Evan Mitchell in “House of the Dragon” Season 2.
Team Black and Team Green’s battle for the Iron Throne came to an underwhelming climax in the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale. Now that season two is over, you might be wondering whether there will be a third season of House of the Dragon and when it could be released.
The spinoff is based on George R.R. Martin’s book, Fire & Blood, and takes place roughly 200 years before Game of Thrones and about 100 years after the Targaryens united the Seven Kingdoms. The series stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Tom Glynn-Carney, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, and more.
The eight-episode second season premiered on HBO and Max on June 16. The Season 2 finale preview sees the Targaryens fighting on land, in the sky, and at sea in one of the bloodiest battles yet. Unfortunately, clips were illegally leaked on TikTok earlier this week with major spoilers. This incident marked the second consecutive season in which parts of the drama’s finale were leaked online ahead of its release.
“We are aware that clips from the House of the Dragon season finale have surfaced across social media platforms,” HBO said in a statement, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “The clips were posted after an unintentional release from an international third-party distributor. HBO is aggressively monitoring and removing clips from the internet, and fans can watch the episode in its entirety this Sunday night on HBO and Max.”
Read on to learn everything to know about House of the Dragon Season 3, including the show’s renewal status.
Will There Be A House Of The Dragon Season 3?
House of the Dragon Season 2 – Episode 8
Yes, there will be a Season 3 of House of the Dragon on HBO and Max. HBO renewed the series for a third season a few days before the second season premiered in mid-June.
“George, Ryan, and the rest of our incredible executive producers, cast, and crew, have reached new heights with the phenomenal second season,” Francesca Orsi, HBO’s programming and drama series chief, wrote in a statement at the time.
“We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart. We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for season three,” Orsi continued.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale.
What Will House of the Dragon Season 3 Be About?
House of the Dragon Season 2 – Episode 8
The cast and plot details for House of the Dragon Season 3 are tightly under wraps. However, the next season is expected to pick up after the second season finale, which ended on an ambiguous note and leaves much to be revealed in the third season.
During a featurette that aired after the Season 2 finale, showrunner Ryan Condal teased that while the second installment was about the “fits and starts” of war, Season 3 will be “about total war.”
Queen Rhaenyra’s return to King’s Landing in Season 3 feels imminent, considering her overwhelming support from leadership. Alicent is now on her side after admitting she lost faith in her cause and the people associated with it. “I lost my way. Or rather it was taken from me,” she reveals in Episode 8. Alicent then comes up with a plan to help Rhaenyra take power. When Aemond leaves for the Riverlands, Helaena will be on the throne in King’s Landing, and Alicent will open the gates for Rhaenyra.
In the finale, Daemon abandoned claiming the Iron Throne for himself, ultimately pledging his support for Rhaenyra after the Song of Ice and Fire vision. Season 2 finale director Geeta Vasant Patel told Entertainment Weekly that the vision marked “a moment where Daemon understands the future of what’s to come, and that House of the Dragon connects to Game of Thrones.”
The episode ends with a montage of its main characters and where they are as they head into battle. “What’s great about the way that they had built this montage was that there was a story beat that allowed the montage to move the suspense further — if you took the montage out of the episode, it wouldn’t work because there was something vital in that montage that we needed for the story,” Patel revealed to EW about the final scene. (Read the full recap of Season 2, Episode 8, from Forbes contributor Erik Kain, below.)
Deadline reported last year that the team behind House of the Dragon had envisioned the series running for three or four seasons. “With a portion of the plot originally intended for Season 2, including a major battle, moving to Season 3, I hear it is now more likely that the series would run for four seasons, but that has not been determined as Condal and Martin continue to go back-and-forth on the number of seasons (three or four) that would be optimal to tell the full story,” sources told the site in March 2023.
What Is The House of the Dragon Season 3 Release Date?
Emma D’Arcy in “House of the Dragon” Season 2.
The release date for House of the Dragon Season 3 is currently unknown. Given the time needed for development and filming (about one to two years), a premiere date sometime in late 2025 or 2026 seems likely. Stay tuned for more updates about season three.
The first two seasons of House of the Dragon are streaming on Max.