House of the Dragon Season 2 Premiere: War of the Targaryens Begins

After a two-year hiatus, HBO’s Emmy-nominated original series House of the Dragon is returning for Season 2. The first episode will drop this Sunday, but what about the rest of the season?

A prequel to HBO’s successful series Game of Thrones (taking place roughly 200 years before the original show), the fantasy drama is based on George R.R. Martin’s book ‘Fire & Blood.’ Season 2 takes place after the death of Rhaenyra Targaryen’s second-born son, Lucerys’ Luke’ Velaryon. King Aegon II sits on the Iron Throne after the usurpation, supported by Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower. Now, the families are preparing for a violent war.

“The books are the foundation of where we’re going narratively, but things are tweaked,” Glynn-Carney, who plays King Aegon II Targaryen, teased. “It’s the bible, but it’s also not. The writers of our show are brilliant and should be given credit for their creation. George R. R. Martin should be given credit for his creation. But they’re not the same thing.”

Glynn-Carney added that his character is an “unpredictable live wire” on the throne in the second season. “He’s intensely ambitious and incapable of pursuing the things he sets for himself,” the actor explained. Meanwhile, Ewan Mitchell plays Aemond Targaryen and looks forward to revealing shades of gray in his character in Season 2.

Many characters from Season 1 will reprise their roles for the next chapter, including Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, and more. Newcomers to Season 2 include Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, and many other talented actors joining the ensemble cast.

House of the Dragon Season 2 will premiere exclusively on HBO on Sunday, June 16, at 9 p.m. ET. The new season will feature eight episodes, with each episode airing on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the latest developments in the battles for power and control in Westeros as the Targaryens clash in a fight for the Iron Throne.