Good news, TV lovers: Mindy Kaling is continuing her apparent mission to make television about all stages of girlhood. After already tackling high school in her Netflix show Never Have I Ever and college in HBO's The Sex Lives of College Girls, Kaling is taking on that awkward time between college graduation and full, independent adulthood in her new Hulu show, Not Suitable for Work.

So, what is Not Suitable for Work about? The comedy, on which Kaling serves as executive producer, follows five 20-somethings living in N.Y.C.—roommates Abby and AJ, and their sometimes annoying, sometimes sweet, neighbors Kel, Davis, and Josh. They live across the hall from one another in matching, unrealistically spacious apartments, and though they're all career-driven, something tells me their lives will soon become more entangled than they might expect. Think of it like a Gen Z coming-of-age take on Friends.

Not Suitable for Work premieres Tuesday, June 2, on Hulu and Disney+, and while things might start pretty straightforward, it's only a matter of time before things get messy for Abby, AJ, Kel, Davis, and Josh. So, as you dive into the show, you're going to need some help keeping all the cast and characters straight. Here's everything you need to know about the cast of Not Suitable for Work.

Avantika as Abhinaya 'Abby' Chilukuri

Newly single Abby is focusing on work as a demanding stylist's assistant over love, which works out great—until she's hired to style a hot young actor. Meanwhile, she's welcoming her new roommate and college BFF, AJ, to the city while also getting closer to the lovable trio of men who live down the hall.

Avantika, 21, made history early in her career as the first Indian American lead in the 2021 Disney Channel Original Movie, Spin. Since then, she's continued to make a name for herself on the big screen. You probably recognize her as Karen from the Mean Girls movie musical, or maybe from the horror films Tarot and Pretty Lethal.

Avantika's Instagram: @avantika

Ella Hunt as AJ Pascarelli

AJ, Abby's best friend and new roommate, arrives in N.Y.C. to start her job as a financial analyst. She's eager for success and won't let anything, including her new attractive neighbors, distract her.

Ella Hunt, 28, is best known for her role in Apple TV+'s Dickinson and for playing Gilda Radner in Saturday Night. She's also a singer. Her debut album Blindspot will be released on June 5, and you can listen to the titular single, “Blindspot” now.

Ella Hunt's Instagram: @ellahunt

Nicholas Duvernay as Kel Washington

Kel lives across the hall from Abby and AJ with his two best friends. He's a med student by day, an actor by night. When he's not fainting at the sight of a dead body in the cadaver lab, he's pursuing his real passion: acting. Oh, and occasionally trying to sweep Abby off her feet.

Nicholas Duvernay, 26, is best known for his breakout role as Zion in The White Lotus season 3. Before that, he made a name for himself appearing on various television shows, including Tyler Perry's Assisted Living and Bel-Air. He recently appeared in the Colleen Hoover adaptation Reminders of Him.

Nicholas Duvernay's Instagram: @nicholasduvernay

Will Angus as Davis Beau Bradley Barrett III

Davis Beau Bradley Barrett III, Kel's roommate, might seem like a bro on the outside—what with his impressive name and his job as a financial analyst—but he's actually more of a romantic than a workhorse. He's on a quest to find his one true love, and he might luck out when AJ moves in across the hall...

Will Angus, 27, is best known for appearing in the YouTube sketch comedy show Almost Friday TV, and you might recognize him from his viral TikToks.

Will Angus' Instagram: @angus_william

Jack Martin as Josh Teitelbaum

Rounding out the boys' apartment is Josh Teitelbaum, a nepo baby who struggles to walk the line between acknowledging his privilege and abusing it. His dream is to work on a prestigious news show, but will he be taken seriously once he gets there?

Jack Martin, 27, got his big break in 2021, playing Josh Harris in three seasons of La Brea. He's since appeared on The Rookie, Almost Friday TV alongside Will Angus, and, most recently, starred in the new stoner comedy Pizza Movie. You might also recognize him from Lili Reinhart's Instagram, as the two have been dating since 2023.

Jack Martin's Instagram: @realjackmartin

Jay Ellis as Bill Gibson

Finance titan Bill Gibson is not a man you want to mess with. He expects perfection from all his employees, including first-year analyst AJ and her coworker Davis.

Jay Ellis, 44, is best known for playing Martin ‘Lawrence’ Walker on HBO's Insecure. He also starred in Top Gun: Maverick, Somebody I Used to Know, and plays Jay Brown on Mindy Kaling's Netflix show, Running Point.

Jay Ellis' Instagram: @jayrellis

Constance Wu as Vanessa Hsu

Celebrity stylist Vanessa Hsu demands loyalty from her assistant, Abby, and expects only the best—or else.

Constance Wu is best known for her breakout role as Jessica Huang in the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. She also helped revive the rom-com with Crazy Rich Asians and starred in the under-appreciated 2019 hit Hustlers. She previously worked with Kaling on the writer's animated Velma series, in which she voiced Daphne.

Constance Wu's Instagram: @constancewu

Victor Garber as Wes Dryden

Wes Dryden is a renowned investigative reporter and host of The West Dryden Show, A.K.A. Josh's icon. He also just so happens to recognize Josh as the son of David Teitelbaum, the network's chairman.

In his decades-long career, Victor Garber has played everything from King Maximillian in 1997's Cinderella (yes, the one starring Brandy and Whitney Houston) to Oliver Warbucks in Annie (1999), and one half of the superhero Firestorm on The Flash and the short-lived Legends of Tomorrow. You might also recognize him as Professor Callahan from Legally Blonde or Jack Bristow from Alias.

Victor Garber's Instagram: @therealvictorgarber

Harry Richardson as Austin Blanchett

Austin Blanchett (yes, as in Cate—they are fictionally related) is a rising star and British heartthrob, as well as a client of Vanessa Hsu's. And he might be the first man to test the limits of Abby's professionalism.

Harry Richardson, 33, is an Australian actor who is best known for playing Larry Russell in The Gilded Age.

Harry Richardson's Instagram: @harryrrichardson

May Hong as Jocelyn

Jocelyn is Davis and AJ's no-nonsense coworker, so committed to the job that she's sacrificed her own health. Though not particularly warm, she's there for Davis and AJ in times of need.

May Hong, 37, is an artist and model who got her big break in front of the camera in 2019, starring as Margot Park in Tales of the City. In the years since, she's appeared in multiple TV shows, including Hacks and Fantasmas, but she's best known for voicing Mira in the hit animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters.

Long before it arrived on Hulu, Perfect Crown was set to become the biggest K-drama of the year (so far). MBC and Disney+'s fantasy-romance series stars two of Korea's most famous stars—When Life Gives You Tangerines alum IU and Lovely Runner's Byeon Woo-seok—in a reimagining of the country as a 21st-century constitutional monarchy. (Think the British royals but with modern hanboks.)

Perfect Crown centers on two second children who defy societal expectations to make their own destiny. Seong Hui-ju (IU) is a successful businesswoman whose ambition is curtailed by her status as a commoner and an illegitimate child. Grand Prince I-AN (Byeon) is the most powerful man in the country, but he also lives under the most restrictions. When the pair strikes up a marriage of convenience, their growing romance challenges multiple hierarchies.

Since its April 10 premiere, Perfect Crown has become a smash hit across the globe, with the rom-com earning Disney+'s biggest K-drama premiere to date and trending in over 40 countries. This is thanks in large part to its talented cast, with rising stars like Gong Seung-yeon and Lee Yeon becoming quick fan favorites. With Perfect Crown airing on Fridays and Saturdays up to its May 16 finale, read on to learn more about the stars bringing the Disney+/Hulu hit to life.

IU as Seong Hui-ju

Seong Hui-ju is the CEO of Castle Beauty and the second child of Castle Group, the country's top conglomerate. Her ruthless and competitive nature comes from a lifetime on the margins: Though she's wealthy and successful, her status as a commoner and illegitimate child means nobles look down upon her. Since marriage is necessary for her standing, she decides to aim for the top.

IU (real name Lee Ji-eun), 32, is a singer-songwriter and actress who's one of the most popular stars in South Korea. She made her singing debut at the age of 15 and rose to fame with hit songs including 2010's "Good Day," 2017's "Palette," 2020's "Eight," and 2024's "Love Wins All." On the acting side, she has starred in award-winning dramas and films, including My Mister, Hotel del Luna, Broker, and When Life Gives You Tangerines. She also hosts the YouTube interview series IU's Palette.

Instagram: @dlwlrma

Byeon Woo-seok as Crown Prince I-AN

I-AN is the second son of the royal family and the younger brother of the late king. He was raised to be quiet and obedient, hiding his fiery temper and ignoring his ambitions. But everything changes when the king unexpectedly dies, leaving his toddler son as the only heir. Three years after becoming regent, I-AN must choose between supporting his young nephew and his hidden ambition for the throne.

Perfect Crown is Byeon Woo-seok's first K-drama since he rose to global fame with his role as Ryu Sun-jae in the time-travel romance Lovely Runner. The 34-year-old model made his acting debut in the 2016 drama Dear My Friends and went on to star in shows and movies like Search: WWW, Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency, Record of Youth, Strong Girl Nam Soon, 20th Century Girl, and Soulmate. He's also an award-winning singer; his contribution to the Lovely Runner soundtrack, "Sudden Shower," won multiple Best OST prizes.

Instagram: @byeonwooseok

Steve Sanghyun Noh as Min Jeong-u

Jeong-u is one of the country's most popular nobles; he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather to become prime minister. Unpredictable and influential, the political heir is also I-an's closest friend and confidant. All that changes when I-an becomes interested in Hui-ju, Jeong-u's old friend.

Noh Sang-hyun (English name, Steve Noh) spent his childhood living in Vancouver, Canada, and attended college in Boston. He made his acting debut in Korea with small roles in films like Bad Man and Seoul Searching, before landing his breakout roles as Isak in Apple TV's adaptation of Pachinko, and Heung-soo in the 2024 LGBTQ+ movie Love in the Big City. Next up, he'll reunite with his Pachinko co-star Kim Min-ha for the Netflix rom-com Messily Ever After.

Instagram: @steveshnoh

Gong Seung-yeon as Yun I-rang

Yun I-rang was raised from childhood to be the perfect queen, valuing grace and decorum over her own desires. In the years since her husband's death, the now-Queen Dowager will do anything to guarantee her son's eventual place on the throne. Her tight control over the royal family is threatened when Hui-ju enters the picture.

Gong Seung-yeon, 33, spent seven years as an SM vocal trainee before pivoting to acting in 2012. (Her younger sister is TWICE's Jeongyeon.) She's best known for her roles in the dramas Six Flying Dragons, Introverted Boss, Bulgasal: Immortal Souls, The First Responders, and Karma. In 2021, she won Best New Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. In Perfect Crown, she reunites with Byeon Woo-seok, her co-star in the 2019 period drama Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency.

Instagram: @0seungyeon

Yoo Su-bin as Choi Hyeon

Choi Hyeon, aide to the Crown Prince, is played by Yu Su-bin. Since his debut in 2016, the 33-year-old actor has starred in several hit K-dramas, including Crash Landing on You, Prison Playbook, Special Labor Inspector Jo, Start-Up, Lost, D.P., and Tastefully Yours. He also played Choi Hyo-man in Netflix's thriller K-drama Weak Hero Class 2.

Instagram: @subinyu1106

Lee Yeon as Do Hye-jeong

Lee Yeon plays Hui-ji's loyal assistant Hye-jeong. The 31-year-old actress rose to fame with roles in the 2020 LGBTQ+ movie Take Me Home and the 2022 drama Juvenile Justice; the latter earned her a Best New Actress nomination at that year's Baeksang Arts Awards. Since then, she has also appeared in shows and films like Weak Hero Class 1, Crash Course in Romance, Duty After School, D.P., and Kill Boksoon.

Instagram: @kiteleeflying

Lee Jae-won as Seong Tae-ju

Hui-ju's only competition in inheriting Castle Group is her half-brother Tae-ju. Though he's older, Tae-ju has come up second to Hui-ju in every way but two: He's a legitimate child, and he's married to a noblewoman.

Lee Jae-won, 39, has played supporting roles in dozens of K-dramas. Some of his notable credits include Doctor Stranger, The Legend of the Blue Sea, Stranger, Record of Youth, Mr. Queen, Dr. Brain, Welcome to Samdal-ri, and The Tale of Lady Ok.

Chae Seo-an as Han Da-yeong

Tae-ju's wife, Da-yeong, is the eldest daughter of the former Minister of Justice. Though many think their marriage was a strategic alliance, the couple actually married for love.

Chae Seo-an (birth name Byeon Seo-yun), 29, made her acting debut in 2020 and has since appeared in dramas like Police University, Hellbound, and Pro Bono. She also had scene-stealing roles in two Netflix K-dramas. She played scheming teacher Han Ji-soo in Hierarchy, and the young version of Bu Sang-gil’s long-suffering wife, Young-ran, in When Life Gives You Tangerines.

Instagram: @serenity__an

Jo Seung-yeon as Seong Hyeon-guk

Hui-ju and Tae-ju's domineering father, Seong Hyeon-guk, is determined to have his son take over Castle Group, no matter how much better Hui-ji is for the role. Hyeon-guk is played by Jo Seung-yeon, a prolific TV and film actor who's appeared in dozens of projects. Some of his most notable K-dramas include Six Flying Dragons, Suspicious Partner, Arthdal Chronicles, Hospital Playlist, Little Women, Blind, The First Responders, My Dearest, and Bon Appetit, Your Majesty.

Lindsay Lohan's decision to work with stylist Andrew Mukamal—who was behind Margot Robbie's Barbie press tour outfits—to promote Freakier Friday was super smart. From channeling Cher Horowitz in Clueless to referencing her own character from Freaky Friday, Lohan hasn't wasted a single moment of promotion.

On Friday, August 22, the Our Little Secret star surprised fans at a Freakier Friday screening in New York, and she did so in an exceedingly eye-catching shimmery outfit, accessorized with jaw-dropping precision. For the event, Lohan wore a pair of delicate white silky pants and an Oscar de la Renta Metallic Embroidered Tulle Top, which retails for $7,290. The statement strapless corset is adorned with metallic leaf embroidery, giving the illusion of a sheer top.

Meanwhile, fan photos taken at the event revealed that Lohan accessorized her sleek outfit with a rare Hermès Mini Kelly II 20 Metallic Doré Chamkilight Chèvre. The enviable gold purse regularly trades hands for more than $48,000 (and can be found listed for upwards of $89,000), features permabrass hardware, and is constructed from a tonal lambskin.

Finally, a gold Panthère de Cartier watch, loved by a plethora of celebrities, including Taylor Swift and Kylie Jenner, completed Lohan's outfit. The iconic timepiece retails for $24,600.

In an interview with The New York Times, Lohan opened up about her experience of growing up in Hollywood. "It took me time to understand the value of the word 'no,'" the actress explained. "When you have so many opportunities thrown at you at a young age, it all looks shiny and flashy and exciting, but there has got to be a minute where you stop and regroup. Learning how to say 'no' is very important, especially now with a kid."

Sasheer Zamata knew she was the perfect person to play MCU sorceress Jennifer Kale before Marvel did. In 2022, the actress and comedian recorded a stand-up special about how women have been mistreated in society over centuries, from gender bias in healthcare to abysmal sex education to the negative stereotype of the witch. She released the special the following year under the title The First Woman, but, initially, it was to be named The Witching Hour. As the planetary alignments would have it, in the interim she landed a role in another witchy project: Disney's WandaVision spinoff, Agatha All Along, about the fan-favorite witch Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn).

“Once they hired me, I emailed the creator [Jac Schaeffer] and the producer and I was like, ‘Did you know you hired a witch?’” Zamata tells Marie Claire. “It does feel like a dream. I've been a fan of Marvel for so long, and I was already doing so much research on witches for my own standup and my material. To be able to enter the MCU on a show like this… I couldn't have created a better idea.”

The Saturday Night Live and Home Economics alum plays Jennifer Kale, a centuries-old potions witch, midwife, and root worker who joins Harkness’s makeshift coven to walk the Witches’ Road, alongside other spellcasters played by Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, Ali Ahn, and Patti Lupone. Jennifer’s powers are bound (or non-operative) throughout the series, and she has been a loner within the witch community for quite some time. Zamata’s comedy chops, sparkling wit, and spooky sensibilities animate the character so perfectly that it’s hard not to support Jen, even though she’s also facing jail time after her popular beauty products gave hundreds of customers superficial burns.

Speaking over Zoom ahead of Agatha All Along’s finale on October 30, Zamata lights up while reminiscing on the limited series that so greatly aligns with her personal story, from her history with the House of Mouse—previously working as a costumed character at Disney World in the Disney College Program—to her obsession with the history of the occult and her queerness. It’s hard to ignore how this moment in Zamata’s career seems like magic, or "kismet," as she describes it.

Below, Zamata chats with Marie Claire about crafting Jennifer Kale’s “coastal grandma” aesthetic, working with Hahn on the characters’ contentious chemistry, and what new projects she’s manifesting.

MC: I love the mention that Jennifer's an 11th-generation root worker. Was that cultural specificity added when you entered the role, or was that already in the script?

SZ: It was already in the script. They really did want to focus on the different histories of different types of witches. [With] Jen being a potions witch, they wanted to have some nod to root workers, the history of passing down knowledge generation to generation, and also midwifery. I was so glad to be in a role that could display all of that because that's so rich in our history, and you don't see a lot of that stuff mentioned in mainstream content. I'm just glad to be a part of a show that cares about it.

MC: Witches are inherently political and Agatha All Along doesn’t shy from exploring that. How did it feel to be in a project actively exploring those subjects in Hollywood today?

SZ: Amazing. It really is all the things I talk about in my real life anyway, so to be able to create art that talks about that is exciting. I think people are more attuned to listening to that kind of stuff when it's in the framework of entertainment. There's humor and flashiness and action, but also you're learning and absorbing something.

MC: Viewers haven't gotten the full scope of Jennifer's backstory yet. How much of that have you discussed with the writers or thought through yourself?

SZ: We definitely talked about it—like, what was this character's journey from being a healer in her community and someone who people look to for help to literally hurting people and creating products that actually have harmed people? I think the binding had a lot to do with that, and disillusioned her to her work. As time has gone [on], the farther she is from the witch community, the farther she feels from her passion, her magic, and her creation. She became a snake oil salesman, and really didn't care about healing anymore. I think the self-care glean she's been presenting to people is easy for her because she presents as somebody who you should listen to. She does know how to make tinctures and things that people are into these days. But I think ultimately she doesn't care. The internal battle she has to get over is not caring about other people, and getting back to her roots as far as being someone who gets joy and satisfaction from helping the people around her.

MC: Jennifer challenges Agatha the most among the coven members. How did you juggle being pretty antagonistic while keeping with the comedy and lightness of your performance?

SZ: I think what Kathryn [Hahn] and I found with our characters is that they annoyed the hell out of each other, but there was a respect there. It became a very fun energy to play with her, where it's like, we're bickering, we're fighting, but ultimately I don't actually want to kill you. If it was up to me, I would rather not do this journey with you, but I don't hate you so much that I want you to die. It's a fun ebb and flow that you see throughout the series where they are fighting but also helping each other and fighting again and helping each other again. And I think that's a relationship you can develop over time. Both of these witches have been around for a really long time, so who knows what they have seen together, or what they've seen the other person do that made them hate the other person so much. It's a very fun dynamic to play as an actor because Kathryn is also so funny and so good at creating layered characters, so being able to bounce off of her was truly a joy.

MC: You sang a song from the show, “The Ballad of the Witches Road,” alongside the cast, including Patti Lupone, and Disney’s D23 event. Do you have a new level of, "No one can tell me anything?"

SZ: Absolutely, yes. Patti Lupone said I sound good, so I'm set. [laughs] Patti is, obviously, very talented, but also very down to do anything, and had no ego about her. She really wanted us to be an ensemble, and we were. I also have a choir background, so it feels so good when we harmonize and come together. Every time we sing that song, it feels truly magical and special. We didn't have to audition our voices for Agatha All Along. They didn't tell us that we had to sing for the show, but, thankfully, our voices blend so well together. I think that's kind of the magic of the show too, where we don't know if this group can get their shit together, if they can pull together and be a team, but there are glimpses of that. I think the song shows that, yes, we can work together and we can sound harmonious together. We're just getting in our own ways for why we can't do that.

MC: How did you and the Agatha team figure out Jennifer's look?

