The return to Westeros will take longer than expected. As reported by Deadline, House of the Dragon will return to our screens roughly during the summer of 2024. The outlet said this is due to filming about to begin for the second season in the UK. This is thankfully not the only news we have that should excite fans of the Game of Thrones prequel. Season 3 is likely to be greenlit soon by HBO.
Even more exciting is that this incredibly dynamic and tension-filling show may have four seasons by the end of its run. Nothing has been determined yet, but HBO wants to focus on thinking long-term for the show rather than just focusing on a season to season. The creator of the Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin, is said to be involved still and discussing with the producer/showrunner of the series Ryan Condal on how long the series will last. Martin’s involvement in a decent capacity is a good sign, as his role diminished to nothing towards the end of Thrones’ run.
A significant piece of information from the Deadline article, which may be seen as a negative, is the episode count for Season 2 is dropping from 10 to 8. This decision is said to be story-driven and not something else. Most episodes from Season 1 clocked in around the hour mark, and hopefully, the upcoming season will also. Fans of the franchise critiqued the episode count dropping overtime during Thrones’ airing. With Season 3 close to renewal already, maybe the episode count dropping won’t matter since we know more seasons are coming.
One thing to mention is two years of separation between Season 1 to potentially the airing of Season 2. This long gap in time could hurt the series as it is out of our minds for a while, with other series airing in between. The Mandalorian, for example, has had a drop in viewership from Season 2 to Season 3, which is currently airing. Season 2 aired at the end of 2020, with Season 3 starting in March. That is a bigger time gap between seasons, but it shows the more time away, the more it can hurt your show.
House of the Dragon Season 1 is available now on HBO Max.