House of the Dragon was once supposed to have a longer Season 2, but everything changed behind the scenes before production.
A report from Deadline in March 2023 claimed that "the initial plan was for another 10-episode arc," plans that "eventually changed."
While an HBO spokesperson "stressed that the episode count trim was story-driven," House of the Dragon producer Sara Hess admitted to Entertainment Weekly that cutting two episodes "wasn't really [their] choice."
Here's Why House of the Dragon Season 2 Was Shorter
In a new report from Deadline about why so many streaming series produced fewer episodes in their second seasons, the outlet briefly shed light on why House of the Dragon Season 2 only had eight of its initially intended 10-episode-run.
Deadline claimed that, according to its sources, the decision to trim Season 2 occurred in early 2023.
The choice was partly fueled by strike production contingency preparations (a wise choice given the two massive strikes, WGA & SAG-AFTRA, that followed), but also to make sure the season would make its intended debut in Summer 2024.
Needless to say, these reasonings make a lot more sense than the initially claimed story reasons.
How Many Episodes Will House of the Dragon Season 3 Have?
It's unclear why Warner Bros. Discovery did not speak on this decision to trim the number of episodes in House of the Dragon Season 2—as the choice and its reasonings aren't exactly scandalous. Looking forward, however, how many episodes House of the Dragon Season 3 will consist of is unconfirmed.
According to House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal during a press conference for the show, filming is set to start in "earlyish 2025," with other rumors indicating a more precise start window in March.
If the release of Season 3 follows the production timeline of Season 2, then new episodes of House of the Dragon should arrive around May 2026 (or simply that larger summer window).
Many audiences did not like the shortening of Season 2. They felt that the lack of a climactic battle at the end of the season hindered the story's drive and impact.
At the very least, Season 3 should start with a bang, seeing the massive Battle of King's Landing (that would have been initially at the end of Season 2) unfold brutally.
The first two seasons of House of the Dragon are streaming on Max.