SZ: That was mostly Daniel Selon, the costume designer. I am assuming he wanted each witch to have their own type of theme. Jen, being a kind of Goop-like self-care guru, has a lighter, coastal grandma vibe, and I love it. There's probably a stereotype of witches as being very dark, having blacks and dark tones all the time. But I like that Agatha All Along is showing the variety of witches and what a witch can look like, what a witch can act like, how they can speak, because there's a whole community, and, of course, there are gonna be varying types of people within that community. I like that Jen's version of a witch is light and prissy and prim and proper and clean. The costumes also help inform the character; the boots that I wear change the way I walk, and the coats change my posture. It really adds to this level of flair that Jen is giving.

I'm so glad that they let me keep my shaved head because I love the look. I do think it fits Jen too, because she [likes] clean lines and no mess. I feel like she wouldn't be bothered or have time to deal with her hair, so she's just like, 'Shave it off. It's useless. Get it outta here.'

MC: I also love the tincture necklace.

SZ: Yeah, I love it too. My little potion bottle. It's funny because even though Jen has felt so removed from the witch community, you can tell she still wants to be a part of it. Why is she holding this potion bottle when she doesn't make potions anymore? I think, knowing that she's going on this adventure, it's a safety blanket. Like, at least I know this. I may not have my magic, but at least I know I have my potions. It ties her to her roots, really.

MC: Of the different types of witches on Agatha All Along, which one do you feel most drawn toward?

SZ: Maybe divination—being able to see the future or the past, and knowing what's about to happen. Although, I feel like that's a little bit of a curse too, because maybe I know too much or that would influence my behavior.

I also really love the potions aspect of it; being able to use your environment and use nature to heal and create magic is awesome. I'm trying to get in my yard more. I have a bunch of olive trees and I've been picking them for days, and maybe I'll make olive oil. I'm trying to work with my hands more, and it feels very satisfying when you're like, I made a thing. I used the resources from outside and put them inside, and now it's a creation that I can use on my body or in my body. That part feels very satisfying, and it's a thing that anybody can do.

I also like the practical magic that Agatha All Along is showing. It's not just [CGI] hand blasts; it's also things that we're creating with our hands and with our abilities that can be accessible to anybody.

MC: There are a lot of practical effects, too, like the kitchen flood in episode 3.

SZ: We got very wet. The water was real, the fire [in episode 4] was real. It was so cool to see the effects department come up with those things and be like, 'Okay, we need light to come from this area. How do we do that?' They really didn't want to VFX the stuff after the fact. It was really like in person, in front of you, and that really helps the performers with our performance. We get to feel like we're doing that thing or in that environment, because we're looking at it, we're not imagining it. We don't have to be like, 'I guess eventually there will be a thing that looks like that thing later.'

MC: You kind of manifested this role, but is there another topic you're currently fascinated with that you’d like to manifest into a future project?

SZ: That's a good homework assignment for me. I should be manifesting the next thing. I've always loved action. I like big, flashy action things, so that would be a nice manifested journey where I'm doing more of that. There's action in this show and I've done some thriller-y type things, but yeah, I want to blow shit up, and be a badass. That would be very exciting. I would also like to get into directing. I like being able to help tell other people's stories, but I would also love to put my voice out into the world in a different way, too. We'll see how that happens.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Boy Meets World actress Trina McGee is expecting her fourth child at the "tender age of 54," she announced on Instagram on Monday.

McGee, who portrayed Angela Moore on the cult '90s Disney Channel show between 1997 and 2000, wrote in a post, "At the tender age of 54 I have found myself pregnant. Please bless us with your prayers for a safe delivery. Thank you."

The actress, appropriately, set the message to the soundtrack of "Baby Love" by The Supremes, and captioned it, "Gonna sign off social media for a bit. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes in advance."

Fellow Boy Meets World actor Dan McNulty, who played Harvey "Harley" Keiner, commented, "Congratulations," while current Disney Channel star Kayden Muller wrote, "TRINAAAA!! Congratulations ... so so happy for you"

McGee shared another post earlier on Monday, which showed her enjoying a tropical vacation in Belize, glowing in a long skirt, turquoise crop top, and straw hat. Around the time she posted the pregnancy announcement, one fan commented, "the bump!" to which McGee replied simply, "yup"

McGee, who has also had small roles on the likes of All of Us, In the Cut, and Boy Meets World spin-off Girl Meets World (where one Sabrina Carpenter got her start!), is expecting her baby with husband Marcello Thedford, whom she married in 2008. She already shares children Langston and Ramia with ex-husband Randall Courtland Davis, and a third child from a previous relationship, per Us Weekly.

Thedford is an actor and power lifter, known for roles on the likes of Volcano and Employee of the Month.

2005’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the best examples of world-building put to screen in television history—thanks in large part to the show's fashion. The Nickelodeon animated series pulled its viewers into the magical universe of “benders,” by giving each of the world’s four nations—the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribe, and the Air Nomads—a distinct, recognizable aesthetic inspired by Asian and Indigenous cultures. The original ATLA also handled intricate character arcs and heavy themes around war and colonialism with a nuance that both kids and adults could appreciate, and the gorgeous 2D animation sucked every viewer deeply into the fantasy world. So Netflix’s new live-action adaptation had a tall order to meet when it came to bringing the beloved cartoon to life.

The streamer met the challenge with an impressive, charming flair by gathering a talented cast and crew filled with fans of the original cartoon, including costume designer Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh. While speaking with Marie Claire over Zoom, the Emmy winner—who previously worked on sci-fi/fantasy shows like The 100 and R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour— shared how she was able to successfully infuse real-world cultural inspirations into all of the outfits. It's something she hopes has lasting effects outside of Hollywood: “I hope that it inspires [viewers] to learn about other cultures and different parts of the world, to want to go visit them and understand them,” she says of the new series. 

Here, Khaki-Sadigh chats about her favorite costumes from the original series, her months-long research process, and the practicalities she considered while designing real-life versions of Team Avatar’s looks.

Marie Claire: How familiar were you with the original animated series when you got the opportunity to work on the Netflix show? 

Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh: I watched it a dozen times before I even got the job. When it was first announced that they were going to do a live-action series, I was like, ‘I want to work on this.’ This is a dream job.

Now knowing you're a fan, how did you approach honoring the original show while putting your own spin on the live-action clothes?

FKS: I definitely wanted to pay homage to the original. I think a lot of that comes through with the color palettes that we've chosen. [Also] keeping the silhouettes of the original animation and then breathing life into it with real-world materials and inspirations from the various cultures. The animation is more of a broader reference of the Asian and Indigenous cultures, so we went in and did a bit more specification—to give it a more dimension and narrow each culture in the show down to a specific group.

With the Southern Water Tribe, for example, we did take a lot from the Inuit culture. But I also learned that they did a lot of trades with certain other Indigenous groups and Northern Vikings, so we have a lot of those influences coming into [their clothing] as well. With the Northern Water tribe, we went a little bit more towards the Siberian Indigenous groups, such as the Yupiks and the Turkic tribes, to give it more variety and differentiation between the two fictional tribal nations. Then with the earth-benders, we see other cultures referenced. Omashu is very much based on Southeast Asian and Indian cultures. Whereas, there are smaller towns that we see in certain episodes that are based on other Asian cultures and Asian countries. So we brought in some Korean influences and some Vietnamese influences [for those]. We wanted to give [each nation’s aesthetic] a broader spectrum as opposed to just unifying everything under the one umbrella.

What were some of the challenges you faced in bringing these animated looks to life? 

FKS: It was definitely a lot of trial and error. You want to be authentic, but then you also have to take into consideration the fact that it is a show, and it is present-day as opposed to the mid-1800s, when the show is technically based on. They used a lot of materials back then that we don't use in the present-day. So it's just finding a balance of making the costumes look like they belong in that time period, but they're still comfortable enough for actors to wear today, and that they can move in it and fight and do all of their actions. We tested a lot of things. We built mockups and had stunt performers try to do fight moves in them to see what we had to change. Like if the weight of the armors were too heavy, or if they didn't sit properly, and [the actors] couldn't move their arms a certain way to do the bending that they needed to do. And we adjusted accordingly. We had a good enough chunk of time to do these trial-and-error runs to make sure that, once the garments were actually put on the performer, they were actually functional for them, and they could move and perform in them.

Is there a character who you really loved designing for, or one of the costumes that you're really proud of?

FKS: I cannot pick a favorite, to be honest. Every time a costume was done, and we would see it for the first time on camera, I think I cried a little bit because it felt so good. It felt surreal as a fan too, just to see everything come to life. 

Aang has the most recognizable look out of all of the characters. What was the process of figuring out his costume?

FKS: That one was the hardest one because it is one of the simpler ones out of all of them. Just because it's simple, it doesn't make it easy. We had to go through so many different materials to make sure that it flowed and moved with the air-bending. Then we had to make sure that the colors worked with the animation, but were also realistic at the same time. They had to work within our Air Nomad world, especially since the Southern Air Temple was based on Tibetan monks and their aesthetic [on the show] was pulled from that culture and their color palettes. We decided that, within the Air Nomads, we couldn't use any synthetic materials or anything that came from animals, just because of what that culture is based on. Everything had to be natural fibers. For the color of the Cape, I think we went through anywhere between like six and 10 different fabrics. We made so many different capes for him because the color kept shifting under the lights. So we had to find the perfect material and the perfect color, that moved, looked great, and didn't change color under the camera lights. One of the simplest costumes took us the longest time to figure out, but it was worth it.

The show also has so many great accessories from Katara’s necklace and Sokka’s bone choker to the Fire Nation crowns and helmets. What was the process of figuring out which accessories from the cartoon would be brought into live action?

FKS: We wanted to feature anything that was really iconic to the characters. Katara's necklace is a very big part of her character. It's a memento from her mother that sort of brings the North and the South together. It's all those little things that really made the characters in the animation. You look at that piece and you know exactly who that person is without them actually having it on. So those are the elements that we wanted to include.

Did it ever get overwhelming to handle something on this scale of world-building?

FKS: Absolutely, all the time. I did so much research and so much reading and talking to people from those cultures and learning from them. I probably spent like three or four months before I started the project—just between prepping for my interviews and then prepping to start conceptualizing once I had the job. I was constantly trying to learn more about the materials that were used and why they were used, and why certain cultures used certain colors and what it represented. There's how the materials moved; how the garments moved; how different ranks and social status affected and influenced the garments in that time period; the wars, the trade routes, and what was and wasn't traded, what was traded for what...all of those things. It really was a historical study of the cultures within the story as well as in real life. For example, Kyoshi is very much based on Japanese culture, and specifically Samurai culture. There's actually a group of female warriors in Japan called Onna-bu Geisha. A lot of the inspiration for the Kyoshi Warriors comes from those female samurai warriors.

Are there any looks you're looking forward to bringing to life in future seasons? 

I'd really love to do Ba Sing Se. That would be a world that I really would love to create, because I think there's just so much there that we can play on. I would love to do Ember Island. That was a really fun storyline in Book Three, and I think it would be really fun to realize that.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender is bringing the beloved cartoon series' main characters to life in an action-packed season featuring several new rising stars. Among the young cast is Korean-American actress Elizabeth Yu, who plays the terrifying badass Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation. While Azula only arrived in the second season of the original series, the new remake introduces the fan-favorite character from the start, and Yu gives an impressive performance as the daughter caught in a long-distance sibling rivalry with her brother Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu).

Even though ATLA is her first television role, Yu will be a familiar face to cinema fans, who first saw her Netflix debut in one of 2023's best drama movies. If you want to learn more about her, read on for a breakdown of Yu's career so far, as well as her romantic history with another well-known actor.

She previously starred in 'May December.'

Yu was born in October 2002 in New Jersey and only recently made her debut in Hollywood, with a supporting role in the 2022 indie film Somewhere In Queens. She made her Netflix debut last year in Todd Haynes' Oscar-nominated film May December, where she acted alongside Charles Melton and Julianne Moore as high school grad Mary Atherton-Yoo. Avatar: The Last Airbender is her first television role.

She's dating a fellow Netflix star.

On the romantic front, Yu has been in a relationship with Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo since 2018. The actors share an apartment (and three cats) in New Jersey and regularly post pics of each other on social media, including a sweet throwback from Yu's senior prom. They've also supported each other on red carpets, with Yu accompanying Matarazzo to the Stranger Things season 4 premiere, and Matarazzo serving as Yu's plus one for the May December and Avatar: The Last Airbender premieres.

In an interview with Refinery29, Yu said that the couple—who have been together since they were both 15—has aimed to keep their careers separate from their relationship. She also admitted that seeing his rise to fame with Stranger Things has given her inspiration for her own career. “Getting to see someone with such a huge heart navigate this industry is the best advice that I could be given,” she said, adding, “We’re both still trying to figure it out, and it’s really cool to be able to do it together.” 

She's unfazed about fan responses to her casting.

Yu recently opened up to Refinery29 about the controversial response to her casting as Azula, when fans took to social media to suggest she looked "too innocent" to play the notoriously brutal villain. In the interview, she explained that she didn't take the criticism seriously: “I think anybody playing this part would’ve gotten some kind of backlash.” She also described the character as “a girl boss,” but “evil,” adding, “Azula is my baby girl, she’s my boo thing. I love her.”

Instead, the Korean-American star said that she's more concerned with what her two younger sisters will think of the show, recognizing that ATLA and other recent Hollywood films have helped make strides in on-screen Asian American representation. “The idea that my little sisters are going to be able to watch TV and movies, and the likelihood of them getting to see someone that looks like them is so much higher, is such a win. It’s so healing to know that we’re creating an industry where little girls — little anyones — can feel like that,” she said.

Growing up in the spotlight isn't easy—just ask any of the former child stars from Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. But aside from long hours and mistreatment by the industry and fans alike, there's a less-discussed factor at play. How do you differentiate yourself from the character you've come to be known for?

Maisie Williams, for instance, signed on to play Arya Stark in Game of Thrones when she was only 12. "I was so lost for so long and I knew that I was, and when I couldn't pin down what I felt my identity was within that, it brought me a lot of discomfort,” the actress said to The Sunday Times (via People). "It's hard to even put myself back there and talk about how tough it was just because I think it's done."

The HBO series ran for eight seasons, coming to a close in 2019. Since then, Williams has appeared on a number of other TV shows, the most recent being Apple TV's The New Look, where she plays legendary designer Christian Dior's sister, Catherine. She's also experimented with daring new style looks, including a Matrix-inspired getup for the 2021 Met Gala and a slicked-back pixie cut.

And while Williams told The Sunday Times that she's now "a lot more comfortable in my own skin," that feeling of being "lost" affected her auditions for non-GOT projects.

"It was at its absolute worst when I also was the most out of touch with myself—not knowing your identity and that kind of thing—I think rejection at that point felt so personal, so painful," Williams told the U.K. outlet. "I'd solely compare myself to other actresses, and the way people looked, and all of the most destructive ways that you can compare yourself."

Williams' post-GOT journey hasn't always been easy, but the show did bring her lifelong friendships. She was one of two maids of honor at her costar Sophie Turner's wedding to Joe Jonas. The pair attended Kit Harington and Rose Leslie's 2018 wedding, too.

We have been robbed of what could have been the best TV show ever. We all loved the Lizzie McGuire show when we were younger (and now occasionally when we're hungover or sick in bed...), and it turns out that we were so close to the revival we yearned for!

A writer from the canceled Lizzie McGuire revival serious took to TikTok to share some details from the show, which had apparently already filmed two episodes before it was canceled?!

The original Lizzie McGuire ran from 2001 to 2004, and The Lizzie McGuire Movie came out in 2003, and took place in Rome, Italy. Both of them starred Hilary Duff as our iconic blonde.

Then in 2019, it was announced... a revival series was in the works!

Original cast members Adam Lamberg, Hallie Todd, Robert Carradine, and Jake Thomas were all confirmed to be returning, as well as the show's creator, Terri Minksy.

But in January 2020, after two episodes were filmed, Terri stepped away from her role as showrunner due to creative differences and the overall vision for Lizzie. Filming was put on hold (sob).

Duff then urged Disney+ to move the series to Hulu so that it could approach more mature storylines.

In a statement on her Instagram account, she wrote, "Was incredibly excited to launch Lizzie on D+ and my passion remains! However, I feel a huge responsibility to honor the fans’ relationship with Lizzie, who, like me, grew up seeing themselves in her. I’d be doing a disservice to everyone by limited the realities of a 30-year-old’s journey to live under the ceiling of a PG rating. It’s important to me that just as her experiences a preteen/teenager navigating life were authentic, her next chapters are equally as real and relatable. It would be a dream if Disney would let us move the show to Hulu, if they were interested, and I could bring this beloved character to life again."

Then, in March 2020, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that the new script had cheating and intimacy as central plot points, which Disney+ was not happy with.

Production remained paused until December 2020, when Duff confirmed the revival series was canceled, and hearts broke across the world.

Again, she took to Instagram to personally share the news with her fans and wrote, "I’ve been so honored to have the character of Lizzie in my life. She has made such a lasting impact on many, including myself. To see fans’ loyalty and love for her, to this day, means so much to me. I know the efforts and conversations have been everywhere trying to make a reboot work but, sadly and despite everyone’s best efforts, it isn’t going to happen. I want any reboot of Lizzie to be honest and authentic to who Lizzle would be today. It’s what the character deserves. We can all take a moment to mourn the amazing woman she would have been and the adventures we would have taken with her. I’m very sad, but I promise everyone tried their best and the stars just didn’t align. Hey no, this is what 2020s made of.”

And that was that... until now!

Now, one of the writers of the canceled show, Jonathan Hurwitz, has taken to TikTok to reveal details about the show's storyline.

He revealed that Lizzie would've been working in New York City as an interior designer, which makes sense given how fun and colorful her bedroom always was. She was dating a hot chef, who is then revealed to have been cheating on her with her best friend (please tell me it's not Miranda!).

Lizzie then returns home to California, and this part is actually filmed in the original house. Cartoon Lizzie has been waiting there for her, which is too cute.

She meets up with Gordo and discovers he is engaged, and his fiancée is pregnant. Supposedly, this means they weren't meant to be endgame, but I feel like some reveals were on the way...

Then, she receives a message from Ethan and goes to meet him. The next episode starts with her waking up in Ethan's bed in one of his t-shirts (I'm screaming!). She pulls out a 'To Do' list and ticks off Ethan's name twice—cheeky girl!

Hurwitz believes that the last part was the nail in the show's coffin.

But this sounds incredible! Please can Netflix or HBO take it over? I need to know what happens next!

Duff is expecting baby number four, so it might be a while until she's ready to film, but I have a feeling this isn't the last we've heard of Lizzie McGuire.

The third season of The Witcher has finally arrived on Netflix, but in a different way than some viewers expected. Premiering nearly 18 months after the second season (and six months after the prequel The Witcher: Blood Origin) season 3 of The Witcher is the latest Netflix hit to get a two-part release, following the most recent seasons of Stranger Things and You. This means that Thursday's release is comprised of a quick five episodes, and ends with a major cliffhanger that will be resolved once volume 2 of The Witcher season 3 drops in several weeks.

When will 'The Witcher' season 3, volume 2 come out?

The next set of episodes will be released on Netflix on July 27, 2023, arriving four weeks after volume 1's five episodes. This follows the pattern set by both Stranger Things season 4 and You season 4. We can actually credit the two-part Witcher drop to the Stranger Things split, as executive producer Steve Gaub said the fantasy epic's team got the idea to break up the episodes during production, when they realized that the season had a natural midpoint that would make two volumes work well.

"That came up during the edit," Gaub told The Verge. "That wasn’t written into the script; it wasn’t known when we were shooting. However, we did know what the season was, and there is a significant pivot point. And whilst we were in production, Stranger Things had come out, and they had split their season. And it was like, 'well, that’s intriguing.'"

Is there a trailer for 'The Witcher' season 3, volume 2?

Netflix just dropped an epic teaser for the second half of the season, teasing an heartbreaking end to Henry Cavill's run at the titular character. Among clips of fire raining down on Aretuza and Ciri crash-landing in a mysterious desert (where there's a unicorn!), Jaskier warns an offscreen figure that "the war brewing outside is nothing compared to what Geralt will unleash to protect his daughter." The trailer ends with the monster hunter himself saying, "There’s no coming back from this."

How many episodes is 'The Witcher' season 3, volume 2?

Volume 2 will have three episodes, meaning season 3 will follow the show's usual eight-episode seasons. However, we don't know yet how long those installments will be. The second part of Stranger Things season 4 included extended, feature-length episodes, and The Witcher team may want season 3 to end with a bang since these will be the final episodes with Henry Cavill as Geralt.

