House of the Dragon series writer Sara Hess has commented on the somewhat shorter length of the Game of Thrones spinoff’s Season 2, saying that it “It wasn’t really our choice.”
Hess, along with series co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal and stars Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, opened up about the forthcoming season during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Hess explained that the decision to bring the show down from 10 to eight episodes was not their call but does not elaborate on why the decision was made or how it may have impacted the show.
The team has their sights set on the future, with part of the process for Season 3 already underway. HBO has yet to greenlight the Targaryen-cenetered show for a third season, but that isn’t stopping Hess and Condal from prepping for all possibilities. The showrunner says they are deep into writing Season 3 should HBO want more House of the Dragon.
With Season 2 set to arrive next month, we shouldn’t have to wait too long to find out if the series will continue. Condal said they are planning far in advance in order to, hopefully, release seasons every other year. Without the preparation, such a schedule would not be possible.
Elsewhere in the interview, D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Cooke, who plays Alicent Hightower, spoke about the process of creating Season 2 as opposed to Season 1. Where the first 10-episode run saw actors rotated out as storyline time skips moved the plot along, the next eight episodes will see both stars sticking around.
D’Arcy says their work on four episodes in Season 1 was “lovely,” adding, “Do a bit of work, a few weeks off, it’s perfect.” They say the latest season, however, was “exhausting, but also nice.” Cooke offered a more colorful description:
“Oh my God, by the end of Season 2, I was a f---ing shell of myself. I was a husk. I could not form a sentence. I was so tired. I need to implement some way of getting through Season 3, if there's a Season 3, to really harness as much energy as possible. It is a behemoth."
House of the Dragon has a lot of ground to cover following the cliffhanger ending audiences witnessed when Season 1 concluded in 2022. While fans speculate about the potential inclusion of Winterfell’s Sara Snow, Hess reminds viewers that D’Arcy and Cooke remain the focus of the Fire and Blood adaptation heading into Season 2. She adds that audiences should “expect very little” when it comes to that character.
“Our POV is the Targaryens, and our POV is split between King's Landing, Dragonstone, and then when Daemon goes to Harrenhal. We just don't have the eyes to really be everywhere at the same time."
Excitement for more House of the Dragon is at an all-time high after HBO released the series’ newest trailer earlier today. The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is packed with action in a Westeros that is on the verge of war as the conflict between Alicent and Rhaenyra, which was also set up in previous trailers, is on the verge of boiling over.
House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres June 16. For more on the show ahead of its release from HBO, you can read our 9/10 review, where we said, “After 10 episodes, House Of The Dragon has officially emerged as a worthy successor to Game Of Thrones.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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