House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal revealed that Baela and Rhaena Targaryen will both have a larger role to play in Season 2.
Speaking at the Game Of Thrones Official Fan Convention, Condal stated that twin sisters Baela and Rhaena are characters "you'll be seeing more of in season 2." A deleted scene from Season 1 would have further confirmed their importance to the story, though Condal explained that the scene was inevitably cut due to concern from HBO about the episode's runtime, particularly in international markets.
"We felt like the finale ended up being, as many of our episodes did, so long at the end," Condal said. "In certain cases, HBO was very open and willing to go along, particularly in Episode 6 when we introduce all the new cast. In other cases, they were just like, 'We need to hold to it,' because they release the show all over the world and some people work commercials into the show." The scene in question, which was screened at the convention, saw Baela at Dragonstone while Rhaenyra (played by Emma D'Arcy) is in labor. In the show, Baela is portrayed by Bethany Antonia while Rhaena is portrayed by Phoebe Campbell. They are the daughters of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon.
House of the Dragon Renewed for Season 2
Following its series premiere, House of the Dragon has already been renewed for a second season by HBO. Based on the novel Fire & Blood written by George RR Martin, House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of the original HBO series Game of Thrones and follows the rise and fall of House Targaryen.
Previously, Martin explained that House of the Dragon will need four seasons to adequately tell the full story of the Targaryen civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons. However, he noted that if the show had 13 episodes each season, it would be "too slow." He said, "As it is, I am thrilled that we still have 10 hours every season to tell our tales, it is going to take four full seasons of 10 episodes each to do justice to the Dance of the Dragons, from start to finish."
While House of the Dragon has been renewed for Season 2, HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys hinted that the next installment will arrive much later than anticipated and likely won't release until 2024. "We're just starting to put the plan together [for Season 2], and just like last time, there are so many unknowns," Bloys said. "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."
All episodes of House of the Dragon are available to stream on HBO Max. Season 2 does not yet have a release date.
Source: Game Of Thrones Official Fan Convention via EW, YouTube