House of the Dragon season 2 will now be shorter than season 1, Deadline reports, with the next installment consisting of eight episodes instead of 10.
According to the publication, an HBO source said that the reasoning behind cutting two episodes from the season was story-driven, as showrunner Ryan Condal works on a "big-picture" view of the series. A portion of the plot originally intended for season 2, including a major battle, has now been moved to season 3. While this hasn't been officially greenlit yet, HBO is reportedly eyeing up an early renewal for the series, with the network seriously considering committing to moving ahead with scripts, casting, and a production plan.
House of the Dragon is based on Martin's book Fire & Blood, which tells the story of House Targaryen. Set nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series follows the civil war between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her former childhood best friend-turned-stepmother Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) that became known as the 'Dance of the Dragons'.