What will 'The Witcher' season 3, volume 2 be about?

Spoilers from The Witcher season 3, volume 1 ahead. Volume 2 will deal with the apex and fallout of all the political maneuvering from the welcome ball to kick off Yennefer's conclave of the mages in episode 5. The point of the conclave is to unite the sorceresses of Aretuza and the Brotherhood of Sorcerers head of the inevitable war with Nilfgaard, and multiple mages want to win Geralt over to their side so they can harbor Ciri and keep her from harm (a.k.a. exploit her political power for their own gains). At one point during the night, Yennefer searches the antagonistic mage Stregobor's room and discovers that he's been keeping a list of all the half-or-quarter-elf girl novices at the sorcery school, and kidnapping them in order to experiment on them. This is what happened with the girls Geralt found in the nightmarish cave earlier in the season, including the "False Ciri" he rescued, who's real name is Teryn. However, though they imprison Stregobor, Geralt and Yennefer later realize that the real villain was Vilgefortz all along, who had been working with Lydia van Bredevoort, the sorceress who is missing her lower jaw and uses magic to communicate.

Volume 1 leaves off with a cliffhanger, as Redanian spy Dijkstra appears out of the shadows and holds a knife to his throat, telling Geralt that he should have chosen a side. For book fans, season 3 is inspired by the second novel in Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher book series, Time of Contempt, so it's likely the remainder of the season will follow the book's arc. A couple of questions that volume 2 needs to answer: What purpose were these "False Ciris" supposed to serve? What's going to happen to Teryn? Are Vilgefortz and Dijkstra working together behind the Redanian king's back? When is Ciri's father, the emperor of Nilfgaard, going to finally make a move? Will Geralt make it back to Ciri before the fire mage Rience or Cahir and the elves catch up to her? And how will the Wild Hunt fit into all this?

Will Henry Cavill return for 'The Witcher' season 3, volume 2?

Cavill, who has played the titular Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, will continue his role in the second part of season 3. However, that'll be the last set of episodes starring Cavill, as Netflix has confirmed that Liam Hemsworth will play Geralt starting in season 4. For anyone who missed the news, a quick recap: in October 2022, Cavill announced that he would return to the DC cinematic universe as Superman, after making a post-credits appearance in Black Adam. Days later, Netflix confirmed the show's season 4 renewal, along with the news that Cavill was stepping down from the role.

However, two months later, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn was announced as the new co-CEO of DC Studios, and the company chose to reboot Superman rather than bringing Cavill back (the new Clark Kent will be portrayed by The Politician actor David Corenswet). Following this news, Netflix confirmed that Cavill will still make his Witcher exit in the season 3 finale.

Spoilers for Shadow and Bone seasons 1 and 2 ahead. Every fantasy hit has its own intricate version of magic. In the Netflix epic Shadow and Bone, based on author Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse book series, magic is known as Small Science and practiced by Grisha, members of the fictional countries born with the ability to manipulate the elements. Season 2 of Shadow and Bone follows the fated hero Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) as she trains to defeat the Darkling (Ben Barnes) who has tapped into dark magic to create near-unbeatable monsters made of shadow and an entire region tearing the country of Ravka in two.

Season 2 is even more complex than the first, as Alina continues her journey to collect the Amplifiers and untangles more of the Darklings' history. Read on for our breakdown of all the magic terms to know from Season 2. (We also have primers on the different types of Grisha and the Fold.)

The Stag

Throughout season 2, Alina searches for the final two of the three Amplifiers, a set of legendary magical creatures formed by one of the first known Grisha, Ilya Morozova (known as the Bonesmith). Centuries ago, Morozova was searching for a way for Grisha to increase their powers and better protect themselves from persecution. He says he used merzost and his finger bones to create powerful animals that, when killed and fused into a Grisha’s body, boosts the person's power. While several amplifiers of varying power levels exist, including some humans, the three that Morozova created were super-potent, and knowledge of them has been passed down through Ravkan folklore. (I'll designate them as Amplifiers with a capital "A," but they're also known as Morozova's Beasts.)

We learned of the first Amplifier in Season 1, when Kirigan was determined to hunt down the stag to expand the Fold (though he told everyone the goal was to destroy it). Mal (Archie Renaux) is the one to track the stag down, and when he and Alina encounter it, she discovers she doesn’t need to kill it, since the stag chooses to share its power with her. However, Kirigan is ultimately the one to kill it, and he orders Fabrikator David Kostyk (Luke Pasqualino) to use its antlers to create a link between Kirigan and Alina's powers, by fusing the stag’s antlers into Alina’s collarbone and putting a piece of an antler into Kirigan's hand.

The Season 1 finale sees Alina breaking the link between their powers, by cutting the bit of antler out of his hand. At that point, she completely absorbed the stag's powers (and the antlers). However, some residue of the antler was left in Kirigan's hand, which is why the pair had a psychic link throughout Season 2 (until Baghra finally cut off Kirigan's hand in her dying moments).

The Sea Whip

The terrifying sea whip is the second beast Alina and Mal seek, and she eventually track it down with the help of privateer Nikolai (Patrick Gibson) and his crew. She gives the order to capture it alive, thinking it will act similarly as the stag and choose to bestow its power, but she ends up killing it when it attacks Mal. Later, Alina has two of the sea whip’s scales fused into her body, where they remain visible on her wrist like an embedded bracelet.

The taking of a second amplifier marks a significant moment in Grisha history. Before Alina, Grisha were worried that taking more than one amplifier in their lifetime could cause them to loose control of their powers, since amplifiers were created using merzost (more on that later). However, Alina's convinced that she's destined to collect all three of Morozova's Beasts and use them to bring down the Fold, despite the unknown danger.

The Shadow and Bone book trilogy actually sees Alina collect one Amplifier per book, with the search for the sea whip taking up Siege and Storm. Since the quest is over within two episodes, show fans don't get the backstory on the sea whip that's included in the books: legend says the creature is a cursed dragon prince named Rusalye (hence the episode title), who is forever stuck in the form of a sea serpent and made to guard the waters bordering the Bone Road, a northern portion of the True Sea. Folklore also says the prince routinely kidnapped women to be his underwater companions, but since there was nothing to feed them beneath the sea, they all starved to death, so there's that.

The Firebird

It takes Alina, Mal, and co. much longer to discover that the firebird is much closer than any of them expected. In Episode 6, we learn that orphan Mal's actually part of the Morozova bloodline (and a distant cousin of Kirigan and Baghra). On the trip to Morozova's workshop, Baghra reveals that she's actually the daughter of the Bonesmith. When Baghra was a child, she accidentally killed her sister using the Cut, and Morozova brought the sister back to life. Since that was forbidden magic, he was executed. But Baghra's sister survived and her bloodline flourished all the way down to Mal, who has a special power as her descendant.

Remember how there are some human Amplifiers? When Morozova brought Baghra's sister back to life, he used merzost and his finger bone, with the same process that he used to kill the stag and the sea whip and resurrect them as Amplifiers. So the girl was actually the third Amplifier, and the power was then passed down through her bloodline, and ultimately to her descendant, Mal.

Mal being the third Amplifier explains why he was able to track the stag and the sea whip, since he could naturally track their frequencies. It also explains why Mal and Alina have always been drawn to each other because they're connected as the firebird and the Sun Summoner. After acting on their romantic connection at the beginning of the season, the Firebird discovery devastates them both, as each Amplifier has to be killed for a Grisha to increase their power.

I'll get to the final battle between Alina and the Darkling below, but first a bit about how Mal learning that he's the Firebird affected him personally. After all the fighting's over and Mal is no longer an Amplifier, he can no longer track Grisha or feel his pull towards Alina. His destiny, the grand purpose of amplifying Alina's power, is now over, and he's left questioning both who he is without it, and what he and Alina are to each other without that level of fate. This is why they separate at the end of the season, so Mal can go off privateering and rediscover himself before coming back to fully be with Alina. (Also, she's about to be busy with A LOT in the upcoming season.)

Merzost

The short answer for "what is merzost" is that it's Shadow and Bone's version of dark magic, a corrupted power that brings unthinkable consequences on those who use it. This dark power is what the Darkling used to create the Fold, and over the course of Season 2, it takes over his body to the point that he can't control it and it begins to kill him.

The long version: Grisha don't actually consider their magic "magic," instead calling it "small science" that works in accordance with the law of nature. Remember the rule, "matter can neither be created nor destroyed but only be transferred from one form to another"? Grisha keep their powers in line with that rule, but there are some (most notably Morozova and Kirigan) who use actual magic, a.k.a. creating something out of nothing, an abomination. That is merzost, and it's forbidden because of its hidden cost.

In Alina and Kirigan's final battle, they each use the Cut on each other, with the Darkling building his out of shadow and the Sun Summoner, well, summoning sun. Alina strikes Kirigan and deflects his Cut, but it ends up hitting Mal, leaving him mortally wounded. In order for Alina to amplify her power and destroy the Fold, she has to kill Mal, and after some hesitation she does, plunging a knife into his chest. It's Alina's biggest sacrifice, and it gives her enough power to destroy the Fold and all the Volcra in it.

Of course, Alina never wanted to kill Mal. The plan was for Heartrender Nina Zenick to resuscitate his heartbeat, but she gets knocked out and by the time she tries to restart Mal's heart, it's too late. Instead, Alina is the one to revive him, using Merzost in the same way that the Bonesmith reanimated his daughter all those years ago. But remember how Baghra repeatedly made Alina swear not to use Merzost, warning her that she won't be prepared for the price it requires? As always, Alina should've listened to her teacher, as her use of merzost changes everything we knew about her so far.

Nichevo'ya

In the final scene of Season 1, we saw the assumed-dead Kirigan leave the Fold alive, followed by creatures of shadow. These aren't volcra, the winged monsters created from former residents of the land that was turned into the Fold. Instead, Kirigan used merzost again to create Nichevo'ya, near-invincible monsters of shadow that would emerge out of his body and kill his opponents throughout the season. Tapping into merzost to create these beasts came with a cost, as they fed off the Darkling's life force, leaving him near death by the end of the season.

We only see the Nichevo'ya die twice in the show. The first is when Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman) kills them with Neshyenyer, a mythical sword so sharp that it can cut through shadow. The Crows travel to Shu Han to steal the sword from "the Disciple" and Sankt Neyar, who lends it to them to help fight the Darkling. The second time we see a Nichevo'ya die is when Kirigan does, and the shadow monster that was attacking Nikolai and the Crows disappears. The moment happens as the monster is piercing Nikolai's shoulder, and it leaves much more than a wound.

Fast forward to the scenes before Nikolai's coronation as king of Ravka. It turns out that when the Nichevo'ya pierced the prince, a bit of its darkness went into Nikolai himself. As he gets ready for the ceremony, Nikolai sees himself as a Nichevo'ya in the reflection of a mirror, after the viewer sees merzost spread from his wound. We don't know yet how much Nikolai is changing, as this is one of the many cliffhangers that the series sets up for season 3. 

Alina's new powers

Alina becomes the protagonist of Shadow and Bone in season 1 as she's revealed as the world's first known sun-summoner, a powerful Grisha (known as a Saint) who can, well, summon sun. She's a vision of hope for the country, and a natural foil to the Darkling and his shadow summoning. However, her use of merzost to revive Mal makes her much more similar to her foe, as we see her summon shadow instead of sun to kill the Fjerdan Grisha assassin at Nikolai's coronation.

As the finale ends, it's clear that her sun summoning turning to shadow summoning is the cost of her using the dark magic. It's both the series' biggest cliffhanger and biggest deviation from the books. (In Ruin and Rising, Alina loses her powers after collecting all three Amplifiers and goes off to live a normal life with Mal.) By her smile in reaction to perfectly performing the Cut, a magic move she had been struggling to form with her sun summoning throughout the season, it's also clear that she's in danger of being corrupted by the corrupt magic.

Throughout season 2, Alina had been passionate about her quest to increase her power and be able to eventually take down the Fold. Her single-minded drive has also been driven by her visions of Kirigan throughout the season, as he tried to convince her that they are meant for each other. In some of his last words, the Darkling warned her that after many years of living with humans and TK, she would become like him. Though the two Grisha now have the use of Merzost and shadow-summoning in common, it's unclear as of now how Alina will change going forward. Can her purer motives win out, or will she become the Darkling herself?

Shadow and Bone's second season arrived on Netflix last week, sucking viewers back into the intricate world of the Grishaverse. The epic fantasy series based on author Leigh Bardugo's novels makes some big moves in season 2, ending in another massive cliffhanger that takes the show on an original path away from the source material. Thankfully, though fans are still awaiting a renewal, the series' creative team already has huge plans for the future of the Grishaverse. Read on for everything we know about a possible Shadow and Bone season 3.

Has 'Shadow and Bone' been renewed for season 3?

Not yet, but this isn't the first time that Netflix will a while to decide on Shadow and Bone's fate. Even though season 1 hit no. 1 in 79 countries at the time of release, the season 2 renewal wasn't announced until June 2021, two months after the series premiered. Since Netflix (and Hollywood as a whole) is going through a rough time right now, the streamer will likely wait until the ratings for season 2's first 28 days on the platform are in, meaning we'll be on the lookout for the next few months.

When would 'Shadow and Bone' season 3 come out?

Season 3 will definitely take a while to arrive, due to the international scale of the series and its fantasy VFX requirements. There was a two-year gap between seasons 1 and 2, but season 2's production didn't begin until January 2022, likely due to COVID-related delays. If season 3 is both receives a renewal and begins production on a quicker timeline, season 3 could arrive by late 2024 or early 2025.

What could happen in 'Shadow and Bone' season 3?

Spoilers for Shadow and Bone season 2 ahead. The Netflix series' second season condensed the second and third Grishaverse books (Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising) into one season, bringing Alina Starkov and Kirigan's war over the fate of Ravka to a close. After Alina stabbed Mal (a.k.a. the Firebird) to amplify her powers, she destroyed the Fold and killed the Darkling, later burning his body. She then used merzost to bring Mal back to life, even though Baghra warned her that the forbidden magic would come with an unknown price. The finale jumps forward a bit in time, ending with a Fjerdan spy massacring the crowd at Nikolai Lantsov's coronation after taking jurda parem, a highly addictive drug that supercharges Grishas' powers. To take down the spy, Alina uses the Cut by summoning shadows instead of sun; it appears that she now has the Darkling's powers.

The bloody final scene sets up the plot of the next chronological Grishaverse books: the Six of Crows duology. The books follow the Crows' mission to break Shu scientist Bo Yul-Bayur out of a notoriously impregnable Fjerdan castle called the Ice Court. Along the way, they free Nina Zenik's lover Matthias from Hellgate prison, uniting all six Crows. Season 3 of the show will also need to reunite Inej Ghafa with the crew, as she's currently sailing with Mal (who has taken up the privateer moniker Sturmhond) to find her long-lost family.

As for Alina, her adoption of shadow-summoning powers is a huge divergence from her storyline in the books, where her use of all three amplifiers during her final stand with the Darkling leaves her without her powers all together, off to live an ordinary life with Mal. The Netflix series is set to build a completely new storyline, as Alina (who is showing hints of a dark, endless ambition for power) stands by Nikolai's side following the opening strike of a looming Revkan-Fjedran war. There's also the surprising twist with Nikolai, as it's revealed right before his coronation that he has also ingested the power of a nichevo'ya, Kirigan's vicious, unbeatable shadow monsters. And if that isn't enough drama, the Darkling also isn't the type of epic villain that stays dead for long. (For that info, you'll have to read the books.)

What have the cast and crew said about 'Shadow and Bone' season 3?

In an Entertainment Weekly interview, co-showrunner Eric Heisserer admitted that the show's divergence from the book material partly stems from the smart decision to keep stars Jessie Mei Li and Archie Renaux heavily involved in the series, rather than living ordinary lives away from the action as they do in the books.

"This is the difference between running a show and writing a novel: you need to pay attention to who your stars are and if they're under contract," Heisserer told the outlet. "Of course, we didn't want to lose Jessie or Archie. I wanted to make sure that they felt like they were important characters in the stories to come."

With this change, Heisserer also confirmed that the show's goal going forward is to present brand-new stories Grishaverse stories, similar to how season 1 created original material for the Crows that intertwines their adventures with Alina's storyline. The show will also continue with the involvement of the Grishaverse's author Leigh Bardugo, who serves as an executive producer on the series.

"Thankfully we're creating brand-new material for actors that we know and love and trust who will carry the water for us on this," the showrunner said. "And it's weaving their story in with the King of Scars duology that we're already in love with, and what we think is going to come alive on screen from those. So it's a matter of stitching those in the way we've stitched in other characters in these first two seasons."

As for what's in store for Alina now that she may have turned into a Shadow Summoner, Heisserer told Newsweek teased a bit of season 3's focus. "There had to be a price for using Merzost to bring Mal back, and we landed on what you saw for the final scene as a way for her to confront all the things that Kirigan may have been warning her about, and, where we go in the next season, we'll absolutely touch on that."

"It seems that what we try our best to do in the end of each season is tee up what the next season's major internal conflicts are going to be, and these end episodes are the 'f*** around' chapter and the top of the next season will be the 'find out' chapter."

In addition to the magical cliffhangers headed into season 3, there's also several couples to follow. (Alina and Mal, Jesper and Wylan, Nina and Matthias, Kaz and Inej, maybe Tolya and Inej?) In an interview with IndieWire, Heisserer and co-showrunner Daegan Fryklind teased Kaz and Inej's will-they-won't-they status heading into the new season, after Inej told Kaz that they can't be together until he's willing to be vulnerable.

"You can really, really feel the yearning and the pain that they’re both in trying to make this work, and it’s just not going to work. Like, he’s damaged," Fryklind told the outlet. Heisserer added, "The tension will be palpable the next time those two are in the same room together."

The two creatives also pointed out that Nina and Mattias will also have a long path toward happily ever after, as Mattias is still in prison and still feeling betrayed after Nina got him arrested (for his own safety, but still).

"Love in the Grishaverse is hard-earned. If you manage to luck into it and realize what you have, then you’re going to be one of the few happy, healthy relationships, and then everybody else will be gunning for you," Heisserer said. "Nina and Mattias do have their day in the sun [in the books], but they have to go through a lot of pain and torture to get there. It will remain unrequited for a while."

Will there be a 'Six of Crows' spinoff?

There has been chatter about a possible Crows-centered spinoff since we learned that the gang of thieves would be integrated into the Shadow and Bone adaptation. Now that viewers know that season 3 will bring the characters up to speed with the Six of Crows novel's jurda parem heist, Heisserer has confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that he still has plans for a separate Crows show. In fact, the showrunner has been quietly developing a Six of Crows spin-off to tackle the main events of the duology, with the fate of his plan depending on how well Shadow and Bone season 2 performs on Netflix.

Heisserer and Daegan Fryklind, who served as co-showrunner on Shadow and Bone season 2, revealed to EW that a chunk of the spin-off would take simultaneously during the events of Nikolai's coronation, with Heisserer saying the spin-off "would be its own little season of fun that our characters would get to be a part of." He also confirmed that Inej would be in the spinoff, adding, "We're gonna bring her back. So you understand then how many weeks it has been since she's been on the high seas and then returning to Ketterdam."

 As for when it would film, the ideal plan would be for Heisserer and Fryklind to run both the Six of Crows spinoff and Shadow and Bone's future seasons simultaneously. 

"There's a lot of work that's gone into the planning of this. The hope is then we get to act on that planning," Heisserer told the outlet. "But of course, it's about how well season 2 numbers do. And if so, then Daegan and I will continue to carry the mantle of both shows, which is also helpful because we have a lot of mouths to feed [in terms of giving screen time to all the actors]. To be able to give them their own real estate so they have elbow room allows us to go deeper on some of these character arcs."

The already expansive world of Netflix's The Witcher franchise has gotten a lot bigger. Set 1,200 years before the events of the original hit fantasy series, The Witcher: Blood Origin presents a major event in the show's lore, as it follows a group of warriors and mages who seek vengeance in the wake of a coup on the elven Continent. To bring the story to life, the prequel miniseries, which premiered on Christmas 2022, cast a group of up-and-coming stars as well as esteemed actors. Read on to meet the faces behind the engrossing series.

Sophia Brown as Éile

Éile was born into the fearsome Raven clan of Pryshia. Unable to stomach the brutality of acting as the monarchy's sword, the former warrior eventually leaves her family to become a traveling bard. She's now widely known as the Lark, and her revolutionary songs are a balm for the lowborn who live under the noble class's thumb. Though she's left her duties behind, she still uses her fighting skills to defend the helpless.

