House of the Dragon Season 2: Release date, plot, cast & trailers

Cameron Frew
Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon Season 2

The Dance has begun and it’s time to choose between Team Black and Team Green. So, here’s what we know about the House of the Dragon Season 2 release date, who’s in the cast, what the story will entail, and more.

We may never get a Game of Thrones Season 9, which is fine. But, after the roaring success of the first season of the spinoff, House of the Dragon, it should come as no surprise that we will be getting more from that story.

After the events of the House of the Dragon Episode 10 finale, the dynamic between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower is set to explode in spectacular fashion.

Alicent’s letter to Rhaenyra will not be enough to prevent the impending civil war. Bad news for Westeros, but great news for us viewers. Here’s what we know about the House of the Dragon Season 2 release date. Spoilers for House of the Dragon to follow.

Contents:

Is House of the Dragon Season 2 happening?

House of the Dragon is definitely returning for Season 2.

Emma D’Arcy in House of the Dragon

It’ll come as no surprise that House of the Dragon is returning for a second run after the series premiere became HBO’s biggest launch in history, attracting “unprecedented demand” in Europe and nearly 10 million viewers across the US.

The first episode also took the top spot as the most-viewed premiere on premium cable and streaming in 2022, managing to beat Stranger Things Season 4, its main competitor for pop-cultural dominance last year.

In a statement shared by Deadline, Francesca Orsi, EVP of HBO Programming, said: “We are beyond proud of what the entire House of the Dragon team has accomplished with Season 1. 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.

“A huge thank you to George [R.R. Martin], Ryan [Condal], and Miguel [Sapochnik] for leading us on this journey. We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with Season 2.”

What’s the House of the Dragon Season 2 release date?

House of the Dragon Season 2 will premiere on June 16, 2024.

Olivia Cooke as Alicent in House of the Dragon

It had long been suspected that a summer release window was in the offing for House of the Dragon Season 2. This window was then narrowed with the news of a June drop, before the official premiere date was announced on March 21, 2024.

Speaking to Vulture at the tail end of 2022, HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys said: “We’re just starting to put the plan together, and just like last time, there are so many unknowns. It’s not to be coy or secretive, but you don’t want to say it’s going to be ready on this date, and then you have to move it… don’t expect it in 2023.”

Development for the second season started in August 2022, with filming kicking off on April 11 this year. Despite the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which saw many high-profile productions halt progress, House of the Dragon was not among those impacted.

Filming still continued as planned for the second season, with George R. R. Martin confirming as much in a May 8 blog post. “The second season started filming April 11 and will continue in London and Wales. The scripts for the eight episodes were finished months ago, long before the strike began. Every episode has gone through four or five drafts and numerous rounds of revisions to address HBO notes, my notes, budget concerns, etc.” Martin assured.

“The writers have done their jobs; the rest is in the hands of the directors, cast, and crew, and of course, the dragons.”

House of the Dragon Season 2 cast: Who’s in it?

The House of the Dragon Season 2 cast will be lead once again by Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Olivia Cooke as Lady Alicent Hightower.

Here is the cast for House of the Dragon Season 2:

  • Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen
  • Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
  • Olivia Cooke as Lady Alicent Hightower
  • Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower
  • Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
  • Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen
  • Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen
  • Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon
  • Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
  • Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole
  • Graham McTavish as Ser Harrold Westerling
  • Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong
  • Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayn Hightower
  • Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers
  • Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull
  • Amanda Collin as Jeyne Arryn

Despite being fan favorites, we won’t be seeing Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as the younger versions of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Lady Alicent Hightower, respectively, due to the timeline moving beyond their years.

Paddy Considine also won’t return as King Viserys I, given his death in Episode 9.

House of the Dragon Season 2 plot: What will it be about?

Nothing official has been announced, but the House of the Dragon Season 2 plot will revolve around the Dance of the Dragons, much like the story in the books this show is based on.

Alicent and Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon

Put simply, Alicent Hightower is claiming the throne for her son, Aegon II, but Rhaenyra feels she should take over from her late father. This battle to be the next Targaryen king or queen will form the basis of the story, and will see both sides engage in a vicious civil war. This is known as the Dance of the Dragons in the vast lore of Game of Thrones.

Last November, Graham McTavish, who plays Ser Harrold Westerling told Metro: “Civil war is that great thing that countries indulge in when they haven’t got anybody else to go and fight, they seem to just like fighting amongst themselves just to keep their hand in, and this is no different. They’ve had peace for a long, long time, and suddenly they are quite literally destroying the kingdom from within and that’s what makes it so interesting, so I would expect more of that — more division, more taking sides.”

Condal also said in his interview with Variety to not expect any major time jumps. He explained that, after Season 1, “the storytelling becomes fairly in the rhythms of the original ‘Game of Thrones’ series.”

Is there a House of the Dragon Season 2 trailer?

There are now two new trailers for House of the Dragon Season 2. One is from the perspective of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Team Black, while the other is from the perspective of Alicent Hightower and Team Green.

The trailers highlight the Dance of the Dragons, which is the impending civil war between House Targaryen and Hightower.

Season 1 saw House Hightower usurp the throne from Princess Rhaenyra after the death of her father. Season 2 will continue to show the bloodshed between the once united families.

That’s everything we know about the House of the Dragon Season 2 release date. If you need more from Westeros, you can learn about Helaena Targaryen, Aemon Targaryen, or find out which is the best dragon in Game of Thrones. You can also check out all the new TV shows streaming this month if you need something to watch right now.

About The Author

Cameron is Deputy TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He's an action movie aficionado, '80s obsessive, Oscars enthusiast, and a staunch Scot. He earned a First-Class Honours Degree in Multimedia Journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University, accredited by the NCTJ and BJTC. He began his career at UNILAD, starting as a Junior Journalist and becoming Entertainment Editor prior to joining Dexerto. You can contact him at cameron.frew@dexerto.com.