Showrunner Ryan Condal has given a hint as to what will come in Season 2 of HBO’s hit fantasy series, House of the Dragon. The next season of the Game of Thrones prequel will see the introduction of new dragons, with production beginning soon.
Speaking at a For Your Consideration (FYC) event for HBO recently, as reported by Deadline, showrunner Condal revealed there will be five new dragons in Season 2. The decision to revamp the fire-breathing creatures came after writer George R. R. Martin, who wrote the novels on which the television series is based, praised the prequel’s creativity. “They had personality. They came alive. It came as great satisfaction to me,” Martin said of the House of the Dragon’s dragons after first revealing he wasn’t as impressed with those presented in Game of Thrones. “They were like all the same.” Unfortunately, Condal would not reveal more about the new dragons, nor would he share what else fans can expect for the upcoming season.
Details about House of the Dragon’s second season have largely remained under wraps, save for its potential release date and the introduction of two new characters. Viewers already know that the series will not be returning until later next year, with HBO Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys explaining there was no wish to rush a new season. “My philosophy is a good script is a number one priority,” he previously told Variety. “I am not doing it based on wanting to have one a year, two a year. I want to do it based on the scripts that we’re excited about.”
Season 2 Has More Surprises For Viewers
It was also recently revealed by House of the Dragon writer Sara Hess (also via Variety) that the new season will likely see the introduction of two characters from Martin’s novel, "Fire & Blood", Blood and Cheese. Per Martin’s novel, these two will likely aid in Queen Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) revenge over the Season 1 finale death of her son, Lucerys (Elliot Girhault) at the hands of his uncle, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell). “We are currently writing the finale of Season 2… I don’t think you will be disappointed,” Hess said regarding Blood and Cheese’s appearance.
Fans can also expect that the new season will likely vary from Martin’s 2018 novel, "Fire & Blood", just as the first season did. “It was an imaginary history book,” Martin said of the novel, that served only as an ‘outline’ for the series. One of the key differences the author pointed out was that the death of Queen Emma Arryn during childbirth and the death of her son within the day was a mere-stated fact. “There was nothing about it being the most horrendous childbirth scene ever seen on TV. That’s all the work of [Condal] and his writers,” Martin explained, attributing the drama to Condal. He did, however, approve of the “cool” changes in Season 1, including praising “the weird ass stuff” throughout it. “Sadly, I wasn’t there for any of this fun. I was in Santa Fe working on [my next] novel,” he said, lamenting missing the way Rhys Ifans (who played knight Otto Hightower) made everyone laugh on set.
House of the Dragon is the prequel to HBO’s Game of Thrones. Airing in August 2022, the second installment of the A Song of Ice and Fire TV franchise is set almost two hundred years before Game of Thrones, which premiered in 2011 for eight seasons. The series revolves around House Targaryen and the events leading up to the war of succession, also known as the ‘Dance of the Dragons.’ The series, which won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama earlier this year, stars D’Arcy, Ifans, Mitchell, Girhault, Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Milly Alcock, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuon, Fabiem Frankel, Olivia Cooke, Emily Carey, and Graham McTavish. Other notable cast members include Matthew Needham, Jefferson Hall, Harry Collett, Tom Glynn-Carney, Ty Tennant, Leo Ashton, Phia Saban, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, and Eva Ossei-Gerning among others.
Season 2 of House of the Dragon will premiere in late 2024. Season 1 is currently streaming on HBO Max and Hulu.