Brown is a British actress who made her debut in a UK production of Sister Act the Musical. She previously appeared in shows and films including the Netflix series Girl/Haji, the ITV series Marcella, and Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. In her interview with Marie Claire, the actress shared that playing Éile has been a "real rebirth for [her] creatively as an artist." Next, she's set to appear in the upcoming British shows Borderland and You & Me.

Laurence O'Fuarain as Fjall

Fjall, member of the kingdom of Xintrea's Dog Clan, is sworn to protect the kingdom's princess, Merwyn. When he betrays his clan by getting too close to the royal, he's banished and left to travel as a sellsword. Though he and Éile meet as rivals, the former clan members eventually find common ground through their quest.

O'Fuarian is an Irish actor who has appeared in several action series, including stints on HBO's Game of Thrones, Prime Video's Vikings, and AMC's Into the Badlands. The Dublin native will next appear in the supernatural thriller Creepers.

Michelle Yeoh as Scían

Scían is lone surviving member of the Ghost Tribe, a group of nomadic warriors who didn't swear allegiance to a kingdom. She formerly served as Éile's "swordmother" and trainer; when the bard abandoned her duties, Scían was dishonored and banished. She worked as a sellsword to survive, and she longs to be reunited with her ancestral blade, Soulreaver, which was taken by Xintrea.

Yeoh is an action star who began her acting career in Hong Kong's film industry. (Fun fact: Yeoh utilizes her dance training to learn fight choreography and has never trained in martial arts.) She crossed over into Hollywood through projects including the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and the iconic kung fu movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Recently, she's starred in blockbusters including the rom-com Crazy Rich Asians, Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and the critically-acclaimed Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Francesca Mills as Meldof

At this point in the show's history of the Continent, elves are in power and dwarves have been forced back into the mountains. When we meet Meldof, she's seeking vengeance for her beautiful bearded lover Gwen, who was killed by Golden Empire warriors. As she hunts down the men responsible, Meldof's accompanied by her beloved warhammer, which she named after Gwen.

Mills is a stage and screen actress who's best known for playing Cherry Dorrington on the Hulu series Harlots. She also appeared in the film Zoolander 2, the Hulu series Pistol, and the British shows Sneakerhead and Worzel Gummidge.

Huw Novelli as Brother Death

Callan, who's better known as Brother Death, is a warrior and expert tracker who seeks vengeance against the Golden Empire for wiping out a village that had taken him in. When he hears of Éile, Fjall, and Scían's quest, he's quick to offer help to the  potential new allies. He's also in love with the mage Zacaré, who saw the fighter at his worst and still accepted him. 

Novelli is a Welsh actor who previously appeared in the BBC series The Pact, the Peacock original series The Capture, and the Lifetime TV movie The Watcher in the Woods.

Lizzie Annis as Zacaré

Zacaré is a mage who isolates herself as repentance for a terrible spell she and her celestial twin, Syndril, performed in the past. (The pair are especially gifted mages who were born in the same village at the same time under the same burning star, and they're especially adept at healing magic.) Zacaré's home is protected by a marsh that is filled with mists which force visitors to relive their worst memories.

Blood Origin is Annis' first major television role. The British actress has previously appeared in several plays and was also a voice actor on the podcast series Crush Hour: A Musical.

Zach Wyatt as Syndril

Syndril was a powerful mage serving in the court of Xintrea when he discovered that the ancient Dwarven monoliths buried under the Continent could be used to open portals to other worlds. He quickly came to regret his research after seeing how his fellow court mage, Baelor, planned to use the new power. 

Wyatt is a stage and screen actor who has appeared in the 2019 film Blithe Spirit and the BritBox series Karen Pirie. He's next set to appear alongside Nick Frost and Jacob Anderson in the fantasy rom-com Timestalker.

Mirren Mack as Merwyn

Xintrean princess Merwyn admires the legendary conquerors of history and doesn't want to be reduced to a pawn who is married off to another kingdom for an alliance. Her ambition leads her to an alliance with the treasonous mage Balor, who promises to help her create a unified elven civilization that brings knowledge and enlightenment to other worlds.

Mack is a Scottish actress who made her TV debut as Florence on season 2 of the Netflix comedy Sex Education. She also starred in the BBC miniseries The Nest, and the British crime series Dalgliesh.

Sir Lenny Henry as Balor

The extremely ambitious Chief Sage Balor is a lowborn who has always wanted to gain power and raise himself up among Xintrea's strict caste system. When he travels through the monolith, he encounters a mysterious force that will give him ultimate power in return for a devastating sacrifice.

Henry is an esteemed actor, singer, and writer who began his career as a stand-up comedian in the late '70s. He has since become one of the most prominent Black-British comedians in the world and starred in his own program, The Lenny Henry Show. He has also appeared in the films Penelope and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (he voiced the shrunken head on the Night Bus), as well as the series Broadchurch, The Sandman, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Jacob Collins-Levy as Eredin

Xintrean military captain Eredin is played by Collins-Levy, an Australian actor who previously starred as Henry VII in the STARZ series The White Princess, alongside Jodie Comer as Elizabeth of York. He also appeared in the Netflix series Young Wallander, a 2020 episode of Doctor Who and the Australian series Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries.

Samuel Blenkin as Avallac’h

Avallac’h is a young mage who becomes Merwyn's bodyguard and taps into a surprising power from the monoliths. Before Blood Origin, the British actor originated the role of Scorpious Malfoy in the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. He's also appeared in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch, FX's Atlanta, and the Netflix series Peaky Blinders and The Sandman.

Minnie Driver as Seanchaí

The Witcher fan favorite Jaskier (Joey Batey) learns the story of the Lark and the Golden Empire from the space- and time-traveling storyteller Seanchaí. Playing the mysterious figure is Driver, a British actress whose best known for appearing in films including Good Will Hunting, Grosse Point Blank, I Give It a Year, and Beyond the Lights. She also recently appeared in the Prime Video remake of Cinderella and the HBO Max rom-com Starstruck.

Warning: Spoilers ahead. The fantasy world of The Witcher now has an origin story, and it’s led by a passionate female warrior. The Witcher: Blood Origin answers several questions about how the world of mages, elves, humans, and monsters came to be, while also introducing a group of warriors shepherded by a bard named Éile, known best as the Lark. Played by British actress Sophia Brown, she proves to be the fierce heart of the new prequel Netflix miniseries. 

Here, Brown, who imbued Éile with a fearless determination and righteous voice, chats with Marie Claire about building the character, what it was like filming with Michelle Yeoh and Laurence O'Fuarain, and what could be in store for Éile after the fighting stops.

Marie Claire: Were you a fan of fantasy shows growing up? Were you a fan of The Witcher before you got cast?

Sophia Brown: I watched a lot of fantasy growing up, maybe more so because of my dad and my brother. My brother used to play video games and he used to watch films. My dad loves horror and thrillers and fantasy, so he would always like to watch a lot of Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, that sort of stuff. I was new to The Witcher, in terms of the game, when I started [filming]. I'd seen the marquee series' first season before auditioning because it was just everywhere—it was kind of hard to miss. I had a friend who was also in it, so by the time I auditioned for it and got the part, I was aware of the world I was entering.

MC: How did the role come to you? What was it like auditioning?

SB: I actually had decided to stop acting [before I auditioned]. At the time, it was my final decision…and then literally within the space of eight hours of walking away from it, this audition came through; my agent really thought it was something that I could do. I was a bit annoyed that she sent it to me. Within the space of 48 hours, I made the decision to make it my last audition. I sent the email to her saying, ‘I feel like I'll live to regret it, so this will be my last.’ That snowballed into then meeting Laurence [O’Fuarain], who was already cast [as Fjall], and having a chemistry read with him; then meeting the producers; then it was an offer. It was a surreal process and is a surreal thing to digest.

It's been amazing because there's been a lot of synchronicity on the job, and it's been like a real rebirth for me creatively as an artist. I personally think the message of getting this job is to run with it and create so much more stuff from this moment, whether it's in acting or writing or producing. But I feel really enriched from doing it.

MC: When you were building the character of Éile, did you find that you had any similarities with her? Where did you draw inspiration from?

SB: She loves very hard and she's very passionate, and I definitely relate to that. I think a lot of people will be able to relate with her in a sense that she's just trying to find herself… I was at a point [when getting cast] where I was trying to do that creatively [and] spiritually, and I feel that Éile shares those quests. She's strong, but she's also really soft, and she's really radical—there's so much that I felt I could pour into her. And also [the show is] a real fantasy, make-believe world. I could just really drop into it and heighten certain things and really become this warrior, but then also really break and surrender to moments that maybe I myself have not been able to in my personal or professional life.

MC: How much training did you do for the fight sequences? Did your ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance experience go into your training for fights?

SB: It helped so much because fight sequences are choreographed sequences, and being able to use my dancer brain—OK, it's this move, that move, this move and layering it—was so much fun. Then my actor brain was able to layer so much character on top. It was so joyful that two of the things that I've loved and have done in my life were coming together. 

I think we started training in May 2021, and then there were two months of conditioning, getting our stamina up, and figuring out how our fight styles would be. Éile and Fjall and Scian are from different clans, so we wanted to make sure we were articulating the difference in characters right down to the movement and how we fought... Laurence and I got very obsessed with the clans to where they feel like our families. 

MC: I would've loved to see Éile's mom.

SB: It'd be so cool. My dad actually came on set once and he was one of the kings in one of the clans. He unfortunately wasn't the king in my clan because that [role] was already cast and taken, but it was an amazing day to be on set with him and to show him my world and what we'd been creating. It did make me think, What would Éile's parents be like, and how would that be captured?

MC: Were there any fun memories you can remember from filming?

SB: It was such a blindingly rich journey to be working, in particular, with Laurence and Michelle [Yeoh]. I learned so much from them and every single day that we had together was hilarious. Michelle really just ripped the shit out of [Editor's note: British slang for "lovingly teased"] Laurence all the time. We were a team and every interaction was just pure joy and so much fun.

If I was to pick something out, it would probably be the bank fight. That was a really special fight to learn, and then on the day of shooting it, we just kind of remained in this energy... It was a good two days of high energy and laughing and just working together, battling against these people, and it just felt amazing.

MC: The original songs from the miniseries are beautiful. How did you prepare for playing a revolutionary singer like the Lark?

SB: My main thing was I wanted to figure out Éile's voice. That tied so heavily in with the character: Who is Éile? How does she speak? What are her values, and what does she stand for? Once I'd figured out who she was, the voice that I was going to use came with that naturally. Ultimately, Éile is a storyteller and a messenger. I wanted it to just feel very natural rather than overly considered. It's all a heart song, really.

MC: I really loved that even though Éile’s very driven by vengeance, at the center, she's just a natural leader who speaks up for what is right.

SB: When I read the episodes and the [audition] sides, we were really going through COVID, and a lot of people's situations and voices had been squashed in so many different ways. There was a lot that happened in 2019 and 2020 and going into 2021… It was really cathartic to be able to shout and say ‘we want this’ and really fight for it. It felt like I was really exercising a lot of energy that needed to be released.

MC: When you were presented the role, did you know everything that was going to happen up front: Fjall being the first Witcher and Éile and Fjall's connection?

SB: I didn't clock that Fjall was going to be the prototype Witcher until we were in the prep period, really. I think Laurence had the material a bit earlier than I did, and so he had known what was going on. I was definitely late to the party, and then when I found that out I was like, ‘Oh damn, that's a massive thing for Laurence and for us to play.’ There are such loyal fans in this universe and joining it, I'm only getting a window into that. So to be able to have the material where we are at the birth of this world, essentially, is pretty epic.

MC: There are only four episodes in the miniseries, but what do you imagine would be Éile's path forward, after the finale?

SB: There's so much to explore. I think Éile being a mother will be a deeper and even more incredible journey to explore… because now she really has created her own little clan, and it's a different way of moving through this new continent.

MC: What is your next dream role?

SB: It's so hard to say because sometimes scripts will land on your desk and you might not have ever even thought about it. But then you think, What a beautiful idea; I would devour that part and would love to play it. I'd love to work with some amazing directors like Guillermo del Toro, Ken Loach, Paolo Sorrentino and do some interesting, different films and work with some amazing actors… I'd love to work with my friends and people like Daniel Kaluuya and Lashana Lynch. The list is endless. I wouldn't be able to say what next, but I'd just love to continue to build characters and play people and just keep on playing and acting.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

After years of attempts (and decades of fans' fervent wishes), The Sandman has finally been adapted for the small screen. Based on Neil Gaiman's 75-volume DC Comics series, the fantasy saga depicts a world where the Endless—personifications of human phenomena like dreams, death, and desire—perform their duties and keep balance in the world (while also butting heads with each other and an ensemble cast of other non-human beings).

The first season, which was helmed by showrunner Allan Heinberg and with Gaimon on as an executive producer Gaimon, arrived on Netflix in August 2022, as millions of fans watched Dream's journey to reestablish his power after over a century's imprisonment. The next batch of episodes may have hit a delay with the 2023 Hollywood strikes, but Netflix has kept The Sandman television universe alive with its first spin-off, Dead Boy Detectives. More of the original series is on the way soon, though, so read on for what we know about the upcoming season 2 of The Sandman.

How does 'The Sandman' season 1 end?

The first season of the Netflix adaptation spans the first two volumes of the comic series' timeline. It included the answer to Rose Walker's fate, as Unity Kincaid sacrificed herself to become the new vortex, followed by Dream declaring a new era now that he's more in touch with humanity. He also confronts Desire, who apparently set off the whole vortex saga while Dream was imprisoned, as their latest scheme against the king of Dreams.

The big cliffhanger comes with the show's last scene in Hell, which reveals that Lucifer is still angry after Dream defeated her in episode 3. She now has a plan to bring down Dream, using with the armies of Hell to invade the Dreaming, the Waking World, and "one day, even the Silver City." The season ends with Lucifer promising to do something that will "make God absolutely livid, and bring Morpheus to his knees."

Has 'The Sandman' been renewed for season 2?

Yes! Netflix announced the show's renewal in November 2022, three months after the series' premiere. The confirmation also came with a quote from Gaiman, reading, "There are some astonishing stories waiting for Morpheus & the rest of them… Now it’s time to get back to work. There’s a family meal ahead... And Lucifer is waiting for Morpheus to return to Hell."

The official renewal came as good news to fans wondering when the green light would come through, especially since the show's creative team had already been planning new episodes. In an interview with Den of Geek, executive producer David S. Goyer revealed writing for season 2 was already underway.

The creative team has also been thinking ahead for the show's entire run, with Gaiman telling Bustle that season 1's production even included filming some scenes that would be necessary in the far-off future.

"We’ve shot footage in season 1 that we would need if we ever get to season 5. It’s there, and it’s stored,” Gaiman told the outlet. "We know how we would do the entire Sandman storyline up to and including the last one, Sandman Overture."

When will 'The Sandman' season 2 premiere?

The Sandman season 2 has taken longer than anyone expected; production was paused in June 2023 after just three weeks of filming, due to the Hollywood strikes. After a long wait, filming resumed in November 2023, per Deadline.

At the time, Gaiman shared a note to fans about the news. "This week we officially restart production on the next sequence of stories of The Sandman for Netflix," the author/executive producer shared. "Genius showrunner Allan Heinberg and the countless people in front of and behind the camera are building something endlessly special, and bringing these stories to life in a way that would once have been unimaginable."

He added, "A journey is beginning that will take us from Destiny’s garden to Hell, from the Heart of the Dreaming to Ancient Greece and revolutionary France, and from there to places even I cannot quite imagine on the screen. I will be patient. Good things are coming.”

While "good things are coming," it may still be a while for episodes to hit Netflix, given the series' balance of VFX and practical effects. For example, the first season began filming in October 2020 and made it to Netflix in August 2022. With that in mind, we may be waiting until at least mid-2025 for season 2.

Who in the cast will return for 'The Sandman' season 2?

Season 1 of The Sandman had a lot going on, with two arcs—Dream's journey to regain his symbols of power, and his mission to contain the vortex/Rose—propelling the sprawling plot. The fantasy falls along the lines of anthologized shows like Doctor Who, where one main protagonist and their companions go from place to place, having mini-adventures that feed into the fight against a main antagonist. Season 1's overall baddie was The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook), but the story's done with him by the finale, as well as with the Burgess family and Rose and co.

Netflix has confirmed that the returning cast for season 2 will include several residents of The Dreaming, including Vivienne Acheampong (Lucienne), Patton Oswalt (Matthew the Raven), Stephen Fry (Gilbert), Asim Chaudhry (Abel), and Sanjeev Bhaskar (Cain). Also coming back are the gods we've met among the Endless family: Tom Sturridge (Dream), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Death), Mason Alexander Park (Desire), and Donna Preston (Despair). And of course, Gwendoline Christie will be back as season 2's relative antagonist, Lucifer.

As for the supporting characters among the living, several of season 1's characters are either mentioned or pop up again throughout the comics' run. We're already set to get appearances from some standout human cast members, including Jenna Coleman (Johanna Constantine), Ferdinand Kingsley (Hob Galding), Razane Jammal (Lyta Hall), and Vanesu Samunyai (Rose Walker).

Who are the new cast members joining 'The Sandman' season 2?

Viewers unfamiliar with the Gaiman-penned comics should prepare now for an onslaught of characters from the source material to arrive in season 2. As longtime fans know, the Endless and Biblical figures (i.e. Lucifer, Cain, and Abel) aren't the only mythical figures that populate this story. Based on season 2's storyline (more on that below), multiple Greek and Norse gods (and a handful of Shakespeare characters) who appear in Gaiman's comics are set to make their debut, including Hades, Persephone, Orpheus, Eurydice, Thor, Loki, Odin, Auberon, and Titania.

In May 2024, Netflix announced who is set to step into a handful of highly anticipated roles: the Endless siblings, Delirium, Destiny, and "The Prodigal" (who's better known as Destruction in the comics). Hanna star Esmé Creed-Miles will play Delirium; prolific British actor Adrian Lester will portray Destiny; and Barry Sloane, best known for playing Aiden Mathis on the ABC soap Revenge, will play the Prodigal.

The streamer announced even more new cast members in July. According to showrunner Allan Heinberg, the new characters are from the comics' Seasons of the Mist and Brief Lives arcs, and they will "ensnare Dream in a web of palace intrigue, glamour, demon battles, and spider-sex."

Irish actor Ruairi O’Connor, who played Ty Fitzgerald in season 2 of The Morning Show, will play Orpheus, the idealist poet who is the only son of Dream and the muse Calliope. Steve Coogan will voice Barnabas, the cynical "canine companion" of the Prodigal. The Norse gods will also make appearances, with Clive Russell playing the all-powerful Odin, Freddie Fox portraying the god of chaos Loki, and Laurence O’Fuarain playing a very different Thor than the Marvel superhero.

There will also be new faces from the Faerie world this season. Ann Skelly and Douglas Booth will play Nuala and Cluracan, siblings and royal emissaries from the court of Faerie who are opposites. Jack Gleeson, who's best known for playing Joffrey Baratheon on Game of Thrones, will play Puck, a malevolent hobgoblin who enjoys toying with mortals for his amusement.

Rounding out the new cast, Pose star Indya Moore will play Wanda, a "professional driver and security agent for an exclusive travel firm" who "proves herself to be an indispensable guide on an Endless road trip to the waking world." Per Gaiman, the comic character Wanda was the first trans woman in a mainstream comic.

There's been no word yet on whether any of the new characters from the spin-off series Dead Boy Detectives—like George Rexstrew or Jayden Revri who play the leads Edwin and Charles, respectively—will crossover into the original Sandman show, but it's worth keeping an eye out.

What would 'The Sandman' season 2 be about?

Season 1's epic final scene sets up Lucifer Morningstar to be the overall antagonist of season 2. This will take the TV adaptation through the comics' Season of Mists storyline, in which Lucifer leaves Dream to handle the fallout of an unexpected choice. In a Variety interview, Gaiman expressed his excitement over the ruler of Hell and the King of Dreams' rematch.

"I take too much f---ing pleasure in saying to people who do not know anything about what’s coming up in Sandman, 'If we do Season 2, we’re going to be having the rematch and Morpheus is going to be going back to hell. And Lucifer has some surprises in store that Morpheus is not expecting.' And they are all like, 'Ahh!' And I’m like, 'Yeah, and I know how that’s going to work, and you don’t. And everybody who’s ever read Season of Mists knows how that’s going to work and you don’t. But that’s good because not everybody will have read Season of Mists and this is going to be so much fun.”

