Credit: HBOGames of Thrones remains one of the most successful shows that HBO has ever created. The same can be said for the House of the Dragon prequel spinoff, which highlights one of the most powerful families from the profound lore of the universe—House Targaryen. The series takes Westeros through the age of dragons and the family that used those dragons to strike fear into the hearts of the land and amongst their own house. New details about the new season have emerged, including a shortened season.
Related: Disney+ Series Lands ‘Game Of Thrones’ Producer
House of the Dragon followed the same formula as its predecessor, which contained a 10-episode first season. The usual case for the formula would be a massive reveal during episode 9, only to have the season finale blow everyone away. That was certainly the case, as we all learned from the cliffhanger moment from the first season. Though it has been out for some time, we will spare the spoilers for those who have not yet watched this show.
We can tell you that the promise of fighting and dragons was certainly not wasted in the show, as there were plenty of both until the season finale’s final moments.
House of the Dragon Will Run an Eight-episode Season
Deadline has learned that House of the Dragon Season 2 will work with only eight episodes this time, which sounds a bit worrying. Everyone is well aware of the downsizing issues that have been occurring at Warner Bros. Discovery, which HBO and HBO Max are a part of. This shortened season initially indicated that the Game of Thrones prequel might not make it out of the second season, but a spokesperson for HBO has silenced those fears.
This spokesperson informed Deadline that the shortened season had everything to do with trimming for story-driven purposes and not because WBD is still trying to trim many programs to save money. Hopefully, the former is accurate, and we will see this epic story play out as intended.
This could change the dynamic of the next season, as a reported big battle has now been moved to season four.
The reports of House of the Dragon focusing on a shorter season is also so that the show can get the green light for the third season for HBO. Part of the deal was to map out a potential four-season series, which included this shortened season. Instead of committing to the series season-by-season, HBO would plan for the long run. This makes sense considering the company is trying to cut costs wherever possible.
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Release Window Set
Related: Could This Hit HBO Show Be Coming to Theme Parks?
Although House of the Dragon losing two episodes for Season 2 is a bit of bad news, the good news is that the series is currently set for filming in the UK, and the s new season is eyeing a summer 2024 release window. The initial thought was that it would take around two years for the show to return, and given the summer 2024 release window, this means we are all going to get to see the story continue much sooner.
Though Paddy Considine’s epic portrayal of King Viserys will not be part of the second season, we cannot wait to see what is in store for House Targaryen.
Are you upset about the shortened House of the Dragon season? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!