The dragons are coming.
House of the Dragon season two will be debut on HBO in June Warner Bros. Discovery streaming and gaming chief J.B. Perrette revealed March 4 during Morgan Stanley's Technology, Media and Telecom conference, according to Variety.
While HBO has yet to share the Games of Thrones prequel's official season premiere date co-creator Ryan Condal confirmed last April that season two had begun production with cast members Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno and Rhys Ifans among those set to return.
And while many productions were shut down last summer as part of the SAG-AFTRA strike, House of the Dragon's filming was able to go ahead as schedule as the show falls under the UK Equity contract.
As for where season two finds the feuding factions of the Targaryen family? Well, likely nowhere closer to reconciliation as season one ended with the shocking death of Queen Rhaenyra's (D'Arcy) young son Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), who was killed in the season one finale. And while the first season was noted for its violence, season two will be taking it up a notch.
"Season one was setting the table for a very bloody feast to come," Condal told Entertainment Weekly in October 2022. "The reason that I wanted to really spend our time doing this is because I wanted everybody to understand who all of these characters were and the long history they had behind them—behind their fathers and their grandfathers—that led us to this point where they end up fighting a civil war against each other."
And as he noted, "this is not Starks vs. Lannisters" as seen on Game of Thrones—which takes place more than 150 years after the events in The House of the Dragon.
"It's incredibly messy and complex and gray, and it's one family fighting each other," Condal continued. "This is an extended family doing battle with one another. So it's harder to find those entrenched sides."
While we wait for House of the Dragon, keep reading to find out when all your other favorite shows will return this year.
Virgin River (Netflix) - Dec. 19
This sixth season promises fresh twists and turns, escalating love triangles, delightful wedding drama, as well as uncovered secrets from Mel’s father’s past which will transport us to the magic and mystique of Virgin River in the 1970s.
Laid (Peacock) - Dec. 19
In the new series, a woman finds out her former lovers are dying in unusual ways and must go back through her sex timeline to confront her past in order to move forward. Laid is a f--ked up rom-com where the answer to “why can’t I find love, is there something wrong with me?” is a resounding “Yes. There is. The problem is definitely you.”
Ilana Glazer: Human Magic (Hulu) - Dec. 20
The Broad City alum tackles everything from motherhood to being a stoner in her new stand-up special.
Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays (CBS) - Dec. 20
Hosted and executive produced by Josh Groban, the special features a new format combining compelling stories, music, comedy and a live adoption on stage, celebrating the creation of a new family. Musical performances include holiday classics, new releases and original duets with Groban and his guests, including James Bay, Jennifer Hudson, Tori Kelly and The War And Treaty.
2024 Back That Year Up with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson (Peacock) - Dec. 23
2024 Back That Year Up With Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson returns for a third annual special highlighting the biggest moments of the year. The comedic duo will close out the year with their unfiltered humor as they recap the past year of pop culture, sports, social media and politics. The special will feature guest appearances from the year’s most talked about celebrities, including Nate Bargatze, Mookie Betts, Kenny G, Blake Griffin, Jon Hamm, Jonquel Jones, Seth Meyers, mgk and Rashida ‘Sheedz’ Olayiwola.
The Flipping El Moussas (HGTV) - Dec. 26
Real estate power couple Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa will continue to grow their working relationship while juggling the addition of a rambunctious toddler to their busy family life in the newest season of their follow-doc series.
The season will kick off in Hawthorne, California, where Tarek and Heather Rae tackle their most extreme flip project to date.
Squid Game 2 (Netfix) - Dec. 26
Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.