The story of Dream and his ancient love interest Nada is also a large part of the Season of Mists, and Heinberg confirmed in a Rolling Stone interview that season 2 would include the story of how the two fell in love and how she ended up in Hell. Dream and Nada's relationship was already teased in episode four of season 1, where Nada (Deborah Oyelade) was introduced as the woman in Hell who recognized Dream (played in another form by Ernest Kingsley Jr.), calling him "Kai-ckul." Dream later explains to Matthew the Raven that they used to be in love, and that she was in Hell because she "defied" him.

Season 2 will actually go even beyond the Season of Mists storyline. In an interview with RadioTimes, Gaiman confirmed that season 2 will cover stories from the next three volumes of the comics (Dream Country, Season of Mists, and A Game of You). "Our plans for the second season is the second two graphic novels, which technically, in this case, will be books four and five, with some bits of the short stories in book three scattered among some other stuff," he told the outlet.

This means season 2 may have a similar set-up as season 1, with one overall arc focusing on the Endless and other immortals, with a second focusing on a mortal. A Game of You brings back Barbie (Lily Travers), Rose's blonde friend who seemed to be heading for a divorce from her husband Ken (Richard Fleeshman). The fifth volume sees the divorcée returning to her dreamland (which we saw in season 1) after her animal sidekick Martin Tenbones appears in the waking world. She has to face off against the villain of her dreams, the Cuckoo, with the help of Dream.

What have the cast and crew said about 'The Sandman' season 2?

Both Gaiman and Heinberg have made their intentions for the series clear, saying in several interviews that they have plans for multiple seasons and spin-offs. During the show's London premiere, Heinberg told NME, "We’ve got as many as they’ll let us have. If enough viewers show up, we can go for quite a long while. We want to do all of it, we want a spin-off miniseries. We’d love to make it for as long as they’ll have us."

Heinberg also told Rolling Stone that the show could depict more of the side characters' stories if the show is successful enough to get multiple seasons, pointing out Johanna Constantine (Jenna Coleman) as an interesting character

"In success, we could talk about doing all kinds of things," he told the outlet. "If we’re able to do more standalone anthology issues, then it would take longer than if we were just staying on Dream’s track. And we’d love to do more Johanna Constantine in the present. The Corinthian could return, because he’s not really in the comic again – except for one cameo – until later. So it depends on what people respond to, and how many viewers we have and how much success we have as a Season One show. It could go on for quite some time, if we had the viewers."

Dream himself, Tom Sturridge, has also opened up about what he's looking forward to exploring later in the series, saying that he'd like to explore the Endless' complicated family dynamic.

"I think it would be exciting to have all of the Endless in the same room," the actor told Bustle. "And to see how that family of extraordinary beings interacts with each other."

Say what you will about the confusing time jumps or the lack of time with certain characters (shout out to Baela and Rhaena), House of the Dragon succeeded at its goal. HBO's Game of Thrones prequel sucked all of us back into Westeros, when many (myself included) swore not to go back after the original series' disappointing finale (two words: King Bran). Some fans may even be considering a Thrones rewatch, thanks to resurgent memories of how the early seasons built out the world.

A warning before you dive back into HBO Max: There are spoilers for the still-unfolding HotD within Thrones. Since centuries have passed between the series, Thrones treats the Dance of the Dragons—the Targaryen civil war that will make up the rest of HotD's several seasons—as historical fact, mentioned during conversations between characters. The biggest spoiler to watch out for, which gives away the most important death in HotD's future run, comes courtesy of everyone's least favorite Westeros king, Joffrey Baratheon. Spoilers ahead for Thrones season 3 and House of the Dragon.

Season 3, Episode 4 of Thrones, "And Now His Watch Is Ended," is best known for including a pivotal Daeneyrs scene, the first time we see the young Targaryen command the Unsullied and come into her own as a leader (and also baby Drogon goes dracarys on a slaver). The HotD spoiler came earlier in the episode, during a scene where Joffrey regaled his new fiancée Margaery Tyrell with a tour of the Sept. The highlight of his oddly gleeful retelling of Westerosi history is the crypt of a Targaryen queen who was eaten alive at the hands of her own brother's dragon while her son watched. The queen and brother? HotD's own warring monarchs, Rhaenyra and Aegon II.

The mention obviously meant very little back in 2013, when no one knew that Thrones would span a record-breaking prequel that would assumedly end with the same event that Joffrey reduced to an anecdote during an odd attempt at courtship. But it's actually not even the only mention of Rhaenyra and Aegon II. They also came up in a conversation between Shireen Baratheon and Ser Davos Seaworth in Season 5, Episode 9, as the sweet child describes the history book she's reading. (Two things about this episode: It's literally titled "Dance of the Dragons," and it's the same one where Shireen's burned on a sacrificial stake by her father.)

"It's the story of the fight between Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother Aegon for control of the Seven Kingdoms," Shireen explained. Both of them thought they belonged on the Iron Throne," Shireen continued. "When people started declaring for one of them or the other, their fight divided the kingdom in two. Brothers fought brothers. Dragons fought dragons. By the time it was over, thousands were dead. And it was a disaster for the Targaryens as well. They never truly recovered."

So, Thrones fans with photographic memories already know how it all ends (and now so do you if you've made it to the end of this post). It'll be very hard to avoid spoilers throughout HotD's run, since, unlike Thrones, the entire story was already completed before the show began. As fans of the show's source material Fire & Blood have pointed out, the point of the series is not how the Dance of the Dragons ends, but how it plays out. 

For anyone who hasn't dived into any of George R.R. Martin's books (a.k.a. show fans rather than book fans), while the Thrones series are traditional narrative novels, Fire & Blood reads like a very entertaining history book. It's narrated by a scholar whose source material is rumors and lies from people who lived during the events and are obviously trying to make themselves look good, and who often weren't directly involved the events themselves. It's like if the history of the royal family was written based on tabloid stories and no other research. Book fans didn't come away from Fire & Blood knowing the details of the finale's epic dragon-on-dragon sequence; they just knew that it happened and how it ended. The fun comes from seeing all of the characters' decisions and misunderstandings that lead up to Rhaenyra or Aegon II sitting on the Iron Throne.

So, if you get accidentally spoiled, don't worry. You'll likely still have fun watching the civil war go down. (Though you can still be mad at Joffrey. Joffrey always sucks.)

Spoilers for House of the Dragon up to season 2, episode 7 ahead. For its Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, HBO has transported fans from the time after dragons to the height of the creatures' and their riders in the Targaryen family's power. While fans first met the fire-breathing beasts with Daenerys' and her three children, the prequel series takes place nearly two centuries prior—where there are many more of the winged creatures taking to the sky and fighting battles.

As House of the Dragon season 2 focuses on the Dance of the Dragons civil war, which unfolds between the two branches of the Targaryen family known as the Greens and the Blacks, it's more important than ever to know which side each dragon sits on. To help keep up, we're breaking down all of the dragons from the hit HBO show based on George R. R. Martin's book series, organized by their allegiance in the Targaryen conflict.

The Greens

Dreamfyre

Rider: Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban)

When Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) enters the Dragon Pits in season 1, episode 6, he's almost smoked by Dreamfyre, who was hatched sometime during the reign of Aegon the Conquerer. By season 2, the blue female dragon has bonded with Aemond's older sister Helaena. Dreamfyre has also laid several dragon eggs. (There's even a theory that she's the mother to the eggs that will become Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal!)

Sunfyre

Rider: Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney)

This male dragon is known as "Sunfyre the Golden" for his bright-gold scales and pink-membraned wings. By the time jump after season 1, episode 6, he's already bonded to young Aegon and remains close to the Greens' heir. In season 2, episode 4, the now-King Aegon rides Sunfyre into the Battle of Rook's Rest, where both dragon and dragonrider are severely injured. (It is currently unknown whether Sunfyre is still alive in HotD.)

Tessarion

Rider: Prince Daeron Targaryen

Though we haven't met him yet, viewers learn in season 2, episode 7 that Daeron's dragon Tessarion has grown old enough to ride into battle as part of Team Green. Also known as "the Blue Queen" in the books, the nimble she-dragon is described as "one-third in size" to Vermithor.

Vhagar

Rider: Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell)

Female Vhagar is the oldest and largest living Targaryen dragon, an ancient beast who was ridden by Queen Visenya during Aegon's Conquest. She was lost for years, as we heard from young Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) in episode 2 before Laena herself encountered and bonded with her. After Laena experiences complications during childbirth and commands her dragon to kill her, Vhagar is brought to Westeros, where she bonds with Viserys (Harry Lloyd) and Alicent's (Olivia Cooke) third-eldest Aemond in season 1, episode 7.

The Blacks

Arrax (Deceased)

Rider: the late Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault)

By season 1, episode 8, Luke has claimed Arrax, a just-matured beast who author George R. R. Martin described as "pearlescent white with yellow flame, golden eyes and a golden chest." In the season 1 finale, we see that he's the smallest of the dragons we've been introduced to thus far, which makes it even more terrifying when he goes up against Vhagar and Aemond. Arrax and Luke are eventually killed by the much larger dragon, marking the first blow of the Dance of the Dragons.

Caraxes

Rider: Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith)

Also known as Blood Wyrm, this red, horned male is bonded to Daemon, and is known for being as fearsome and vicious as his rider. We got to see Caraxes in action during the battle against the Triarchy in season 1, episode 3.

Meleys (Deceased)

Rider: The late Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best)

Known as the "Red Queen," this female dragon has copper strips along her red body and is known as one of the swiftest dragons. We (and the Greens) got a good look at Meleys when she emerged as the "beast beneath the boards" at Aegon II's coronation in season 1, episode 9. By the middle of season 2, though, Meleys and her rider both meet their fate when they're killed by Aemond and Vhagar during the Battle of Rook's Rest.

Moondancer

Rider: Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia)

In season 2 we meet Moondancer, a young, slender dragon with a pale-green body and pearl horns and wingbones. For anyone wondering why Moondancer and Seasmoke (more on Seasmoke later) have such different names than the rest of the dragons, it looks like Laenor (John MacMillan) and Baela didn't follow the custom of giving new dragons Valyrian names (language that is to thank for all the "ae"s in these characters).

Seasmoke

Rider: Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty); previously Laenor Velaryon (John MacMillan)

This pale silver-hued dragon is a younger and more nimble dragon, who bonded to Laenor while he was still young. After Laenor faked his death in season 1, episode 7, Seasmoke was considered wild, and viewers saw her roam the skies near Hull and Dragonstone in season 2. In season 2, episode 6, Seasmoke unexpectedly chases down Addam of Hull and chooses him to become her new rider. (It may have helped that Addam is Laenor's half-brother.)

Silverwing

Rider: Ulf the White (Tom Bennett)

In season 2, episode 7, a dragonseed named Ulf the White stumbles upon and then bonds with Silverwing while he's trying to escape Dragonmont. The previously unclaimed beast is a docile, friendly female dragon with a silver body, and was previously ridden by King Jaehaerys' sister/queen consort Alysanne (Emeline Lambert).

Syrax

Rider: Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy)

This female dragon with a yellow hue bonded with Rhaenyra when the princess was only 9. Syrax opens up the series, though we haven't seen her up close since the first episodes of season 1. Rhaenyra has also never ridden her into battle, though that'll probably change once the Dance of the Dragons starts.

Tyraxes and Stormcloud

Riders: Joffrey Velaryon (Oscar Eskinazi) and Aegon III Targaryen (Jake and Rory Heard)

In season 2, episode 3, Rhaenyra decides to send off her three youngest sons (Joffrey, Aegon "the Younger," and Viserys II) away from Dragonstone, which will not be safe for them as the war continues. The queen has promised a dragon to Lady Jeyne Arryn of the Vale (Amanda Collin) in exchange for an army, so she sends the children (with their cousin Rhaena chaperoning) along with their dragons, Tyraxes and Stormcloud. Both of the dragons are described as no more than "hatchlings," but they will (hopefully) have time to grow as the war goes on.

Vermax

Rider: Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett)

We meet this young horned dragon after the season 1, episode 6 time jump after he's already bonded to Jacaerys and the prince is learning to command him. Vermax was born of the egg that laid with Jacaerys in his cradle, showing that Jacaerys had the "blood of the dragon" and was a true Targaryen (though the Velaryon side was in question).

Vermithor

Rider: Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew)

In season 2, episode 7, Rhaenyra gathers dozens of illegitimate Targaryen bastards to see if they can claim dragons. Hugh Hammer is the brave man who claims Vermithor, the second-largest living dragon in Westeros. Formerly ridden by Jaehaerys I, he's described in Fire & Blood as an aggressive bronze dragon with "great tan wings."

Unclaimed Dragons

Balerion (Deceased)

Rider: The late Aegon the Conqueror

The largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, known as "the Black Dread," is mentioned several times throughout House of the Dragon, as the characters will bring up him and his rider when they speak of the history of Westeros and the Targaryen line. The black and red mal dragon and his rider have been long dead by the events of HotD, but Balerion's head can be seen on display in the Red Keep.

Cannibal, Grey Ghost, and Sheepstealer

According to Fire & Blood, there are three other dragons residing in the caves of the volcano Dragonmont as of Rhaenyra and Aegon II's coronations. If the show stays faithful to the books' dragons (as they have so far), they'll likely be a part of the plot.

Cannibal, Grey Ghost, and Sheepstealer are all completely wild dragons with no previous riders. The largest and oldest of them, Cannibal, has a black body and his name because he eats the carcasses of his kind, newborn dragons, and dragon eggs (which is probably why dragon eggs are kept in warmers and not in the volcano). Grey Ghost is pale grey-white and shy, avoiding men for years at a time. Sheepstealer is a "mud brown" color who only attacks humans when provoked; his name is self-evident.

'Game of Thrones' Easter Egg

Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion

Season 2, episode 3 of House of the Dragon includes a major callback (or call-forward?) to the lead Targaryen of Game of Thrones. When Aegon III and Viserys II are sent off to Pentos under the care of Rhaena, they're accompanied by the fledgling dragons Tyraxes and Stormcloud, as well as a crate of unhatched dragon eggs, one gold, one green, one reddish-black, and one silvery-blue. The first three of those eggs will look quite familiar to GoT fans.

In an interview with Mashable, episode 3's director Geeta Vasant Patel confirmed that those are the same eggs that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) receives as a wedding gift over 150 years later, in the events of the first episode of Game of Thrones. This answers a major question of how three dragon eggs made it to Essos, especially since Rhaenyra plans for Rhaena, Aegon III, and Viserys II to eventually make it to Pentos should their first destination, the Vale, no longer be safe for them. Hopefully, HotD will continue to follow the eggs' journey to Dany in later seasons.

Spoilers for House of the Dragon up to season 2, episode 9 ahead. Three years after the divisive finale of Game of Thrones, the record-breaking franchise returned viewers to a simpler time in Westeros (though is life in Westeros ever simple?) with House of the Dragon. The highly anticipated prequel premiered in August 2022, instantly becoming a global hit, as the decades-spanning series introduced fans to several earlier generations of the infamous, incestuous, dragon-riding platinum-blonde Targaryen family, over 150 years before Daenerys Targaryen was born.

By House of the Dragon season 2, which premiered on Max on June 16, the living Targaryen family has split in two, with a fight for succession leading to an all-out civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. With its various timelines and sects, the full Targaryen family tree, which originated in author George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice book series, is complicated enough to warrant its own book series (or at least three more spinoffs). To help remember who everyone is and how they're related, we've compiled a guide to the Targaryens in House of the Dragon and how they connect to the Thrones platinum blondes we know and love.

The Beginnings of Westeros

Daenys the Dreamer

In the first episode of House of the Dragon, two dreamers who are pivotal to the Targaryens' conquest of Westeros are mentioned. The first, Daenys the Dreamer, was the maiden daughter or a Targaryen nobleman in Valyria, the ancestral land where the family lived before settling at the island Dragonstone. Daenys had a dream about the destruction of Valyria, and she convinced their family to leave before the land was destroyed in a volcanic cataclysm, known as the Doom of Valyria. The Targaryens were the only dragonriders (with the only dragons) to survive, and they lived on Dragonstone for the next century.

Aegon the Conquerer

Whenever later Targaryens mention the great Aegon I, they're referring to Aegon the Conqueror, the first king of Westeros who united the realm (minus Dorne and the land beyond the Wall) and founded the Targaryen dynasty. He married both of his sisters, Rhaenys and Visenya, and they had three dragons: Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes. After conquering the realm, he founded King's Landing, began construction on the Red Keep, and forged the Iron Throne out of the swords of his fallen enemies.

Also, for anyone confused about "A Song of Ice and Fire" being mentioned in throughout House of the Dragon: Upon being named heir, Rhaenyra learns a secret passed down through Targaryen rulers. Rather than ambition, Aegon I's conquer of Westeros was spurred by a dream where he foresaw the end of men. Per the dream, a terrible winter would come to the distant North, bringing a force that would destroy the world of the living.

That dream prophesied the coming of the White Walkers and the second Long Night, with Aegon passing down the solution that all of Westeros must unite for the force to be defeated. Centuries later, his prophecy eventually came true with the events of Game of Thrones.

King Jaehaerys I (Michael Carter)

House of the Dragon begins with a prelude introducing us to King Jaehaerys I, "The OId King," who had the most peaceful reign of any Targaryen. He married his sister Alysanne and together they had 14 children, with nine making it to adulthood and two outliving him. As he approached death with no heir apparent, he convened a Great Council to decide who would succeed him among at least 14 contenders, with the vote coming down to his two grandchildren Rhaenys and Viserys. (This momentous incident took place 172 years before the birth of Daenerys.)

Alyssa Targaryen (Emeline Lambert)

In HotD season 2, episode 5, we're introduced to the late Alyssa Targaryen, the mother of Viserys and Daemon, via a very incestuous sex dream. Per Fire & Blood, Alyssa was the daughter of King Jaehaerys I and was named after his mother/her grandmother; she also previously rode Meleys, the red dragon whom her niece Rhaenys rides during the HotD era. Alyssa was 24 when she died due to childbirth complications, at which time Daemon was around five years old.

Saera Targaryen

Though she doesn't appear in House of the Dragon, Saera Targaryen plays an important role in the Blacks' season 2 mission to find more dragonriders. In episode 7, Hugh Hammer reveals that his mother was Saera, the notorious, trouble-making ninth child of Jaehaerys I and his wife Alysanne. During her eventful life, she had multiple lovers, hosted sex parties, stole a dragon when her father put her under house arrest, and later fled to Lys to become a sex worker instead of being forced to become a Silent Sister. One of her bastard children, Hugh Hammer, eventually claims the dragon Vermithor in HotD.

'House of the Dragon' Era - Adults

Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best)

Rhaenys had a stronger claim to the Iron Throne, as the daughter of Jaehaerys' eldest son, Aemon, and Jocelyn Baratheon (an ancestor of early Thrones king Robert Baratheon). Unfortunately, she was also a woman, so she was skipped over and became "The Queen Who Never Was." Though she doesn't have the throne in House of the Dragon, the shrewd royal still influences affairs from the sidelines, often scheming with her husband Corlys Velaryon, Viserys' Master of Ships.

Rhaenys and Corlys have two children who are involved throughout House of the Dragon, a daughter and son named Laena and Laenor. While Laenor ends up marrying Rhaenyra Targaryen to ally the houses, Laena marries Daemon Targaryen and later dies in childbirth.

King Viserys I (Paddy Considine)

"The Young King" Viserys, the fifth Targaryen king of the Seven Kingdoms, also ruled for peace. His reign was the height of the Targaryens' power, with the family and their dragons thriving along with the realm. Viserys married his cousin Aemma Arryn at an early age and they had one surviving daughter, Rhaenyra. Aemma was pregnant with a second child in the HotD series premiere, with Viserys expecting a son, but neither mother nor son survived labor.

Thanks to the machinations of Otto Hightower, Hand of the King, Viserys ended up marrying Alicent Hightower as his second wife. The couple has four children, and Viserys lived to become an old king with many illnesses. He died of leprosy at the end of season 1, episode 8, and he's best known by the moniker Viserys the Peaceful.

Queen Aemma (Sian Brooke)

Aemma was King Viserys I's first wife and Rhaenyra's mother, who died in childbirth in the HotD series premiere (and deserved so much more). She was a dedicated mother to Rhaenyra, but she had difficulties in childbirth and passed without producing a male heir. Fun facts: Her maiden name was Aemma Arryn (she was a distant ancestor of Jon Arryn, whose death led to Ned Stark being named Hand of the King and everything subsequent in Game of Thrones); and her mother was Viserys' aunt, making them first cousins.

