House of the Dragon Season 2 to Get Less Episodes Than Season 1

The sophomore season of HBO's latest fantasy hit is going to be a little bit shorter than its predecessor. House of the Dragon broke ratings records for HBO when it debuted last year, riding the popularity of the original Game of Thrones to become an instant hit. It came as no surprise when the premium network renewed House of the Dragon less than a week after the series premiered. Now, as production gets ready to begin on Season 2, some details about its length are coming to light.

According to Deadline, House of the Dragon Season 2 will be a shorter than Season 1 by a couple of episodes. House of the Dragon's second installment will consist of eight total episodes, down two from Season 1's total. Not to worry, this reduction in episodes isn't because HBO doesn't want to pour resources into the show anymore — it actually seems to be the opposite.

House of the Dragon is a tentpole for HBO, and the network is already plotting the show's future with the creative team. HBO is reportedly already looking to give the go-ahead on House of the Dragon Season 3. The eight episode count for Season 2 is what this next chunk of the story calls for, paving the way for the next chapter in the third season.

Deadline's report suggests that showrunner Ryan Condal and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin took a step back ahead of Season 2, attempting to map out a more longterm vision for the series. This allowed them to figure out exactly how to break down the events of Fire & Blood and how they wanted to split the story between seasons. This has apparently moved a "major battle" and a few big story points from Season 2 to Season 3. This would likely mean the series would run for a total of four seasons.

The future of House of the Dragon beyond Season 2 is still being decided by HBO and the creators, but the immediate future appears to be pretty set. House of the Dragon Season 2 is beginning production in the UK very soon, with sights set on a Summer 2024 premiere.

Are you excited for the future of House of the Dragon on HBO? Let us know in the comments!