HBO series House of the Dragon is one of the most apparent gaping holes in the TV schedule during ongoing strikes against The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), by writers, actors, and a possibly still-growing group of laborers in the entertainment industry. This disruption has meant that production on TV shows, House of the Dragon included, has been shut down indefinitely.
A prequel to the global phenomenon that was Game of Thrones (2011-2019), House of the Dragon is also based on the fantasy novel series by George R. R. Martin. Set around 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series focuses on the House of Targaryen, a then-ruling familial sect of the Seven Kingdoms, known for being powerful dragonlords.
The first season, premiering in 2022, smashed records across the board, becoming the most-watched premiere in the history of HBO, thought to be watched by 25 million American households in just one week. With such staggering popularity, the series was quickly renewed for a second season, beginning script writing and principal photography prior to the strikes shutting down production. Here’s what we know about season two so far, and when we can expect the series to hit our screens.
‘House of the Dragon’ season 2 release window
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) strikes have caused a lot of disruption in the world of television production, causing major delays in the release of new seasons of popular shows. For the vast majority of shows, production has been completely halted for the foreseeable future, as the WGA deal only came through this week, and the SAG strikes are still ongoing, as of September 2023.
That being said, House of the Dragon is set to be one of the first shows to return when production is back to its regularly scheduled programming, according to a recent report by Variety. According to insiders at the entertainment industry outlet, the fantasy series was able to wrap up filming during the WGA strikes, as the scripts had been completed in time.
There will likely be some final edits for the second season, something that requires some script tweaks – as well as actors to perform those new lines. This means that production isn’t entirely complete and ready to air, but there is certainly a lot less to be completed in comparison to other HBO exports, such as Euphoria or The Last of Us. According to calculations at Variety, House of the Dragon season will likely hit screens in the summer of 2024.
This, of course, is an estimate based on when the strikes are thought to end, and the time typically allotted to post-strike production, and is subject to change. If the strikes go on longer than expected, the new season will premiere later than the summer of 2024, and it is highly unlikely that a huge production like this would be bumped forward rather than pushed back.
‘House of the Dragon’ season 2 cast
While much of the writing is said to be completed on House of the Dragon season 2, initial castings for the new season were announced in April 2023, prior to production being shut down by the strikes.
According to a report by Variety this year, Gayle Rankin (GLOW) will portray Alys Rivers, known in the books as a healer and resident of Harrenhal. Simon Russell Beale (Penny Dreadful, The Death of Stalin) will play Ser Simon Strong, the Castellan of Harrenhal.
Freddie Fox (The Crown) was cast as Ser Gwayne Hightower, son of Otto Hightower and brother of Queen Alicent. Abubakar Salim (Assassins Creed Origins) will portray Alyn of Hull described as “a sailor in the Velaryon fleet who served in the Stepstones campaign.”
Given the large-scale production that is House of the Dragon, this is just a small sample of actors that will be cast in the new season. New casting announcements will be announced when production goes back to normal, as they cannot be announced under SAG strike rules.
Much of the original main cast is set to return, with the likely exception of Paddy Considine as King Viserys, who was killed off in the last season. Actors Milly Alcock and Emily Carey, who portrayed younger versions of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Queen Alicent, respectively, are also unlikely to return, as Alcock has stated that their time filming flashbacks for the series is over.