House of the Dragon season 2
A deliberate stride toward dynastic cataclysm.
House of the Dragon season 2 is the second season of the American fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, which premiered on HBO on June 16, 2024, and concluded on August 4, 2024. It consists of eight episodes, each approximately one hour, and covers events from George R. R. Martin's book Fire & Blood, a prequel novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. The season follows the aftermath of the first season's finale, with Aegon II Targaryen on the Iron Throne and his half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen plotting from Dragonstone, as both sides seek allies among the great houses of Westeros.
- Premiere date
- June 16, 2024
- Finale date
- August 4, 2024
- Number of episodes
- 8
- Showrunner
- Ryan Condal (sole showrunner after Miguel Sapochnik's departure)
- Filming period
- April to September 2023
- Network
- HBO
- Based on
- Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin
Lore & Background
The second season was ordered on August 26, 2022, five days after the series premiere. Miguel Sapochnik, a showrunner on the first season, departed after the season, leaving Ryan Condal as the sole showrunner. Filming took place from April to September 2023 at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Watford, England, and in Cáceres, Spain, continuing throughout the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike due to the largely British cast working under British Equity rules. The season consists of eight episodes and premiered on June 16, 2024.
Reader's Guide
House of the Dragon season 2 is significant as a continuation of the prequel series to Game of Thrones, adapting Martin's Fire & Blood. The season received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising character development, visual effects, writing, Djawadi's score, and performances, particularly those of Smith, D'Arcy, and Cooke. It won Best Fantasy Television Series at the Saturn Awards, and Emma D'Arcy earned a Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama nomination. The season premiere was watched by over 7 million viewers across linear channels and HBO Max upon release, though viewership declined 22% from the first season's premiere. The season finale reached a season-high of 8.9 million viewers. A third season was ordered in June 2024. The season was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and DVD on November 19, 2024.
Did You Know?
- The second season was ordered on August 26, 2022, five days after the series premiere.
- Filming continued throughout the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike because the largely British cast worked under British Equity rules.
- The season finale was leaked online, with HBO stating the leak originated from a 'third-party distributor'.
- The second season won Best Fantasy Television Series at the Saturn Awards in 2025.
More in House of the Dragon episodes 1-24
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