House of the Dragon season 2’s release date is a long way off, and while that’s somewhat disappointing, it should also prove to be a good thing. House of the Dragon season 1 brought the Game of Thrones franchise back in a big way. The prequel was a major hit both in terms of reviews and ratings, which has very much cemented its long term future.
While House of the Dragon season 2 was renewed shortly after the season 1 premiere, it won’t be arriving for a long time. This is an era where large gaps between seasons of massive shows are increasingly the norm due to scheduling and production, so gone are the days when Game of Thrones released a new season every April (something even it couldn’t keep to by the end, with around 20 months between seasons 7 and 8). House of the Dragon season 2 won’t arrive in the near future, then, but while that is a shame it isn’t all bad news.
House Of The Dragon Season 2's Release Date Is Disappointing After S1 Hype
An update from HBO programming chief Casey Bloys pointed to House of the Dragon season 2’s release window as being Summer 2024, as it won’t arrive in time to be eligible for that year’s Emmys (which would mean half the season airing before May 31). House of the Dragon season 1 proved Game of Thrones spinoffs can work, and restored faith in and love for the franchise after the massive backlash to season 8. With that, then season 2 not releasing until at least mid-2024 is a shame in terms of not being able to capitalize on that hype, and losing a sense of momentum.
That is also true in terms of its story. House of the Dragon season 1’s ending was tantalizingly poised on the precipice of war; after Rhaenyra Targaryen learned of the death of her son, Lucerys Velaryon, then the Dance of the Dragons can truly begin. It’s likely that House of the Dragon season 2 will pick up shortly after that, and so the almost two-year wait will mean audiences are going to need more reminding of just where things stand Westeros.
It's Good That House Of The Dragon Season 2 Isn't Being Rushed
For all it may be disappointing in some ways, on the whole it is promising that House of the Dragon season 2 is taking so long. This ensures that it will continue to be given as much time as necessary in order to get things right. Given it’s an epic production, with House of the Dragon having a big cast and filming taking place in multiple countries (though most will again be based at Leavesden Studios in the UK), then it is good things aren’t going to be rushed in order to capitalize on its success.
That goes for its post-production too, which will take up a lot of the wait for its release: at a time when the entire VFX industry is facing increased workload, then not putting too much pressure on House of the Dragon hitting a specific release date is a positive (if the least that should really happen). House of the Dragon season 2’s release date update also points to a commendably patient and restrained approach with the franchise as a whole. Various Game of Thrones spinoffs are in development, but - barring a shock - none will arrive before House of the Dragon returns.
In an era where franchises and IPs dominate, and streaming services in particular have become reliant upon them, then it would’ve been easy for HBO to ramp things up and aim for multiple Game of Thrones shows per year, as seen with franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars. Instead, with House of the Dragon season 2 and Game of Thrones spinoffs more broadly, while not every decision will be perfect, it is at least taking the time to get things right.