House of the Dragon season 2: release date, cast, plot and how to watch Game of Thrones spin-off

The House of the Dragon cast were out in force for the premiere, ahead of the release of the highly anticipated season 2 of the Game of Thrones spin-off.

Based on the book Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin, HOTD is set 200 years before Game of Thrones, in a period when The Targaryen household rules the Seven Kingdoms. Season 2 begins as Westeros is on the brink of civil war over whether King Aegon or Queen Rhaenyra has the rightful claim to the throne.

House of the Dragon was released three years after the final season of Game of Thrones, and has proved hugely popular with fans and critics alike, winning the Golden Globe for Best Drama Television Series.

Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are known for their violent scenes, however, HOTD star, Ewan Mitchell, has revealed that the show is not violent “for violence’s sake” and suggested that causing viewers feeling of discomfort is sometimes the intention.

What is House of the Dragon season 2 about?

House Of The Dragon season 2 takes place in an unstable Westeros that is on the brink of civil war as King Aegon and Queen Rhaenyra fight their claim for the throne, with even more bloodshed expected this time around.

Speaking at the HOTD premiere, Ewan Mitchell who plays Aemond Targaryen, the second son of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower, addressed his character’s violent streak.

Speaking on the red carpet he said: “Aemond, he is a multitude of things…(In series one) I wanted to present a character who, at that point in his life and in those final three episodes, was just complete darkness.”

He continued: “His appearance kind of lended to that so I wanted to lean into it as much as possible. Going into season two you are going to see those other shades, you are going to see a shadow side to Aemond, which I can’t wait for people to see, and maybe you might even like him a little bit.”

He added: “As for the violence in our show, I don’t think there’s any violence in our show for violence’s sake. I always remember that moment in season one episode one during the tournament event, there’s a lot of violence and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable watching it, I think that was the intention.”

Who is cast in House of the Dragon’s season 2?

Notable names reprising their roles for HOTD season 2 include Doctor Who’s Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon Targaryen, Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen and Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower.

When can I watch House of the Dragons season 2?

House of Dragons season 2 will premiere for UK audiences on Monday, June 19, on Sky Atlantic at the same time as it airs in the US at 2am. For fans who want to tune it at a more respectable hour, it will also be available to watch on-demand or on Sky Atlantic at 9pm.

How can I watch House of the Dragons season 1?

For anyone wanting to catch up on HOTD season 1, the full first series of the Game of Thrones spin-off is available to watch on Now TV and Amazon Prime. For Sky customers is also available to watch on Sky Boxsets.

Where can I watch Game of Thrones?

All seasons of Game of Thrones are available to watch in the UK on Now TV and Amazon Prime. The show also still airs on Sky Atlantic and is available to watch for Sky customers on Sky Boxsets.

Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also sign up to her free weekly column in the NationalWorld newsletter bringing you the latest tv and film news every Thursday.