House of the Dragon season 2 will be shorter, with major plot points moving to season 3

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.

It seems likely now that House of the Dragon will run for four seasons, as Condal and source material author George R.R. Martin have reportedly been going back and forth over the number of seasons needed to tell the full story and deliberating over three of four. The pair have yet to reach a final decision, though.

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'. 

While we wait for House of the Dragon season 2 to arrive on our screens, check out our picks of the other best new TV shows coming our way in 2023 and beyond.