ryan as House of the Dragon grows into its second season. Ryan, Miguel and George have launched an extraordinary story, in a rich and fascinating world. Returning to Westeros will be a huge undertaking and I'm looking forward to the challenge."

With Ryan Condal working as showrunner, who's sitting in the director's chair? Well, we know that Clare Kilner is returning to the series, having directed three episodes in Season 1 ("King of the Narrow Sea," "We Light the Way," and "The Green Council"). In addition to her work on "House of the Dragon," Kilner has also helmed episodes of shows like "The Mosquito Coast," "Pennyworth," "Snowpiercer," and "The Alienist."

In an interview with Collider, Kilner revealed that there would be a total of five directors working on the series. One of them will be the aforementioned Alan Taylor, who will also serve as a producer. In addition to his work on "Game of Thrones" and in the MCU, Taylor won an Emmy for working on "The Sopranos." He's also overseen movies like "Terminator Genisys" and "The Many Saints of Newark." Kilner has expressed serious excitement about him joining "House of the Dragon," telling The Hollywood Reporter, "Alan helps us up our game. He's such an accomplished director, and I really love the way he uses depth of field and focus in his storytelling to bring viewers' attention to certain elements in the frame."

The trailer for Season 2 of "House of the Dragon was released in May 2024. From the look of things, we should expect a bitter power struggle when it premieres in June 2024.

Previously, the teaser trailer for Season 2 promised plenty of backroom politics and airborne battles, with vengeful royals dueling dragons to the death. It's Rhaenyra Targaryen versus Alicent Hightower, and as we witness the battle for the Iron Throne play out, we hear Rhaenys Targaryen give a mournful narration: "There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin, and no war so bloody as a war between dragons." 

Like its previous season and "Game of Thrones" itself, Season 2 of "House of the Dragon" will definitely be for adults. This ain't any old fantasy series — "House of the Dragon" is chock-full of explicit scenes of a sexual and violent nature, borne of its many fiery battles and complex relationships. Needless to say, young audiences should not be tuning in.

Officially, "House of the Dragon" is rated TV-MA for violence, language and nudity. The prequel series admittedly tones down the excessively graphic scenes that "Game of Thrones" is well-known for, though there are still multiple scenes unsuitable for children, including graphic depictions of childbirth, incest, nudity, and gore.

"House of the Dragon" is the second series in the "Game of Thrones" universe, taking place nearly two centuries before the births of "Thrones" favorites like Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). Season 1 cements its place in the HBO franchise's canon by directly referencing the events of the main series.

Viserys tells Rhaenyra about Aegon the Conqueror's prophecy in Episode 1, which foretold the White Walkers from the far north descending on Westeros. The king's dragonglass blade is the same dagger Arya Stark uses to kill the Night King in Season 8. With Aegon's prophecy being referred to as the "song of ice and fire," it looks like "House of the Dragon" is trying to bridge the gaps between the HBO series' and their source material, George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice And Fire" novels. Like "Game of Thrones," "House of the Dragon" has plenty of devastating scenes up its sleeves, based on Martin's work on "Fire and Blood" (which serves as the show's source material).

In an interview with Extra TV, Corlys actor Steve Toussant teased "all-out war" for the Targaryens during Season 2. All things considered, it looks as though the dragons will truly be dancing when fans return to Westeros for Season 2 of "House of the Dragon."

"House of the Dragon" Season 1 continues a very important "Game of Thrones" tradition: thrilling, complex, and shockingly bloody battle sequences. Season 2 promises to take this warfare even further — and to new environments. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam remarked, "It's not a secret that in this story there's a battle at sea. I think that's where we're headed ... The desire is to expand our repertoire to a large sea battle."

As savvy book readers know, Irlam is referring to the climactic Battle of the Gullet. This devastating naval conflict results in thousands of casualties, the destruction of an entire town, and significant political reshuffling across Westeros and Essos. This will doubtlessly be a difficult sequence to create; as Irlam details, it can be done in a car park or an enormous water tank, both of which have unique strengths and drawbacks. But Season 1 proves "House of the Dragon" is more than up to the task. 

The Battle of the Gullet isn't the only major clash headed our way. Behind-the-scenes shots from August 2023 (via Winter is Coming) seem to imply the Battle of Rook's Rest will be part of Season 2. This conflict sees Criston Cole lead the Greens' forces into battle against Lord Staunton, whose forces fight for the Blacks. It's a brutal fight poised to become a high point of Season 2.

Like "Game of Thrones," "House of the Dragon" features all manner of brutality. Betrayal, murder, and bloody battlefields all have their place in Westeros, especially as the Dance of Dragons heats up. But things are poised to get even more vicious than fans ever dreamed, courtesy of a pair of assassins named Blood and Cheese.

"Fire and Blood" readers might feel a shiver go down their spines at the mention of those two names, and for good reason. Blood and Cheese are brutes for hire who play an especially violent role in Rhaenyra's revenge. Specifically, they exact vengeance for Lucerys' death by killing someone else's precious boy. Rumors that Episode 1 of Season 2 will be titled "A Son for a Son" imply that this murder might take place at the very start of the season. This is an ambitious choice — Blood and Cheese's act could make a splash akin to that of the Red Wedding.

Corlys Velaryon is a major player in "House of the Dragon." The Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark spent years becoming the greatest seafarer the world has ever known, traveling to far-off ports in places like Mossovy and Yi Ti. Though the show acknowledges this, his past hasn't come into major focus — it's the kind of thing book fans are more in touch with. But this stands a chance of changing in a big, bold way: The legendary Sea Snake might be getting his very own animated spin-off.

The prospective series is titled "Nine Voyages," and though it hasn't been officially greenlit, George R.R. Martin has offered some fascinating insight into its development. "We have moved 'NINE VOYAGES,' our series about the legendary voyages of the Sea Snake, over from live action to animation," he remarked on his blog. "A move I support fully. Budgetary constraints would likely have made a live action version prohibitively expensive, what with half the show taking place at sea, and the necessity of creating a different port every week, from Driftmark to Lys to the Basilisk Isles to Volantis to Qarth to ... well, on and on and on. There's a whole world out there. And we have a lot better chance of showing it all with animation."

Martin takes care to note that this project isn't a sure thing. However, his enthusiasm is exciting, especially regarding the possibilities of animation. Here's hoping the Sea Snake's adventures make it to the small screen soon.

While we're waiting for "House of the Dragon" Season 2 to soar onto our screens, it might be a good idea to rewatch all the previous blood and drama to remember what's happened to all the major players. Or maybe you're new to this "Game of Thrones" prequel and want to witness all the politicking, backstabbing, and murder for the first time. Whatever your reason, if you're looking for Season 1 of "House of the Dragon," you can stream it on Max (formerly HBO Max), or you can buy the entire thing on sites like Apple TV, Prime Video, and Vudu.