House Of The Dragon bosses have announced that the show’s upcoming second series will be slightly shorter than its predecessor.
A spokesperson for HBO – the network on which the Game Of Thrones prequel airs in the US – confirmed to Deadline that season two will be made up of just eight instalments, compared to season one’s 10 episodes.
They were also insistent that these changes were “story-driven”, rather than a cost-cutting exercise amid internal changes at the broadcaster, with Deadline also reporting that the changes form “part of a long-term plan for the show”.
A second season of House Of The Dragon was announced last year, while the first run was still in the middle of airing.
However, fans probably shouldn’t start counting down the days until its return any time soon, as it’s not expected to be back on our screens until 2024.
“We’re just starting to put the plan together, and just like last time, there are so many unknowns,” HBO Max boss Casey Bloys said in October.
“It’s not to be coy or secretive, but you don’t want to say it’s going to be ready on this date, and then you have to move it.”
Despite a decidedly lukewarm response from viewers and critics to Game Of Thrones’ final season, House Of The Dragon was met with largely positive reviews when it debuted last autumn.
That being said, the prequel was criticised by some due to its graphic content, particularly relating to scenes depicting childbirth.
Many viewers also had another major complaint about one factor that made the show difficult to follow.
All 10 episodes of House Of The Dragon are available to watch in the UK on the streaming service Now.
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