Season one of House of the Dragon has come to an end. And what a season it was. Not only was it been excellent in its own right, but it also restored a lot of the lost faith in the Game of Thrones franchise after the original show’s controversial ending. So much has happened this season – but the last episode still managed to pack in plenty of surprises. And now viewers want to know “When will season 2 of House of the Dragon be released?”.
To get an idea of when we can expect season 2 of House of the Dragon, we can look back at the development of season 1.
House of the Dragon was officially announced in October 2019. Writing for the series began in January 2020, but filming did not start until April 2021. Filming reportedly lasted ten months with visual effects work starting in January 2022. According to the Hollywood Reporter, VFX work was still ongoing when the series’ debut episode aired in August.
Season 2 of House of the Dragon was ordered immediately following the hugely successful premiere.
Of course, pre-production will be shorter for season 2 than it was for season 1. After all, the majority of the cast are in place and the plot has already been outlined.
That said, filming took a whopping ten months last time around. And that was followed by almost the same again for VFX work like the CGI dragons.
So, when will season 2 of House of the Dragon be released? Can fans expect it in 2023?
House of the Dragon Season 1 Recap
House of the Dragon season one takes place almost 200 years before Game of Thrones. The prequel series follows the heyday of the House Targaryen, back when they ruled Westeros and sat on the Iron Throne.
At the start of the season, the House Targaryen was led by patriarch King Viserys I. The series began with his accession to the throne before skipping forward nine years into his reign. As the show explained, this is 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.
Viserys was originally desperate for a male heir. He already had a daughter, Rhaenyra, but he hoped for a son to succeed him to the Iron Throne.
In the first episode, Viserys I’s wife, Queen Aemma, tragically died in child birth. Their new son passed shortly after, too. This led to Verserys declaring Rhaenyra as his heir and Princess of Dragonstone.
However, Viserys later had a son – Aegon – with his next wife Alicent Hightower. This brought Viserys’ succession into question. Although Viserys always remained steadfast in his support of Rhaenyra’s claim.
This set the scene for the eventual Targaryen civil war of succession between Rhaenyra and Aegon.
Leading up to episode eight, we saw Viserys’ health deteriorate.
At first, he was a strong and healthy king. However, after Aemma’s death, Viserys’ health began to decline. This was foreshadowed when he cut himself on the Iron Throne.
As time passed, Viserys became increasingly ill with leprosy.
Episode 8-10
At the end of episode 8, Viserys died. However, Queen Alicent mistook his final words to mean he wanted Aegon to be his successor. Alicent and her father, Otto Hightower, then placed Aegon on the Iron Throne.
In the final episode of season one, Rhaenyra and Daemon found out about Aegon’s accession.
Rhaenyra sent her sons as envoys to prospective allies. But when Lucerys Velaryon arrived at Storm’s End, his cousin Aemond was already there with his dragon, Vhagar.
After Borros Baratheon rejected Rhaenyra’s alliance, Lucerys left on Arrax and was pursued by Aemond on Vhagar. The two dragons fought but Lucerys and Arrax were ultimately killed.
When Will Season 2 of House of the Dragon Be Released?
As mentioned, season 2 of House of the Dragon was announced immediately following the show’s first episode. However, there is likely to be a significant wait for the second season.
When will season 2 of House of the Dragon be released? Filming for season 2 of House of the Dragon is set to begin in Spring 2023. Considering the time needed for filming and VFX work, House of the Dragon season 2 will likely be released in Spring or Summer 2024 at the earliest.
HBO have not confirmed an official release date for House of the Dragon season 2. But it is highly unlikely the show’s next season will be ready to air in 2023. We know this because of how long filming and visual effects took for the first season.
How do you feel about waiting until 2024 for more House of the Dragon? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
