HBO Boss Teases “Extraordinary” House Of The Dragon Season 2

House of the Dragon will soon return and, according to studio heads, it’s going to be “extraordinary.” In an interview with Deadline about the the state of HBO drama, executive vice president Francesca Orsi discussed the next season of House of the Dragon and the ongoing effects of the writers’ strike.

According to Orsi, House of the Dragon season 2 is set to debut in the summer of 2024 and production is going well. She said, “We have a beautiful cast that was assembled by Kate Rhodes [James], and we just are proud of seeing how those scripts are coming alive, the emotionality that the cast is bringing to it is something that we feel confident with and know that we’re going to deliver something special.” Co-creator Ryan Condal is still working on the show as a (non-writing) producer, as he completed the scripts for each episode ahead of the beginning of the strike.

As previously reported, House of Dragon season 2 will comprise eight episodes, a reduction from the previous season’s 10. Orsi clarified that some of the story originally intended for season 2 has been moved to the third season. There is an ongoing debate as to whether the show will last three or four seasons. Orsi said, “George [R. R. Martin] and Ryan [Condal] are going to meet after the writers strike. They had originally planned to meet before the strike took place and that was to figure out at what point the series itself was going to end.”

The other Game of Thrones prequel show, The Hedge Knight, has halted pre-production. Other spin-offs are in nascent stages, including a Jon Snow centered spin-off, a show Aegon’s conquest, and potentially other shows set in Westeros.

As for the overall impact of the writers’ strike, Orsi said that shows currently slated for 2024 and 2025 may get pushed back depending on the timing of the strike. She stated, “At this point, those shows that I’m looking to air wouldn’t necessarily be ready if this strike last six to nine months.” Shows affected could include Euphoria, The Last of Us, and The White Lotus.