'House of the Dragon' has extended its reshoot schedule — will that affect the season 2 release date?

Will "House of the Dragon" fans have to wait even longer than expected for season 2 of the HBO hit? That might be the worry after word hit that the "Game of Thrones" prequel series has entered into an extended period of battle reshoots for its second season. 

According to Redaian Intelligence, "House of the Dragon" began reshoots in the UK for the upcoming season earlier this month, with filming reportedly stretching through the middle of March. The subject of the reshoots is thought to be the Battle at Rook's Rest, a conflict that takes place in the Crownlands during the Dance of the Dragons succession war between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her half-brother Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney). Principal photography of the battle was rumored to take place over the course of two weeks in August 2023.

Per that outlet, a source spotted a casting notice for a "massive HBO drama" called "A Red Gun," which is a known codename used for "House of the Dragon." (Given how secretive production was throughout eight seasons of "Game of Thrones," an extra level of caution to keep secrets and avoid spoilers isn't a surprise.) The listing was for a battle scene and would require the actors cast to be comfortable wearing a good deal of fake blood. 

Given the size and scope of a fantasy epic like "House of the Dragon," reshoots are a common occurrence in TV and film production, and as such are often planned into the production schedule. We don't, then, have cause to believe that the reshoots should alter the planned release window for the show's second season. 

Last month, series star Matt Smith — who portrays Rhaenyra's uncle-slash-husband Daemon Targaryen in the hit HBO series — revealed that the Emmy-winning fantasy series would be coming back for its second season this August. However, HBO network chief Casey Bloys previously set the season 2 release date to be "early summer 2024," so to play it safe, we're keeping an eye on the whole warm-weather period. 

Production on the series' second season already faced delays due to the lengthy WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes last year. Similarly, filming for the first season in 2021 faced its own challenges, with positive COVID cases forcing a pause in production. Fingers crossed that those season 2 reshoots are simply last-minute touches on another stellar season of fire-breathing dragons and familial backstabbing. 

Tom's Guide will keep you updated on exactly when "House of the Dragon" season 2 is scheduled to premiere and if those planned reshoots delay things. In the meantime, Westeros fans can revisit both "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon" with a Max subscription.