Season 3 of 'House of the Dragon' Is Already Being Prepped
George R.R. Martin knows how long it'll take to tell the Dance of the Dragons — but it looks like it may be shorter.
Updated June 11 2024, 6:25 p.m. ET
Season 2 of the highly-anticipated series House of the Dragon is almost here, and we couldn't be more excited to immerse ourselves in the world of House Targaryen. Better yet, we can't wait to see the Dance of the Dragons really kick off in live-action!
Fans have been curious about how many seasons House of the Dragon will have, as the show is only based upon one book in George R.R. Martin's canon rather than seven like its predecessor, Game of Thrones.
So, how many seasons will House of the Dragon have? Let's find out!
How many seasons will 'House of the Dragon' have?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the first season of House of the Dragon includes a 10-year time jump, with "additional multiyear time jumps" throughout the 10-episode season, since the show chronicles a generational war.
Of course, most fans understand that an entire civil conflict cannot be portrayed successfully in just 10 episodes; therefore, they are already begging for future installments. Season 2, unfortunately, will only have eight episodes in it, leaving the cast and crew with less time to cover this new installment of the story.
A few sources revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that the series would be much shorter than its predecessor. They added that while nothing is set in stone, "the current Targaryen storyline is currently plotted to run only about three or four seasons."
In a post on his blog, George actually shared his ideal run time for the series, but it already seems like HBO is cutting the timeline shorter than he would like.
"It is going to take four full seasons of 10 episodes each to do justice to the Dance of the Dragons, from start to finish," he wrote on his blog in 2022. That said, The Hollywood Reporter also previously speculated that the show could span other events in the Targaryen dynasty, moving past the events unfolding in George's novel Fire & Blood.
"The Targaryens span both directions," showrunner Miguel Sapochnik told The Hollywood Reporter. "So as a spine to other possible stories and spinoff ... this is a great place to start."
Has 'House of the Dragon' been renewed for Season 3?
At this time, there's no official word from HBO as to if the show will be renewed for a third season — but it seems likely. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner and co-creator Ryan Condal confirmed that writing for the next season is already well underway. "The writing is always done on the show because it has to be. You cannot prep a show that is this complex [otherwise]," he said.
Though he gave no word on just how many seasons they're planning to span the series into, it seems the endgame is something already being considered.
"You certainly don't want to rush to get to an end, but you also don't want to overstay your welcome," he continued. "You want to find this very satisfying place to go out that ties up enough loose ends and leaves others intentionally open because, as we know, this history marches on for another 150 years to Daenerys."
Though there may not be any confirmed seasons just yet, know that those making House of the Dragon are already planning for the show to be renewed — meaning the wait time for a potential Season 3 won't be terribly long.
Season 2 of House of the Dragon premieres on Sunday, June 16 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO and HBO Max.