House of the Dragon: How many episodes left, is season 2 confirmed and why Milly Alcock isn't in it

House of the Dragon is a prequel to the hit show Game Of Thrones, taking place 200 years before the main show and centering around House Targaryen – and their many dragons.

The spin off, based on novelist George R.R. Martin’s 2018 book Fire & Blood, uses familiar locations from Game Of Thrones such as Dragonstone (home of the Targaryen family) and King’s Landing, where King Viserys sits on the Iron Throne.

While the original series focused on the Starks, Baratheons and Lannisters, they have taken a significant back seat in the show so far, as the Targaryen’s dominated the land and the skies at the time the series is set.

House of the Dragon boasts a star-studded cast, including former Dr Who star Matt Smith, Paddy Considine as King Viserys and Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower.

How many episodes are left?

So far, seven episodes of House of the Dragon have been broadcast by HBO.

Roughly £20m was spent by the company on each episode, with high-quality CGI and massive battle scenes – just like its predecessor.

The most recent, titled Driftmark, was released last Sunday.

There are three episodes left of this series, with series one culminating in an episode called The Black Queen.

UK viewers can watch new episodes on Sky Atlantic.

Not much is known about how series one will end – but later Game Of Thrones seasons typically ended with large-scale battles.

Will there be a season two?

Soon after the release of season one by HBO, the broadcaster confirmed that a second season was in the works.

It came just a few days after the release of episode one, with an announcement on the official House of the Dragon Twitter.

Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming, said: ‘Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see-TV.

‘We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season two.’

There has been no further news on when season two will begin filming, or when it will be broadcast on TV.

What happened to Milly Alcock

Young Australian actress Milly Alcock was considered by many fans to be one of the standout stars of the first season.

The 22-year-old played a young Rhaenyra Targaryen in the first few episodes, stealing the show with her screen presence and line delivery.

But after five episodes, the series took a time jump and aged up Rhaenyra, who is now played by Emma D’Arcy.

The show’s writers have confirmed that Alcock will not be appearing in season two – and there has been no indication of any flashbacks that she will appear in.