Prince Daemon (Matt Smith)

Known as "The Rogue Prince," Daemon is the younger brother of King Viserys and started HotD season 1 as the presumed heir. He's an arrogant hothead who believes he would be a better king than his brother. (To be fair, he seems to think he would be better than anyone.) He has many friends (especially among the City Watch) and enemies (especially Ser Otto Hightower). In the HotD premiere, he was unhappily married to Rhea Royce of the Vale, and he had a mistress named Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno).

Things went downhill for Daemon by the end of the season 1 premiere, with Viserys taking away his title as heir and giving it to Princess Rhaenyra. After a failed bit of rebellion and a successful war against Craghas "The Crabfeeder" Drahar, Daemon returned to Westeros and attempted to seduce his niece Rhaenyra. Soon after that didn't pan out (and he was banished from the Red Keep), Daemon's marriage to Rhea Royce ended, with the lady officially dying of a fall from her horse. (It's heavily implied that Daemon killed her.)

Daemon's second wife was Corlys and Rhaenys's daughter Laena Velaryon (a.k.a. his first once removed) with whom he has twin girls, Baela and Rhaena. He became a single father after Laena died by dragonfire while giving birth to a stillborn child. Soon after Laena's funeral, he was married for a third time to...

Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock, then Emma D'Arcy)

When she was young, Rhaenyra, known as "The Realm’s Delight," was a devoted daughter, a talented dragonrider, and a budding tactician. As the king's only child, she would have been the presumed heir if she wasn't a woman. However, rather than let Daemon get the crown, Viserys decided to name her as his successor anyway, in a divisive move that made Rhaenyra the closest female heir to the Iron Throne until her great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter Daenerys.

Season 1, episode 6 included a 10-year time jump in the HotD storyline, at which point young Rhaenyra actor Milly Alcock left and Emma D'Arcy took over the role. (Alicent Hightower, a close childhood friend of Rhaenyra, was similarly first played by Emily Carey and, as she aged up, the role went to Olivia Cooke.)

Having previously married Laenor Velaryon in season 1, episode 5, post-time-jump Rhaenyra was mother to three sons by episode 6: Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey (the latter of which she welcomed in the episode's opening minutes). While Rhaenyra's place as heir was secure, her relationship with Alicent deteriorated to the point where her former friend pushed for her son Aegon to be named heir instead. There were also rumors about her children's parentage (more on that later).

Rhaenyra's marriage to Laenor ended in episode 7 when she married her uncle Daemon after Laenor's "death." The pair welcomed two sons together during the six-year jump before episode 8. They are still going strong when the realm is thrown into conflict in the season 1 finale, where Rhaenyra is named the rightful queen days after her nephew Aegon has usurped the Iron Throne.

'House of the Dragon' Era - Children

Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney)

Aegon is a common name for Targaryen sons, which comes up several times in the family tree. This Prince Aegon is the firstborn son of Viserys I and his second wife, Alicent Hightower. As the king's firstborn son, a faction of lords wanted him to be named heir pretty much as soon as he was born, though Rhaenyra had been named heir years prior. After the first time jump in episode 6, Aegon was a bratty teenager who had yet to grapple with his birthright as Rhaenyra's strongest opponent in the succession.

Fast-forward another six-year jump (so the start of episode 8): Aegon has married his sister Helaena (Phia Saban) and they share twins, Prince Jaehaerys and Princess Jaehaera. After his father Viserys' death, Aegon was thrust into the role of king, though he didn't want it; he'd rather drink and gamble and sire rumored illegitimate kids in King's Landing. However, his mother Alicent convinced him to take the throne as the Greens' placed monarch, and he's still sitting on the Iron Throne when House of the Dragon season 2 begins.

Princess Helaena (Phia Saban)

Helaena is Viserys and Alicent's secondborn and firstborn daughter. By the end of season 1, she had become queen of Westeros as her brother Aegon II's wife, and she was mother to twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. She also exhibited a touch of clairvoyance throughout her life, making some prophetic-sounding observations earlier in season 1 before she eventually gave a confirmed prophecy in episode 9 ("the beast beneath the boards" being Rhaenys and her dragon crashing Aegon's coronation").

Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell)

Viserys and Alicent's third child Aemond is more calculating than his elder brother. When he was younger, he was a timid boy and teased by his nephews Jacerys and Lucerys. He became a major player in season 1, episode 7 when he bonded with Vhaghar, the largest living dragon in Westeros (and lost an eye in an accident with Lucerys). By season 2, he's a fearsome warrior who thinks he would be a better king than his older brother. He also caused the first death in the Dance of the Dragons.

Prince Daeron

Though we never meet him in HotD's first season, Alicent and Viserys have a fourth child, their youngest son Daeron. According to author George R.R. Martin, the young man was living in Oldtown, the second-largest city in Westeros, during season 1. Though the author hasn't confirmed whether he'll be introduced in season 2, Daeron does play a large role in the source novel Fire & Blood.

Prince Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett)

Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon's eldest son, known as Jace, is second in line for the throne while his mother is the official heir. Though he and his brother grew up with Laenor as their father, they don't look like him, and there have been long-time rumors that Commander of the City Watch Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) was their biological dad. By the end of season 1, episode 6, Jace even asks his mother about his parentage and she responds, "You are a Targaryen. That's all that matters."

At the start of season 2, Jace is a thoughtful young man preparing for his duties as king. He's extremely loyal to his mother and has an important place in the war as Rhaenyra's heir.

Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault)

Rhaenyra's secondborn child Luke was more mild-mannered than his brother Jace, and had a tougher time with his fate as a royal. In season 1, episode 8, he was named heir to the seat of House Velaryon, Driftmark, but he later admitted to his mother that he didn't want it, and even gets "greensick" (Westerosi for seasick). He was fiercely loyal to his mom and honorable, which spelled trouble when his uncle Aemond came after him for revenge after losing an eye. That led to his death in the season 1 finale, as he and his dragon died after narrowly escaping his uncle and his dragon Vhagar in a battle—making his death the first in the Dance of the Dragons.

Prince Joffrey Velaryon (Oscar Eskinazi)

Rhaenyra and Laenor's (but allegedly Harwin's) third son was born at the start of season 1, episode 6, and sports little dark baby curls similar to his brunette brothers. He was named Joffrey after Laenor's late lover, who Ser Criston Cole killed on the night of Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding. (Joffrey is a common Westerosi name even before the young terror Joffrey Lannister is born centuries later.) Joffrey is barely approaching his early teens when the Dance of the Dragons fully begins in season 2.

Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia)

During Daemon's marriage to Laena Velaryon, the couple has two daughters, elder Baela and younger Rhaena. Laena was also pregnant with a third child in season 1, episode 6, but the baby was stillborn and wouldn't deliver, with Laena commanding her dragon to kill her by fire rather than suffer a slow, painful death by childbirth. After episode 7, Baela lived with her grandmother Rhaenys in Driftmark, while Rhaena moved in with her father and Rhaenyra at Dragonstone.

By season 2, Baela is a teenager and dragonrider (bonded with the dragon Moondancer) who will become an important warrior in the Dance of the Dragons. She is also betrothed to her cousin (and Rhaenyra's heir) Jace.

Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell)

Rhaena is the younger of Daemon and Laena's children, who grew up at Dragonstone after her mother's death. She was engaged to her cousin Lucerys Velaryon before his death. She has not bonded with a dragon yet, which makes her a bit of an anomaly in her family of dragonriders.

'House of the Dragon' Era - Grandchildren

Princes Aegon III and Viserys II Targaryen

After Rhaenyra and Daemon marry, they welcome two sons whom they name after Aegon the Conqueror and Rhaenyra's father (and Daemon's brother) Viserys. While the blond-haired pair are still babies in season 1, episode 8, they meet their grandfather, King Viserys I, before he dies. Rhaenyra was also pregnant with a daughter, whom she planned on naming Visenya, but she experienced a stillbirth in the season 1 finale.

Unfortunately, the Targaryen tendency to recycle names leads to the moment of confusion that helps fuel the succession crisis: In Viserys I's final moments, he speaks to his wife Alicent and mistakes her for his daughter Rhaenyra, mentioning the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy and naming "Aegon" as the chosen one. Alicent doesn't know that the king was likely referring to the first or third Aegon, not her son the second. Thus, the Greens claim that Viserys I wanted Aegon II to be king—which you can expect to come up a lot in season 2.

Prince Jaehaerys II and Princess Jaehaera

As all heirs do (no matter how young), Aegon II and Helaena's twin children Jaehaerys—named after his great-grandfather, mentioned above—and Jaehaera have roles to play in the Targaryen civil war. Jaehaera less so, because she is a girl, but it is an added point to Aegon II's claim that he already has a male heir at the start of season 2.

'Game of Thrones' Era Targaryens

King Aerys II (David Rintoul)

Before the Baratheons (and the Lannisters behind the scenes) ruled over Westeros in Game of Thrones, King Aerys II was the last Targaryen to sit on the Iron Throne. "The Mad King" was initially beloved during his peaceful reign, before he slowly became paranoid, erratic, and murderous (possibly due to the Targaryen tradition of inbreeding). After he executed Ned Stark's (Sean Bean) father Rickard (Wayne Foskett) and brother Brandon (Isaac Hempstead Wright) during Robert's Rebellion, Aerys was betrayed by his hand, Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance), and killed by Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). The reign of the Targaryens was over, but the lineage lived on through his two younger children Daenerys and Viserys (yes, another Viserys), who were smuggled away to the Free Cities.

Daenerys I (Emilia Clarke)

Daenerys Stormborn (first of her name, thank God) grew up in exile in the Free Cities, intending to return to Westeros and reclaim the Iron Throne. Game of Thrones followed her efforts to raise an army and learn how to rule, first as Khaleesi, then as the Breaker of Chains. Throughout conquering Westeros, she eventually succumbed to the "Targaryen madness," or her family's tradition of becoming erratic and murderous every couple of generations. She razed King's Landing, but before she could even sit on the Iron Throne, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) assassinated her. (#JusticeForDany!)

Dany also had two brothers: Viserys and Rhaegar.

Viserys III (Harry Lloyd)

Viserys spent most of his life with Daenerys in the Free Cities, where they were smuggled as children to stay safe from Baratheon forces in the aftermath of the civil war known as Robert’s Rebellion. The rebellion took the Iron Throne away from the Targaryens; Viserys’ sole focus was reclaiming that power. When we first met the duo in GoT, they were preparing for Daenerys's wedding to Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa)—a union orchestrated entirely by Viserys, without Dany’s consent. Arrogant, self-serving Viserys agreed to allow the Dothraki warlord to wed Dany in return for military support in his plans to reclaim the Iron Throne.

We’d be remiss not to mention how creepy Viserys acted toward his little sister, but luckily, we didn’t have to witness it for long. Toward the end of GoT season one, after Viserys had insulted both his sister and her new husband—under the foolhardy belief that his power outweighed the couples, even when surrounded by loyal Dothraki—Drogo promised to give Viserys the “golden crown” he’s after by pouring molten gold on his head, causing his painful death and paving the way for Dany to seek the Iron Throne instead.

Rhaegar (Wilf Scolding)

Dany and Viserys’ oldest brother was long gone before the events portrayed in Game of Thrones began, but he was still a key player in those events. Rhaegar decided to give Lyanna Stark (Aisling Franciosi)—rather than his wife, Elia Martell (Indira Varma)—a wreath naming her “Queen of Love and Beauty” at a tournament that eventually sparked Robert’s Rebellion since Lyanna was then betrothed to Robert Baratheon, who teamed up with Lyanna’s brother Eddard to avenge his honor.

Soon after, Rhaegar and Lyanna ran away together to be secretly married. The Starks and Baratheons framed their union as an abduction rather than a mutual elopement, officially starting the war. Robert ultimately killed Rhaegar at the Battle of the Trident, and Elia and her two children with Rhaegar were killed, too. Lyanna died early, as well, due to complications after giving birth to her and Rhaegar’s only child.

As for that son…

Aegon, a.k.a. Jon Snow (Kit Harington)

Sorry for the spoiler if you somehow haven't caught up to Game of Thrones (also not sorry, because again, it went off the air in 2019), but we can't mention the Thrones-era Targaryens without the secret, non-blonde member hiding in plain sight. As was revealed in the season 7 finale, the Stark bastard Jon Snow was the secret love child of Rhaegar and Lyanna, named Aegon after several of his ancestors.

After he killed his lover/aunt Dany, Jon was exiled back into the Night's Watch and later traveled with the Wildlings to the land north of the Wall. The Jon Snow sequel series is reportedly "off the table" at HBO, but odds are we'll learn what's next for the hero at some point in the future.

20 months after the first blood was spilled, the Dance of the Dragons will officially begin on House of the Dragon season 2. In its time-jumping first season, House of the Dragon set the stage for the legendary Targaryen civil war—which takes place around 150 years before the events of Game of Thrones—while focusing on the friendship-turned-rivalry between King Viserys' declared heir Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and his second wife Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke). After Viserys the Peaceful's (Paddy Considine) death, Alicent and her father Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), leaders of the Greens, placed the king's firstborn son on the Iron Throne before Rhaenyra could even hear news of his father's passing. The season ends with the aftermath of Rhaenyra and her allies, known as the Blacks, learning about the usurpers' rise.

With season 1 serving as a prequel for the conflict that spelled the beginning of the end of the Targaryen dynasty, the jam-packed finale (which aired in October 2022) teased the carnage to come with a devastating tragedy, the first death of many in the civil war. While fans undoubtedly remember the shocking scene, the many machinations of which Westerosi families were siding with which side of the conflict may be difficult to remember before diving into the long-awaited season 2, which premieres on June 16. Below, read on for a breakdown of the episode and how season 1 ended so you can prepare yourself—and perhaps choose a side—for House of the Dragon season 2.

Rhaenyra is crowned the rightful queen after losing her unborn child.

When the finale begins, Rhaenyra and her family are settled in Dragonstone with their thoughts still on the events in episode 8. Her secondborn Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) is nervous about being the heir to Driftmark, but Rhaenyra comforts him and says she will help prepare him for his future lordship. The sweet moment is brief before Rhaenys (Eve Best) arrives with the news of Viserys' death and Aegon's (Tom Glynn-Carney) Dragonpit coronation. Daemon (Matt Smith) is immediately furious, assuming that Alicent murdered Viserys and asking Rhaenys why she didn't dracarys them all (as we all were asking at the end of episode 9!). Rhaenys says this war isn't hers to initiate, a stance of neutrality she'll keep for most of the episode.

While Daemon jumps to anger, Rhaenyra is devastated after learning she's lost her father and maybe her throne. She begins bleeding, as the stress of the moment induces an early labor. While Daemon begins planning for war, calling a council around Dragonstone's carved map table, his wife's screams echo from her bed chamber into the Great Hall. Even while she's in pain, Rhaenyra is the one who tells Jaecaerys (Harry Collett) and Luke about their grandfather's death, and she doesn't want Daemon to make any war moves without her. Jace tells Daemon to stand down, but instead of going to his wife/niece's side, he threatens some members of the Kingsguard to swear loyalty to Rhaenyra, under the threat of being executed by his dragon Caraxes.

Like the series' other childbirth sequences so far, Rhaenyra's stillbirth is brutal, visceral, and arguably gratuitous. She refuses help from her nurses, delivering the stillborn baby herself. Once it's over, she silently holds the unliving child, as Daemon finally comes to the chamber. They don't speak before the scene cuts to Rhaenyra performing the burial rights, followed by a beachside funeral where they burn the body in the Targaryen tradition. During the funeral, Ser Erryk Cargyll (the one of the twin knights who was anti-Aegon, played by Elliott Tittensor) arrives and offers Rhaenyra her father's golden crown. Daemon places it on her head, calling back to the emotional scene between himself and his brother Viserys. With that, Rhaenyra becomes queen.

Alicent and Otto Hightower hold off on attacking the Greens.

The next several scenes demonstrate Rhaenyra's restraint while facing a ruinous, dragon-filled war. While she was indisposed, her bannermen received confirmations of some of her alliances, but several houses' alliances are up in the air, including the Arryns, the Starks, and the Baratheons. (We saw in episode 9 that the Lannisters are with the Greens.) The Blacks have the most dragons—13 total versus the Greens' four—and Daemon wants to lead with that, taking over the war meeting and commanding his plans. Before any decisions can be made, Ser Erryk alerts them that a ship is arriving, flying a banner of a three-headed green dragon.

Otto leads the Green party, and Daemon meets him outside on the Dragonstone steps. In a callback from episode 2, Rhaenyra arrives late on dragon-back, with Syrax landing behind the Greens. Otto has a stacked offer if Rhaenyra steps down and supports Aegon: She and Jace get Dragonstone, Luke gets Driftmark, her allies get pardoned, and she and Daemon's young sons receive places in Aegon's court. Daemon's response is classic: "I would rather feed my sons to the dragons than have them carry shields and cups for your drunken, usurper c--t of a king."

Otto's argument is based on the optics that the Greens have built: Aegon II wears his namesake Aegon the Conqueror's crown, carries his sword, and is crowned before the public. He has the "symbols of legitimacy," while Rhaenyra has 20-year-old oaths, taken before Viserys had a son. The Hand's final blow is emotional, as he gives Rhaenyra a torn page from a history book. It's the same page Rhaenyra tore out all those years ago when the girls were studying the story of Nymeria—a warrior princess who ruled over Dorne for two decades, not Arya's direwolf—back in the premiere. It's Alicent's olive branch, to show she remembers their friendship and wants to bloodshed. With that, Rhaenyra tells Otto that she'll give him her response later, to the annoyance of trigger-ready Daemon.

Daemon Targaryen tries to claim the second largest dragon.

At the next war council, lit by candles and the awesome glowing table map, Rhaenyra explains her resistance to attack. She reminds her men of Viserys' stories of ancient Valyria, saying, "When dragons flew to war, everything burned. I do not wish to rule over a kingdom of ash and bone." It's a wise stance (that does ring in our ears as a Daenerys apologist), but Daemon refuses to listen, saying that Rhaenyra's father taught her his feckless ways. The queen clears the room, and in private, she reminds her uncle/husband of the duty that surpasses their personal ambitions: the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy. At its mention, as Rhaenyra says Viserys shared the dream with her when he named her heir, Daemon clutches her throat. It's a show of power that reveals weakness, as Rhaenyra realizes her father never told his brother about the prophecy. It's another sign that Viserys never wanted Daemon as his heir, wounding the prince.

Daemon's missing from the next day's war council, with Rhaenyra assuming he's nursing his wounds. He is, but he's also still building power—just as the queen is. His solution to victory is still dragons, so he heads into the active volcano under Dragonstone, known as Dragonmont, where the wild and unclaimed dragons live. He approaches Vermithor, the second-largest dragon, previously ridden by King Jaehaerys, while singing a High Valyrian song. We don't see what happens between the dragon and the potential rider, but Daemon makes it out of the cave alive, so he and Vermithor are at least on decent terms if they didn't claim each other.

Rhaenyra's son Lucerys is fatally attacked by Prince Aemond.

That third war meeting includes the return of Lord Corlys (Steve Touissant), whose near-fatal injury was the catalyst for the events of episode 8. He arrived at Dragonstone earlier in the episode, while his wife Rhaenys was staying neutral and waiting for his recovery. Once they're awake in the same room, she shames him for running off to war in the wake of their children Laena (Nanna Blondell) and Laenor's (John Macmillian) deaths. She also tells him of his brother's death, which came courtesy of Daemon in episode 8.

After hearing all this, Corlys finally lets go of his ambitions for the Iron Throne and tells his wife they should return to a quiet life in Driftmark with their four grandchildren. But Rhaenys has also switched her stance; she reminds her husband that Jace and Luke will not be safe as Aegon is king. She also supports Rhaenyra after seeing her hesitance to go to war, as she's the only one holding the realm together.

Corlys officially gives his loyalty to Rhaenyra, and shares that their side now has his massive fleet and control of the Narrow Sea. They now have a legitimate plan to attack King's Landing (sounding like another Battle of the Blackwater) but Rhaenyra says she will not be the one to make the first attack of the war. Instead, she wants to send ravens to the Arryns, Starks, and Baratheons, but Jace offers that sending the princes on their dragons would be faster, and more impressive. So Jace heads out to the Eyrie, then Winterfell, while Luke flies to the nearer Baratheon castle Storm's End. Before they leave, she makes her sons swear that they will go as messengers, not warriors, and she has another sweet moment with Luke, saying that she expects him to receive a warm welcome (a.k.a. one of the biggest jinx in TV history).

