House of the Dragon: Season 2 trailer suggests war is coming

'House of the Dragon' season 2 arrives in the Summer of 2024 on HBO. This information was released by HBO CEO Casey Bloys at Warner Bros and confirmed in the recently released teaser trailer.

Photo: 'House of the Dragon' season 2 trailer / HBO

The spinoff series is based on the book 'Fire and Blood,' a history of the Targaryen family that once ruled the land of Westeros. The show focuses on the events leading up to and including the 'Dance of the Dragons', the violent Targaryen civil war.

Deadline reported in March that while season one of 'House of the Dragon' had ten episodes, season two will only have eight. An HBO spokesperson told Deadline that the original season two plan included 10 episodes but for story-related reasons, it was then cut back to eight.

Season 1 simply sets the stage for the two-year war that will decide the King of Westeros. Season 2 looks like we are getting the start of the war itself. The first trailer for the second season was released on December 2, 2o23 and it promises more fighting, plenty of dragons, and lots of fire.

"There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin," says Rhaenys in the teaser trailer. "And no war so bloody as a war between dragons.”

After all this talk of battle, it's fair to assume that season two will follow the Targaryen civil war. Two teaser posters for season 2 depicted Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen in dark lighting, surrounded by embers. The posters highlight the text "blood for blood" and "fire to fire.”

Season 2 is expected to head right to the action after a gentle introduction in the first season. Alicent's son Aemon is responsible for the death of Rhaenyra's son Lucerys, and the aftermath will have an impact on all of Westeros.

According to Men’s Health, Season 2 will most likely cover the next two years, 129-131 AC. The period that will decide the successor to the Iron Throne.

D'Arcy told EW that her character, Rhaenyra, is ready to get stuck in. "I am excited to discover what happens when Rhaenyra does less navigating and more acting on her instincts and desires," D'Arcy said. "For so many very legitimate reasons, she has her hands tied practically throughout season 1. I have a feeling that the rain might be off for season 2.”

Emma D'Arcy - Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. The character was played by two actors in the first season, due to the time jump, and now D’Arcy plays a slightly different Rhaenyra. This one is damaged and seems to get off to a flying start in season 2 by going to war with the newly-crowned King Aegon II.

Matt Smith returns as Daemon Targaryen. Let's hope this season he can really bring some character to Daemon, who never really fulfilled his potential last season.

Olivia Cooke returns as Alicent Hightower - a brilliant character who cleverly worked her way up the castle, to the very top. Now she must suffer the price of those choices. Through her own children.

Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen The woman who should be Queen and who has been passed over for the throne three times. Watch out for this scorned woman in the second season - do we really know her true intentions?

Freddie Fox joins the cast as Ser Gwayne Hightower, the son of Otto Hightower, brother to Queen Alicent. His mother, Joanna David, portrayed Joselyn Redwyne in the first season of 'House of the Dragon'. Where will he stand in all this?

They don't make these names easy to remember, do they? Abubakar Salim joins as Alyn of Hull, a sailor in the Velaryon fleet who served in the Stepstones campaign. Gayle Rankin joins as Alys Rivers, a healer and resident of Harrenhal, within the Targaryen’s green faction. Interesting fact? She apparently bathes in blood...

Season 1 of 'House of the Dragon' drew nearly 10 million viewers, making it HBO’s biggest series premiere in history.  Obviously, it received an early renewal almost immediately afterward.

Luckily for 'House of the Dragon,' most of the scripts for season 2 had already been written before the strike in Hollywood. Not to mention, most of the actors are British and therefore not represented by the Hollywood Union.

In an episode of the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast, Matt Smith let it slip that there would be more of the Dragons. In part of a sentence, he referred to "next season and the one after." But let's not get ahead of ourselves... bring us Season 2 first!