"House of Dragons" Season 2, a Dragon vs Dragon Teaser Trailer for Season 2 of HBO's "Game of Thrones" spinoff "House of Dragons" has been released

The release date for "House of the Dragon" Season 2 has finally been set According to reports, this is "part of the show's long-term plan" and some major plot points will be moved to Season 3

The series is based on George R R Martin's in-universe history book, Fire and Blood, which chronicles the Targaryen family The House of Dragons focuses on a civil war that took place nearly 200 years before "Game of Thrones" Known as the "Dance of Dragons," this devastating conflict pitted Targaryen against Targaryen

"House of Dragons" Season 2 will be a continuation of what has already happened The death of King Viserys caused a succession crisis Queen Alicent and her father, Otto Hightower, plan to place Aegon II on the Iron Throne But Renilla and her uncle's husband, Prince Damon, refuse to bend to her insistence

In the "House of Dragons" finale of Season 1, the "Dance of Dragons" opens with the first battle in the sky And more battles await

Here is what we know so far about "House of Dragons" Season 2

"There will be war Many will die," Queen Alicent says at the beginning of the first "House of the Dragon" Season 2 trailer That war is between families: Targaryen versus Targaryen, sister versus brother, cousin versus cousin Who will claim the Iron Throne? We may know the history, but we will have to see how it plays out in practice

"House of Dragons" Season 2 will premiere in "early summer 2024," according to remarks by HBO boss Casey Bloys at a press event on November 2

Production on "House of Dragons" Season 2 will begin on April 11, 2023, slightly later than the March 2022 date suggested by the Spanish newspaper Hoy According to the press release, Ryan Condal (co-creator, showrunner, executive producer, and many other roles) said, "'The House of Dragons' is back We are excited to be back with not only the original family members, but also new talent on both sides of the camera Your favorite characters will be plotting at the council table, marching with their armies, and riding their dragons into battle We can hardly wait"

Filming continued and finished despite the SAG-AFTRA strike Season 2 of "The House of Dragons" is now in post-production, which should be important given the special effects needed to portray the dragons

The confirmed "House of Dragons" season 2 cast includes many of the key characters from the first season:

Emma Darcy as Lenira Targaryen, heir to her father King Viserys I and rider of the dragon Syrax

Matt Smith: as Daemon Targaryen, Rainila's uncle and second husband He rides Dragon Caraxe

Olivia Cook: as Queen Alicent Hightower

Rhys Ifans: as Otto Hightower

Eve Best: Princess Lenis Velarion, cousin of Viserys and wife of Lord Corliss Velarion She rides a dragon named Melee

Steve Toussaint: Lord Corliss Velarion, aka "Sea Serpent," Lord of Driftmark and head of House Velarion

Fabian Frankel: Ser Christon Cole, commander of the Kingsguard and shield of Aricent

Matthew Needham: as Lalaith Strong, Lord of Harrenhal and Alicent's lieutenant

Tom Glyn-Carney: Aegon II, eldest son of Viserys and Alicent She rides a dragon named Sunfyr [She is the eldest daughter of Viserys and Alicent, married to Aegon, and seems to have the gift of precognition She rides the dragon Dreamfire

Euan Mitchell: Prince Aemon Targaryen He is a capable warrior and rides a dragon named Vhagar

Harry Collett: Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, eldest son of Laenira, made public by Ser Laenor Velaryon He rides the dragon Vermax

Bethany Antonia: Lady Baela Targaryen, Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon Velaryon), the eldest twin daughters of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon She rides a dragon named Moondancer

Phoebe Campbell as Lady Laena Targaryen, twin daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon

Other "House of the Dragon" cast members likely to return include:

Some new faces to grace the hallways of King's Landing and battlefields throughout Westeros Simon Russell Beale joins the cast as Sir Simon Strong, Castle Lord of Harrenhal and great-uncle of Sir Laris Strong Freddie Fox plays Sir Gwain Hightower, son of Otto Hightower and brother of Queen Alicent Gail Rankin plays Alice Rivers, healer and resident of Harrenhal And Abubakar Salim as Arin of Har, one of the most famous Velarion in the history of Westeros