When Luke arrives at Storm's End on his dragon Arrax, Vhaghar is outside. Instead of turning and running, the brave prince still enters, where Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) waits after arriving with a head start and a marriage pact. Ser Borros Baratheon (Roger Evans) is rude and refuses to read, asking Luke which of his daughters he will marry. (Luke's already betrothed to his cousin Rhaena.) Baratheon derisively sends Luke away for arriving empty-handed, but Aemond quickly jumps to antagonize his nephew, demanding he cut out his eye if he won't fight. Before Aemond can charge Luke, Baratheon orders his guards to escort Luke to his dragon, wanting no bloodshed in his hall.

The chase that ensues, with Aemond and Vhaghar pursuing Luke and Arrax through a literal thunderstorm, is a harbinger of doom for the upcoming war. Remember when Viserys said at the beginning of the season that the relationship between dragons and riders is challenging, as a dragon will never entirely be tamed? That foreshadowing is fulfilled as the large and tiny dragons go rogue, with their riders fruitlessly ordering them to listen to commands. Arrax gets a sneak attack on Vhaghar, the equivalent of a house kitten scratching a lion, and Vhaghar gets upset. It briefly looks like Luke will get away, as he and Arrax emerge through the storm into the sunshine. It's very short-lived, as Vhagar flies up and bites into the pair, tearing both the dragon and the boy in half.

Aemond's expression after Luke's death is a mix of what have I done" and what will I tell my mother? He knows he just set off the war; sure Vhaghar rebelled, but Aemond started the chase. Though it would've been great to see the conversation when he returns to the Red Keep, this episode is Rhaenyra's, so the final scene sees Daemon coming up to the queen and telling her of her son's death. Their backs are to us as he gives the news, so we can only see the devastated sag of the mother's shoulders. But then she turns around, with one tear trailing down her face and a look of fury rivaling all others. Next season, the war is on.

What will happen in season 2 of 'House of the Dragon'?

The House of the Dragon team's goal was to leave with an ending that would have been pleading for a second season, and they delivered. Luckily, new episodes are finally on the way.

The two sides of the Dance of the Dragons are pretty evenly matched at the end of the premiere. The Greens have King's Landing, the Kingsguard, the Lannister fleet, and four dragons, but mostly Vhaghar. They're also absolutely the less honor-bound side, at least during the finale.

Meanwhile, the Arryns' support for the Blacks is nearly guaranteed (Rhaenyra's late mother Aemma was an Arryn before marriage), and there's a good chance that Jacaerys will over the Starks in Winterfell. We won't spoil what happens the original book series, but if the Blacks get the support of the North, that plus the Velaryons plus the dragons will put Rhaenyra ahead even if Alicent didn't have a home-court advantage. Also, that look on Rhaenyra's face hints that those pesky problems of honor and integrity will likely fade away next season.

The Dance of the Dragons will be the war of Fire & Blood as promised by George R.R. Martin's novel. (A bloodbath? Firebath? Dracarys-fest?) The first battle between Aemond and Lucerys shows that the bulk of the fighting in the Targaryen civil war will happen between Alicent and Rhaenyra's children. The opening scene foreshadows their place in the conflict, as Lucerys tells his mother that he doesn't even want Driftmark. It was never really these kids' choice whether or not they would have to fight and bleed and die over the Iron Throne, just as Rhaenyra's and Alicent's places were never entirely their choice. (Viserys at least tried to give Rhaenyra agency over being heir, unlike Otto leading Alicent towards marrying the king, but still.)

There's also very little chance that two of the show's major relationships will ever be the same. However Daemon stans want to frame the event online, the finale shows Daemon and Rhaenyra's absolute differences of opinion, and they may not be able to make it through the war as commander and sovereign, as well as loving husband and wife.

Also, Rhaenyra and Alicent's friendship became much harder to salvage after Luke's death. Even if Aemond admits it was an accident, this goes deeper than an eye for an eye. It'll be interesting to see who comes out alive the next time the two queens face each other (which probably won't happen until season 4 or 5). Time will tell how much Targaryen blood must be spilled for peace to return to Westeros.

HBO's hit show and pop culture phenomenon Game of Thrones is officially a franchise. The first in-universe spinoff, House of the Dragon brought back the world of Westeros with a prequel story filled with royal intrigue and stunning dragons, led by a stacked cast of warring Targaryens.

Though some fans were skeptical of the show's chances after Thrones' divisive finale, House of the Dragon's renewal chances skyrocketed when its premiere episode brought in nearly 10 million viewers, the highest ratings for an HBO premiere ever. In response, the network decided to go all in on the Game of Thrones spinoff.

"We are beyond proud of what the entire House of the Dragon team has accomplished with season 1," Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming, said in a statement. "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. A huge thank you [to co-creator and executive producer George R.R. Martin and co-creator and showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik] for leading us on this journey. We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season 2.”

Here's what we know about the forthcoming second season so far.

'House of the Dragon' season 2 release date

After months of hinting, HBO revealed in March 2024 that House of the Dragon season 2 will premiere on June 16, 2024. The announcement came a few weeks after Warner Bros. Discovery streaming and gaming chief J.B. Perrette said in a Variety interview that the acclaimed GoT spinoff would return this June.

HBO chief Casey Bloys previously revealed during a November 2023 press event that House of the Dragon would return in “early summer” 2024. Bloys also confirmed that season 2 will consist of eight episodes, two fewer than season 1. (Boo.)

The network announced in April 2023 that production had begun on season 2 at Leavesden Studios in the U.K., with the show's official X (formerly Twitter) account posting a new photo from the set. Variety later reported that the show's production wouldn't be affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike, as its cast largely features U.K. actors working under contracts governed by the local union, Equity.

"House of the Dragon has returned," showrunner Ryan Condal said in a statement. "We are thrilled to be shooting again with members of our original family as well as new talents on both sides of the camera. All your favorite characters will soon be conspiring at the council tables, marching with their armies, and riding their dragons into battle. We can't wait to share what we have in store."

'House of the Dragon' season 2 trailer

With just one month until premiere day, HBO released a final trailer for House of the Dragon season 2 on May 14. The theme for this clip seems to be devastation; while the other teasers have focused on taking a side, this trailer shows glimpses of how the Dance of the Dragons will bring violence and misery to both sides of the conflict. After all, as Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) says in one scene, "There is more than one way to fight a war." (And as book fans know, this war will reach new levels of brutality.)

Along with the official release date, HBO debuted two(!) trailers for House of the Dragon season 2 in March, marking the network's first-ever use of "dueling" trailers to highlight the upcoming war between the Greens and the Blacks. The Green trailer focuses on the front led by King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) in King's Landing, where he, Alicent (Olivia Cooke), Otto (Rhys Ifans), and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) are preparing for war to defend their claim on the Iron Throne.

Meanwhile, the Black trailer shows Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith) gathering their forces on Dragonstone and recruiting more allies, including a glimpse of a trip to the snowy North. The Dance of the Dragons is about to begin, and as the clips say, "All Must Choose."

On December 2, 2023, HBO released the first look at House of the Dragon season 2, via a set of first-look images and the first teaser. The minute-long clip sets up the upcoming season's clash over the Iron Throne between Rhaenyra and Aegon II, with Aegon's mother Alicent Hightower stating, "The war will be fought, many will die, and the victor will eventually ascend the throne." As expected of a Targaryen civil war, the teaser is also filled with dragons and dragon fire, as we see one of the first battles of the epic conflict.

"There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin," Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) says, "and no war so bloody as a war between dragons."

'House of the Dragon' season 2 cast

HBO has confirmed which of the House of the Dragon cast is returning for the next season, including all of the main players in the Dance of the Dragons: Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole), Steve Touissant (Corlys Targaryen), Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen), Harry Collett (Jacaerys Velaryon), Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon II) and Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen). Among the actors we lost in Season 1 are Paddy Considine as King Viserys and Elliot Grihault as Lucerys.

Other returning actors include Bethany Antonia (Baela Targaryen), Phoebe Campbell (Rhaena Targaryen), Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen), Jefferson Hall (Jason Lannister), and Matthew Needham (Larys Strong). Another surprising (unless you're a book fan), familiar name on the list is Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, a.k.a. the White Worm. It seems as though she survived the Hightowers' murder attempt at the end of season 1 to live another day.

HBO has also confirmed the new cast members joining the series. The most exciting new character for GoT fans will likely be Cregan Stark (played by Tom Taylor), an ancestor to the original series' leads who will become an important ally to one of the sides of the upcoming conflict. Cregan's father, Lord Rickon Stark, has also been confirmed and will be played by Vincent Regan. Other new cast members include Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, and Tom Bennett as Ulf.

As for the younger versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent, actors Milly Alcock and Emily Carey are officially not returning for season 2. Showrunner Ryan Condal told Variety that the two characters will not be involved, though they may return through flashbacks in later seasons. "[Alcock and Carey] are not a part of the story that we’re telling, yet. That’s not a thing that we’re doing right now," he said.

"There are things that we haven’t fully sorted out," he added. "I’m not closing the door on anything. So there, how’s that for an answer?"

'House of the Dragon' season 2 plot

Season 2 is expected to pick up immediately following the tragic death of Rhaenyra’s son, Prince Lucerys "Luke" Velaryon (Elliot Grihault), at the hands of Alicent’s son Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) in the devastating House of the Dragon season 1 finale. Rhaenyra had initially been a proponent of peace after her father King Viserys' death, but in the epic final shot of season 1, it was clear on Rhaenyra's furious face that blood would answer for blood. The Dance of the Dragons is officially a go.

Book readers (or the spoiler-prone) know who ends up on the Iron Throne at the end of it all, but if you're following along with the show, there are few hints to find of the specifics of the upcoming season. It's been confirmed that future seasons of HotD won't include the drastic time jumps employed in bringing the season from Rhaenyra and Alicent's childhood days to the start of the war. Co-creator Ryan Condal confirmed to Deadline in October 2022 that there won't be more decade-spanning, recast-mandating time jumps in the next season.

"We tell the story in real-time from here forward," he told the outlet. "The actors are playing these characters until the end. We’re not recasting anybody. We’re not making any huge jumps forward in time. We are now in the Dance of the Dragons, and we’re gonna tell that story.

Future seasons of 'House of the Dragon'

One big question about the GoT prequel is whether it'll face the same fate as Thrones: having more seasons than the source material (to the show's detriment). Luckily, the creative team already has a plan for the end of the series. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the showrunners revealed that they have an ending in mind and a plan for the show to run a certain number of seasons, with sources saying that three to four seasons are plotted so far.

They also hinted that the show, or a subsequent spinoff, could explore another period of the Targaryen dynasty, which stretches back to the Doom of Valyria, or the destruction of the family's first home country, and King Aegon I's conquest of Westeros.

“The Targaryens span both directions,” season 1 director Miguel Sapochnik told the outlet. “So as a spine to other possible stories and spinoffs … this is a great place to start.”

The HBO fantasy drama House of the Dragon treats time much differently than its predecessor, Game of Thrones. While Thrones had a traditional linear timeline (to the point that characters seemed to teleport from one end of Westeros to another in later seasons), HotD covers large swaths of time in the Targaryen dynasty by skipping uneventful periods between installments. Whether the next episode takes place three months or three years after the last, the series only shows the events that hold the most significance leading up to the epic conflict, the Dance of the Dragons.

That being said, it is extremely easy to get confused along the way, especially when the show does a jump that involves recasting two of the main cast. Read on for our breakdown of the big plot developments between each of Season 1's major time jumps leading up to the jam-packed finale (which gets its own in-depth explainer here).

The Show Begins (Episodes 1-2)

Daemon loses his place as heir.

When House of the Dragon starts, King Viserys' younger brother Daemon is his appointed heir, though many members of the Small Council (especially the current Hand of the King Otto Hightower) disagree with his style of leadership. That simmering conflict comes to a head after the death of Viserys' wife Aemma during childbirth, with their son Baelon only living for a short while. Hightower reports to Viserys that Daemon publicly called the deceased infant "prince for a day," and Viserys sends his brother away from court. He also decides to name his sole living child, his daughter Rhaenyra, as heir in an official ceremony.

After he loses his place as successor, Daemon has a short rebellious demonstration, stealing a dragon egg and taking the Targaryen ancestral home of Dragonstone in episode 2. Rhaenyra quickly takes the egg and the castle back (it technically belongs to her as the Targaryen heir), after which Daemon decides to join Lord Corlys Valeryon in his fight to take the Stepstones back from the Triarchy, which is led by factually-named Drahar the Crabfeeder. Upon their victory, Daemon returns to court and seems to be welcomed with open arms...before he makes a pass at Rhaenyra as his second wife. He's thrown out again, returning to the Vale long enough to kill his first wife, Lady Rhea Royce, but he returns for Rhaenyra's wedding, where he meets and shows interest in Laena Velaryon.

Alicent marries King Viserys.

Alicent Hightower starts out the show as a young lady and best friend to Princess Rhaenyra. She's also the daughter of Otto Hightower, who has his own ambitions besides being Hand of the King. He wants to solidify his power over the throne, so following the death of Queen Aemma, he sends Alicent to comfort King Viserys. Though the king would make the strongest alliance by marrying Laena Velaryon (who is literally 12 at the time), Viserys decides to marry Alicent instead, making her queen and throwing a becoming-my-stepmother-sized wrench in Rhaenyra and Alicent's friendship.

Three Years Later (Episode 3-5)

Rhaenyra and Alicent's feud begins.

Episode 3 takes place at least three years after Viserys decides to marry Alicent; the young girl is now a queen with one son, and pregnant with another. Alicent's father Otto is pressing for toddler Aegon to replace Rhaenyra as heir, but Alicent isn't as convinced as her father about the switch. (The kid is younger than two; the conversation can happen at a later date.)

Everything changes for Alicent following Rhaenyra and Daemon's near-hookup in episode 4. Rhaenyra swears on her mother's life that nothing happened between her and her uncle (which is technically only half a lie?) and that she's still a maiden (a full lie, cause she hooked up with Ser Criston Cole the same night). Ser Cole admits as much to Alicent in episode 5, meaning that the princess lied to her, a lie which caused her father to lose his place as Hand of the King. After all this, Alicent forms a deep resentment towards Rhaenyra, as well as a couple of allies in Master-of-Whispers-wannabe Larys Strong (who told her about Rhaenyra's secret Plan-B potion) and Ser Cole.

Rhaenyra marries Laenor Valeryan.

Though Rhaenyra was named heir in the premiere, her journey over the first five episodes is less about learning how to rule and more about solidifying her lineage through marriage. Viserys first allows her to chose her own husband, but after Rhaenyra and Daemon's near-hookup in Episode 4, a furious Viserys makes her marry for the strongest alliance. She'll make the match he snubbed in favor of Alicent years ago, marrying the son of House Velaryon, Lord Laenor. It's not a love match, as Laenor is gay and has a boyfriend, but Rhaenyra offers that they can have their own romantic relationships outside of the marriage.

Rhaenyra and Laenor's Episode 5 wedding is supposed to be a multi-day event of feasts and festivals, but it gets cut short when a freshly-rejected and jealous Criston Cole straight-up murders Laenor's boyfriend Joffrey. After the fight, with the blood still on the floor of the Great Hall, Rhaenyra and Laenor are married as the man is still sobbing over his murdered lover, ending this leg of HotD.

Ten Years Later (Episodes 6-7)

Rhaenyra gives birth to her third son.

Episode 6 takes place at least ten years later, with Rhaenyra and Alicent now played by older actors (Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke). It begins with Rhaenyra giving birth to her third son...and immediately being summoned to bring the baby to the queen. The cruel order shows how strained the relationship between the two former friends has become, but there's another purpose, which we'll get to in a bit.

For now, an update on the Targaryen/Velaryon/Hightower family trees. Since marrying Laenor a decade earlier, Rhaenyra has given birth to three sons: eldest Jacaerys, middle Lucerys, and fresh-out-the-womb Joffrey (who Laenor names afrter his late love). All three sons have surprising dark, curly hair, considering that both Rhaenyra and Laenor are nautrally platinum blonde.

Meanwhile, Viserys and Alicent are parents to teenage Aegon, middle child Helaena, and younger son Aemond. Aegon is a bit of a dick and enjoys...pleasuring himself...out of one of the windows of the Red Keep, which is troubling considering he's Rhaenyra's strongest challenger as heir.

As for Daemon, he married Laena Velaryon after they first flirted at Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding. They have twin daughters, Baela and Rhaena Velaryon (who do sport the parents' platinum hair, and look awfully different than their cousins Jacaerys and Lucerys).

Alicent is still pissed at Rhaenyra.

A decade of beef between Alicent and Rhaenyra has simmered, though it seems more one-sided based on Alicent's obsession with Rhaenyra's children. It turns out that the queen summoned her stepdaughter immediately postt-childbirth so she could see that the baby's little newborn hair is also brunette. Since Jace, Luke, and little Joff look nothing like Laenor, it's pretty obvious that their father is actually Ser Harwin Strong, who allegedly is Rhaenyra's secret lover.

While Alicent is now powerful enough to directly antagonize Rhaenyra, even speaking with Viserys about her paternity suspicions, the king is either oblivious or is just letting his daughter live her life. Everything that Rhaenyra gets away with enrages Alicent, and when the court starts whispering more loudly about Rhae and Harwin's affair, the queen gets more and more angry. At this point, she's also squarely on Team Aegon for heir, in a large part because that's her best chance to keep her power (and her life), which would likely be forfeit if Rhaenyra ever takes the throne.

Ser Harwin Strong dies.

In Episode 6, everything comes to a head with the question of Rhaenyra's sons' parentage. Ser Criston, who's solidly on Team Alicent and Aegon, goads Ser Harwin into a public fight over Jace and Luke, which adds another mark to the "Harwin's actually their dad" tally. Following the fight, Harwin loses his position as Commander of the City Watch, and his father, current Hand of the King Lyonel Strong, orders him to go back to the family's ancestral home, Harrenhaal, to let the scandal die out.

Unfortunately, Harwin and Lyonel die in a fire soon after arriving at Harrenhaal. The castle has always been considered cursed, so the tragedy could be assumed as fate, but it was actually a plot with an indirect connection to Alicent. Since she and Harwin's younger brother Larys Strong first allied in episode 5, he's become her confidant, and the schemer took her woes about Harwin and Rhaenyra as some sort of coded instruction. He set up the fire to kill his own brother and father, so Harwin can no longer be an embarrassment to the crown, and Alicent's father Otto could possibly return to his place as Hand of the King. The deaths open up a path for Alicent and Larys to increase their power, and we'll likely see how that goes in Episode 7.

Laena Velaryon dies.

Another fan-favorite who met a tragic fate this episode is Laena Velaryon, Daemon's wife and dragon-rider to the massive Vhagar. The couple and their two daughters have been living in the East as guests of Pentos' Prince Reggio Haratis for many years. Though Daemon seems settled and calm, Laena thinks he's moody and depressed, and she wants to return to her own ancestral seat Driftmark in Westeros, where they can raise their daughters to be strong and she can have the life and death of a dragon-rider.

Their fates change very soon, as Laena beings labor for their third child. Eventually the maester tells Daemon that the baby won't come out, and that the only way forward to save the child is an emergency C-section. Daemon (and the audience) remembers how that turned out for Queen Aemma, and he refuses to have Laena be tortured that way. However, without that C-section, Laena will likely still die a painful death due to septic infection.

In the end, Laena takes matters into her own hands, leaving her birthing chamber and walking out to where her beloved dragon rests on the beach. She chooses to die by dracarys, ordering Vhagar to set her on fire, and after some horrified hesitation, the dragon puts his rider out of her misery. We wish we could have spent more time with Laena, but she lives through Daemon and her daughters, who we'll see grow up in later episodes. (Also, both Daemon and Rhaenyra are emotionally single now, so we'll see how that goes.)

Aemond claims Vhagar.

Episode 7 sees the entire family converging in King's Landing for Laena's funeral, with Daemon and Rhaenyra reuniting after years. (Otto Hightower is also back as Hand of the King.) The Velaryons also bring Vhagar to the Red Keep, as the dragon's now riderless and mourning. After the ceremony, Alicent's thirdborn Aemond approaches the largest living dragon to bond with it, and succeeds after a dangerous first ride.

The claiming was chosen by both Aemond and Vhagar, but it's also an insult to Laena's daughters, as they don't get the chance to bond before Aemond sneaks over to Vhagar in the middle of the night. When Jacerys, Lucerys, Baela, and Rhaena come out to confront the prince, he instigates a fight that ends with Luke cutting out Aemond's eye.

