While production is already underway, the House of the Dragon season 2 release date remains a mystery. However, content CEO of HBO and HBO Max, Casey Bloys, has spoken up to give fans a better idea of when they can expect the show's next season.
A prequel to the popular HBO show Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon takes place about two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, centering Rhaenyra Targaryen as she prepares to rule the Seven Kingdoms and fights to maintain a tight grasp on her birthright. The show stars Emma D'Arcy and Milly Alcock as Princess/Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke and Emily Carey as Queen Alicent Hightower, Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen, and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen. House of the Dragon season 2 was ordered by HBO just five days after the first season premiered in August 2022.
Although the House of the Dragon season 2 has been in the works for some time, details on its release date have not been confirmed. In an interview with Variety, Bloys clarified a "good guess" for when fans can expect House of the Dragon season 2 to premiere in 2024. He also said that the second season would not come out in time to qualify for the 2024 Emmy Awards, the eligibility period for which ends on May 31st, 2024. This means fans can likely expect a summer release for the second season. When discussing the timeline for season 2, Bloys said, "My philosophy is a good script is number one priority. 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." When asked if there were plans to create more Game of Thrones shows to fill in the gaps between seasons, Bloys answered, "I’m not opposed to any number of shows. There’s probably a natural limit to how many fans want, but I’m open to any as long as we feel really good about the scripts and the prospects for a series.”
In the same interview, Bloys talked about HBO's general approach to content. Following the release of its streaming platform HBO Max, HBO has only increased the amount of its original programming, with shows like The Last of Us, Mare of Easttown, and House of the Dragon making big splashes. But according to Bloys, a show having a successful first season doesn't guarantee a second season. Bloys referenced his aversion to doubling down on a popular story without a good direction to take that story in and said that while he would certainly be open to spin-offs and subsequent seasons for many of HBO's shows, he doesn't think they'll happen unless the showrunners of those shows feel passionate about doing them. Specifically, Bloys confirmed that Watchmen would not be getting a second season, nor would Mare of Easttown. Similarly, the rumored spin-off of True Blood has been axed, with Bloys saying a few scripts were in development, “but nothing that felt like it got there.”
Even though season 2 is on its way and should be hitting television screens by the end of 2024, it sounds like a third season of House of the Dragon is nowhere near guaranteed. While the world George R.R. Martin created has plenty of stories to tell and characters to explore, there's a chance those Game of Thrones stories could stay on the page. House of the Dragon may be HBO's next epic series, but it's equally possible it will go down the same route many short-lived series have before.
House of the Dragon season 1 is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: Variety