As for the staff, Miguel Sapochnik has left the series, but co-creator Ryan Condal will return as showrunner Alan Taylor, who directed several episodes of "Game of Thrones," has been named executive producer and will direct several episodes of "House of Dragons" season 2

The first season of "House of the Dragon" essentially served as a prologue to "Dance of the Dragons" It depicted the last 20 years or so of the reign of King Viserys I after he had named his eldest son, Princess Rainila, as his successor He keeps his vow despite having three sons with his second wife, Queen Alicent Hightower When he finally dies, however, it triggers a succession crisis that destroys House Targaryen and shakes Westeros

So what happens in "House of Dragons" Season 2? Let us look back at the conclusion of the first season Aegon, the eldest son of Viserys, is crowned king after the machinations of his mother, his grandfather King's Hand Otto Hightower, and (most of) the Small Council Rhaenyra vows to take back the Iron Throne, but she needs the support of the other major houses She has five dragons at her side, but she needs an army and funds

She carries her sons Jakaris and Lucaris on her dragons to deliver messages to the various lords Luke and Arax visit Storm's End and are involved in a battle with their uncle, Prince Aemond, in Vhagar Luke and Arax are killed, becoming the first casualties of the Targaryen Civil War

Luke's death fanlights a flame and inspires Lenira's desire for revenge She has at her disposal someone who is adept at getting even: her uncle's husband Damon, a renowned warrior

Sarah Hess, writer of "House of Dragons," told The Hollywood Reporter that the bond between Lenila and Daemon will be further explored in Season 2" Right now we are writing season 2 and exploring the nature of his relationship with Rhaenyra," Hess said There are so many interpretations [of George RR Martin's book "Fire and Blood"]

Beyond the possibility of revenge, Lenyra still needs soldiers To do so, they must turn to the other great families of Westeros The Starks, Tullys, Greyjoys, Tyrells, Blackwoods, Turleys, and other families could be revived or introduced And the Martells of Dorne, which remain an independent kingdom, as well as the rulers and nobles of foreign cities in Pentos and Volantis will also be introduced

One difference from Season 1 is that there will be no more time jumps As showrunner Ryan Condal told Deadline, "From here on out, the story will be told in real time The actors play their characters until the end We are not recasting anyone There is no major jump in time"

For more detailed, spoiler-filled speculation about "The House of the Dragon" 2, continue reading below

Again, this is a warning that spoilers from Martin's book will follow

After Luke's death, Daemon promises to avenge Lenila Daemon contacts Mysalia and hires a former City Watch soldier called Blood and a rat catcher called Cheese to sneak into the Red Keep They lock up Alicent, Helena, and Helena's three young children Brad and Cheese force Helena to choose which of her sons will die She reluctantly chooses Meyler, but they kill their eldest son, Jayheeris (Aegon's heir), instead

Brad is caught trying to leave King's Landing with Jayhaerys' head He is tortured and reveals that Daemon is the mastermind behind the plan Cheese and Mysalia disappear

This incident drives Helena insane and enrages Aegon From this point on, the war begins in earnest The first major battle takes place in the Riverlands between the Blackwoods (for Rainila) and the Brackens (for Aegon) House Bracken is defeated and Aegon loses his supporters in the Riverlands

A political period then follows, with both sides recruiting houses" Season 2 of "House of Dragons" could end with the next big dragon fight, which takes place at Rook's Rest, the residence of House Stanton (Team Black) The Greens have laid siege to the castle, and Princess Leanis flies in with her melee to lend her firepower

Aegon on Sunfire and Aymond on Vhagar then arrive; all three dragons fight in the sky and all crash Only Aemon and Vhagar survive unscathed Aegon and Sunfyr are seriously wounded, Mairis is torn to pieces, and Rhaenys is burned to death