After the scuffle, Alicent is furious and demands a literal eye for an eye. The long-simmering rage between her and Rhaenyra finally comes to the surface, and Viserys is directly confronted with the rumors about Jace, Luke, and Joffrey's parentage, but he doesn't want to punish his grandchildren, telling everyone to let bygones be bygones. Alicent flies into a rage and attacks Rhaenyra with the king's dagger, though she's stopped before she can draw blood.

Rhaenyra marries Daemon.

Alicent's attack draws a line between the two women's allegiances, which will become known as the Greens (Team Alicent) and the Blacks (Team Rhaenyra). In the aftermath, Rhaenyra is sure that the upcoming succession after Viserys' death will devolve into a war between her own claim and Aegon's. She and Daemon had already reunited and consummated their will-they-or-won't-they relationship before the kids' fight, but it's not until after that Rhaenyra asks Daemon to marry her and solidify their branch of the family tree. (Targaryens often inter-marry to keep the family bloodline strong; for example, Aegon is betrothed to his own sister Helaena).

The one snag with their alliance/love marriage is the pesky issue of Rhaenyra's first husband. Luckily, they come up with a plan that only includes minimal bloodshed! Laenor and his lover Qarl fake a brawl that ends in his parents Corlys and Rhaenys finding his "corpse." Then the couple escape King's Landing by boat, headed far, far away from the upcoming war. (A Thrones universe happy ending!)

Six Years Later (Episodes 8-9)

Lucerys is pronounced heir of Driftmark.

Episode 8 takes place six years after Laena's funeral, and another Velaryon life is in danger. Corlys has been injured at sea, and will need an heir to assume his duties as Lord of Driftmark. The names in contention are his grandson Lucerys and his brother  Vaemond, who doesn't want his family's legacy to go to a bastard. Rhaenys, Rhaenyra, Daemon, and the rest of the family all converge on King's Landing again, where Alicent and Otto already plan to give the seat to Vaemond.

Meanwhile, Viserys is on death's door and Alicent and Otto are basically ruling in his stead. (Aegon takes no interest in politics, instead running around being the worst.) Rhaenyra and Daemon arrive at King's Landing to no welcome, but they are able to visit Viserys' room and introduce him to their two sons, Aegon and Viserys (yes, keeping track of the names is going to get harder). The father and daughter also discusses Aegon the Conquerer's Song of Ice and Fire, a prophecy passed down from king to king that the Seven Kingdoms must be united to battle against the coming long winter (basically the first king of Westeros prophesied the events of Game of Thrones).

The actual naming of the Driftmark heir is upset when Viserys, who is literally rotting alive, gathers the strength to proceed over the audience where each side argues their case. After making it onto the Iron Throne with an assist from Daemon, he names Lucerys the rightful heir, and Vaemond goes off, finally saying aloud that Jace and Luke are bastards. His head is promptly removed from his body by Daemon, which is allowed since insulting the heir Rhaenyra like that is basically treason anyway. 

Viserys dies (and a massive misunderstanding begins).

The family later gathers for a feast, with Viserys wanting everyone to just get along again. Alicent and Rhaenyra, the dutiful wife and daughter, are actually pretty cordial and hint that there may be some remains of friendship buried deep down. There's even a bit of joy when it's announced that Jace and Luke will marry Baela and Rhaena, respectively. (Both the couples seem happy about it, at least). Of course, Aegon and Aemond won't let the evening go by without insulting Jace and Luke with the Strong rumors, though the evening ends without bloodshed.

That evening, Viserys is back in his bed and obviously hallucinating when he starts talking about the Song of Ice and Fire to Alicent, mistaking her for Rhaenyra. In his mutterings, he mentions the Prince That Was Promised (yes, the one that ends up being Jon Snow) saying that it will be Aegon. Alicent, not knowing the prophecy (or even that Rhaenyra has another kid named Aegon, I think), jumps on the chance that Viserys is saying that his son Aegon could be king. He also tells her, "It’s you, you must do this," thinking that he is speaking to Rhaenyra. So, with a misunderstanding from the ramblings of a dying man, Viserys passes and the Dance of the Dragons begins.

Alicent's son Aegon is crowned king.

In Episode 9, immediately after Viserys' death, Alicent and Otto call the Small Council together, and it turns out they already had a plan to install Aegon as king (minus Lord Beesbury, who argues for Rhaenyra and is immediately killed by Ser Criston Cole). The only problem is that Aegon is missing, and most of the episode is spent on a hunt to find the king that doesn't even want to be king in the streets of King's Landing. Otto and Alicent both send out teams without telling the other, and Otto wins with the help of the White Worm (a.k.a. Mysaria, who seems to be thriving!). 

Alicent and Otto both want Aegon on the throne, but they reach a point of contention when it comes to killing Rhaenyra. Alicent doesn't want to command her death, citing an aversion for murder that could be residual loyalty to either Viserys or Rhaenyra herself. Either way, she implores Aegon not to command his sister's death, while also convincing him that his father really wished for the boy to assume the throne with his dying words. (Again, he definitely didn't.)

The episode ends with Aegon's coronation, at the Dragonpit in front of a crowd of common folk. He's crowned by the new Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Cole, and is supported by his mother and grandfather, his literal sister-wife Helaena, and his brother Aemond, who thinks he himself would be a much better king. Aegon seems to be into the crowd's praise, but the pageantry quickly ends with a reminder that war is coming.

Rhaenys aligns with the Blacks.

While the scramble to crown Aegon is on, Rhaenys is imprisoned in her room in the Red Keep. It's a castle-wide policy, as the Greens can't let any word of Viserys' death reach Rhaenyra. Alicent offers Rhaenys her freedom and Dragonstone if she aligns with their side, but Rhaenys refuses, partly out of honor and partly she was once in Rhaenyra's shoes as "the Queen Who Never Was." 

On the eve of Aegon's coronation, Rhaenys is freed from her chambers by one of the Cargyll twins, who recognizes that the prince isn't Viserys' named heir. They get separated while trying to escape King's Landing, and Rhaenys gets swept into the crowds as they're corralled towards the coronation. Now that she's in the Dragonpit, she heads under the chamber to free Meleys, and the pair interrupt the coronation by erupting through the floor. Meleys bellows at the new king, but instead of yelling dracarys, Rhaenys stays silent as she flies away, heading to tell Rhaenyra that the war is on.

Spoilers for House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2 ahead. The legendary Targaryen civil war finally begins in House of the Dragon season 2. HBO's fantasy hit, the Game of Thrones prequel based on the George R.R. Martin novel Fire and Blood, depicts an earlier time in the Targaryen family dynasty when the strongest family in Westeros split into two factions battling over the Iron Throne. On one side we have King Viserys I's named heir Rhaenyra (played by Emma D'Arcy), the first woman to get this close to the crown. On the other, we have the king's wife Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and her son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), the oldest living male descendant.

HotD season 1 was a time-jumping prologue to the epic conflict, illustrating how Alicent and Rhaenyra went from best friends to strained enemies as tension built amid discussions of succession and the inevitable fighting among their heirs. After Viserys (Paddy Considine) died in episode 8, both opposing sides, known as the Greens and the Blacks, crowned their rightful monarchs of Westeros, setting off a war that set family member against family member, and dragon against dragon.

Read on for our tally of who falls on each side of the conflict as of the end of season 2, which side has the most dragons, and why they're called the Greens and the Blacks in the first place.

Why are they called the Greens and the Blacks in 'House of the Dragon?'

The conflict may as well be Team Alicent vs. Team Rhaenyra, but in House of the Dragon, the sides are known by the subtler designations of the Greens and the Blacks. The Greens' name comes from a standout moment in HotD season 1, episode 5, where Alicent arrives late to Rhaenyra's wedding, wearing a green dress. The pair's friendship had taken its final blow that episode; Rhaenyra had lied to Alicent about losing her virginity, and Alicent's father Otto (Rhys Ifans) had lost his position as Hand of the King for "falsely" accusing that Rhaenyra had been "sullied." Alicent's grand entrance signaled the shift in her alliances, from being the perfect wife and stepmother dressed in the Targaryen colors of black and red to focusing more on her self-interests and wearing her Hightower family color of green.

For viewers who can't list off the colors of the noble houses of Westeros (i.e. most of us), Ser Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) also explained the strength of Hightower green. He says the light at the top of the Hightower in Old Town, the seat of Alicent’s family, glows green to symbolize war. The color change shows that Alicent is ready to protect herself and go to war with Rhaenyra if needed. As the princess gives birth to more brunette sons over the next decade, that resentment only grows stronger.

As for where the name of the Blacks comes from, black is one of the traditional House Targaryen colors, from their sigil having a red dragon on a black background.

In the source material, the name makes even more sense. While Alicent's green dress moment happens at Rhaenyra's wedding in the series, in the original book, it happens at her and Viserys' fifth wedding anniversary. Rhaenyra was wearing a black and red dress at the time, thus her side became known as the Blacks. So both of the names come from the women's symbolic fashion choices.

Who are on Alicent's side with the Greens in 'House of the Dragon?'

The center of the Greens is Alicent and her children: Aegon, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), Helaena (Phia Saban), and the yet-to-be-seen Daeron (Henry Ashton). Their side of the succession battle supports Aegon as the true heir since he's the king's firstborn son and many lords of Westeros expected Viserys to name him as heir as early as his second birthday. Instead, Viserys steadfastly supported Rhaenyra as his heir until his death, even turning a blind eye to her baby daddy rumors. However, once he died, Otto and Alicent quickly worked to her crown firstborn son Aegon as king before news of Viserys' death could even reach Rhaenyra at Dragonstone.

Fast forward to the end of season 2, and just a few months of war has seen drastic changes to the Greens. Aegon is initially an impatient and ignorant king, and he fires his grandfather Otto as Hand of the King, giving the role to Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) instead. Then, in the Battle of Rook's Rest, Aegon was severely wounded by his brother Aemond, who was named the interim ruler and Protector of the Realm as Aegon recovered. In the season 2 finale, Aegon fled King's Landing with Larys Strong, fearing that Aemond or Rhaenyra would kill him if he were a sitting duck in the capital.

Outside of the Red Keep, the Greens have allied with House Hightower, House Lannister, House Baratheon, and House Tyrell, counting these Great Houses and their vassals among their army. In the season 2 finale, Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) and the Triarchy strike a deal to create, an alliance of three Free Cities, to fight for the Greens at sea.

On the dragon front, the Greens have held the upper hand with Vhaghar, the largest living dragon whom Aemond rides into battle. However, with Sunfyre presumed dead after Rook's Rest and Helaena refusing to ride Dreamfyre into battle, the Greens only really have Vhaghar and Tessarion, Daeron's young dragon, to go up against the Blacks' many new dragons.

Who are on Rhaenyra's side with the Blacks in 'House of the Dragon?'

Meanwhile, the Blacks' line of succession includes Rhaenyra and her sons Jacaerys (Harry Collett), Joffrey (Oscar Eskinkanzi), Aegon (Jake and Rory Heard), and Viserys. Rhaenyra's eldest sons Jace and Joffrey were sired by the late Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). Her two youngest are hers with her uncle/husband Daemon (Matt Smith), who she married in season 1 out of love and strategic alliance. Of course, the pair had both been married before, so Rhaenyra also gained two step-children: Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), whose mother was the late Laena Velaryon.

In season 2, Rhaenyra also had an ally in Rhaenys (Eve Best), Viserys' cousin known as "The Queen Who Never Was." She and her husband, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), offered her counsel and support.

Ultimately, she met her demise in battle when Aemond killed her and her dragon Meleys at Rook's Rest. Following Rhaenys' death, Corlys remained loyal to Rhaenyra and became the Hand of the Queen. The Sea Snake also leads one of Westeros's largest navies, giving the Blacks an advantage at sea (for now).

The Blacks' allies include House Velaryon (as mentioned), House Stark (woo!), House Arryn, and the smaller houses represented among the members of the Queen's Council. Throughout season 2, Daemon reunited the fractured Crownlands to unite all of them on the side of the Blacks, giving Rhaenyra a sizable army closer to King's Landing. Rhaenyra also has a useful ally in her Master of Whispers, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno). Though Otto forced her to flee King's Landing, the White Worm still has serious connections in the city and was integral in the Blacks' biggest win of season 2.

In season 2, episode 9, Rhaenyra made a controversial decision that turned the tide of the war. After Seasmoke (the dragon of her "deceased" husband Laenor, who is hopefully still very much alive out there somewhere) claimed Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) as his rider, the Queen recruited dozens of Targaryen bastard children from King's Landing in search of dragonseeds—a.k.a. potential dragonriders. At the end of the brutal, fiery Sowing of the Seeds, Rhaenyra found two new dragonriders: Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew), who claimed the second-largest dragon Vermithor, and Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), who bonded with Silverwing. With these three new riders, the Blacks have seven battle-ready dragons (or eight, if Rhaena succeeds in claiming Sheepstealer) to go up against the Greens' three max (Vhaghar, Tessarion, and potentially Dreamfyre or Sunfyre).

Who is undeclared in the Targaryen civil war in 'House of the Dragon?'

By the end of House of the Dragon season 2, most of the Great Houses of Westeros chose sides, but not every house familiar to GoT fans has been mentioned. House Greyjoy has a small arc in Fire & Blood, but they may have been left on the cutting room floor for the TV adaptation. However, one notable house that will remain undeclared throughout the Dance of the Dragons: House Martell of Dorne. This is mostly because Dorne isn't even a part of Westeros at this point in history; the southern region won't become a part of the Seven Kingdoms until roughly 68 years after the Dance of the Dragons set off.

Which dragons are Greens or Blacks in 'House of the Dragon?'

For anyone keeping a dragon tally as the civil war begins, there are currently 14 living dragons that have been introduced in House of the Dragon. The Blacks currently have the larger number of battle-ready dragons with seven: Syrax (bonded to Rhaenyra), Caraxes (Daemon), Vermax (Jacaerys), Moondancer (Baela), Seasmoke (Addam of Hull), Vermithor (Hugh Hammer) and Silverwing (Ulf the White). As of the season 2 finale, we don't know if Rhaena has bonded with Sheepstealer, but if so the tally goes up to eight. They also have Tyraxes (Joffrey) and Stormcloud (baby Aegon), who are too young to ride, and four dragon eggs, but odds are none will grow fast enough to join the war.

The Greens only have three dragons as of the end of season 2: Vhaghar, Tessarion, and Dreamfyre (still holding out hope that Sunfyre's alive tho!). Aemond and crew have had the upper hand so far, thanks to Vhaghar being massive and many of the Blacks' dragons being relatively small. (Caraxes, the Blacks' largest dragon at the start of season 2, is only half of Vhaghar's size.) However, now that big boy Vermithor and two new dragons are in play, even Aemond is intimidated by the show of force.

There are several more factors to consider than just the dragons, but heading into season 3, the Blacks have an advantage. However, the winds of war may shift once the battles really begin.

HBO's Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon has finally arrived, welcoming fantasy fans to Westeros nearly two centuries before Daenerys Targaryen was born. Dany's Targaryen ancestors are at the height of their power and influence, with the only threat coming from the heir issue. When King Viserys I names his daughter Rhaenyra as his heir, going against all sexist conventions, it sets the stage for an all-out Targaryen civil war, with Rhaenyra on one side and her friend-turned-foe Alicent Hightower on the other.

Like Thrones, HotD is brimming with talented actors, from industry veterans, to newcomers, to a former Prince Philip. Read on for our guide, welcoming the show's sprawling cast.

House Targaryen

Milly Alcock as Young Princess Rhaenyra

The heart of House of the Dragon lies with Rhaenyra, the rebellious crown princess and dragonrider. Though she's expected to raise heirs rather than be one, she's also a growing tactician who has her own ambition for the throne. When her father breaks centuries of tradition and names her as heir, it precedes a clash for the crown that sets off a Targaryen civil war.

The first season of the prequel includes a time jump, with young Rhaenyra played by Australian actress Alcock. She's starred in several Australian drama series, and received the Casting Guild of Australia's Rising Star Award in 2018.

Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra

Playing adult Rhaenyra is D'Arcy, a London-born film and stage actor who is nonbinary and uses gender-neutral pronouns. They've previously appeared in the Prime Video action series Hanna, the British comedy/horror Truth Seekers, and the 2020 film Misbehaviour.

Paddy Considine as King Viserys I

King Viserys succeeded his grandfather Jaehaerys on the throne, having been voted in during The Great Council at Harrenhal. He's ruled over a period of peace and during the height of the Targaryens' power, but he only has one child and no male heir, so that period of prosperity will likely be thrown into chaos with his death.

Considine is a British actor and director who's best known for a series of indie films in the 'oos. Stateside, he's best known for playing Simon Ross in The Bourne Ultimatum, Claude Bolton in the HBO miniseries The Outsider, and Father John Hughes in season 3 of Peaky Blinders. He's also part of a rock band called Riding the Low.

Matt Smith as Prince Daemon

Viserys' younger brother Daemon is the presumed heir to the throne at the start of the series, though his hostile personality and antics leave him with very few allies at court. He's also a talented warrior and dragonrider, who thinks he'd be a better ruler than his brother.

House of the Dragon is the latest of Smith's roles in high-profile TV series. After working as a stage actor, he was catapulted to international fame while playing the Eleventh Doctor in the long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who. He then went on to play Prince Philip in the first two seasons of Netflix's The Crown. He's also appeared in the films Terminator Genisys (alongside his Thrones descendant Emilia Clarke), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Last Night in Soho, and Morbius.

Sian Brooke as Queen Aemma

Viserys' wife and Rhaenyra's mother Aemma (who deserved so much better) is played by Brooke, a British actress who trained with the National Youth Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She's best known for playing Elizabeth in the fourth season of Sherlock, Deidre Young in Prime Video's Good Omens, and Karen in the Apple TV+ series Trying.

House Hightower

Emily Carey as Young Alicent Hightower

Alicent is the daughter of Hand of the King Otto Hightower, who has grown up in the Red Keep alongside most of the royal family, including her close friend Rhaenyra. Though the girls are besties at the start of the series, the trailer hints that they'll be at odds as adults (probably because of the building connection between Alicent and Viserys).

London-born actress and model Carey made her stage debut when she was nine, landing roles in UK productions of Shrek the Musical and The Sound of Music. She later played the child versions of Diana in 2017's Wonder Woman and Lara in 2018's Tomb Raider.

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower

Playing Alicent after the time jump is English actor Olivia Cooke, who's best known for playing Emma Decody in the Psycho prequel series Bates Motel. She also starred in the films Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl; Ready Player One; Thoroughbreds; and Sound of Metal.

Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower

Hightower has served as Hand of the King for two Targaryens, advising Viserys as he did his grandfather, King Jaehaerys. He's competent and wise though he has two hidden agendas: his dislike of Daemon, and his desire to raise his family's power (hence him sending his daughter Alicent to comfort the widowed King).

Welsh actor Ifans probably appeared in at least one of your favorite films or shows since the '90s. His stacked resume includes portraying Spike in Notting Hill, Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, and Mycroft Holmes in CBS' Elementary. He also recently reprised his 2012 role as Spider-Man villain Dr. Curt Conners, a.k.a. The Lizard, in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

House Velaryon

Steve Touissant as Lord Corlys Velaryon

Lord Corlys, also known as the Sea Snake, is Viserys' Master of Ships and head of the Royal Fleet, as well as the king's cousin by marriage. He's the head of House Valeryon, a powerful house that's richer than the Lannisters, has the biggest fleet among the houses, and has a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. Along with heading the second most powerful house, Corlys is still bitter about the realm rejecting his wife Rhaenys for queen years ago.

Barbadian-British actor Touissant has been a prolific actor since the '90s, and has appeared in the film Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, the HBO Max miniseries It's A Sin, and the Prime Video series Fortitude and Small Axe. Fun fact: before landing a main role on House of the Dragon, Touissant auditioned for Thrones several times throughout its run. 

Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon

King Viserys' cousin Rhaenys is a Targaryen princess and dragonrider, who married Lord Corlys and has two children with him, Laena and Laenor. She was a contender for the crown following King Jaehaerys' death, and had a stronger claim than Viserys, but since she was a woman she was passed over. She's now known as "the Queen Who Never Was," though her son Laenor can be a serious contender for the throne following Viserys' death.

Best is a London-born film, TV, and stage actor who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She's best known for playing Dr. Eleanor O'Hara in Showtime's Nurse Jackie, Wallis Simpson in the Oscar-winning film The King's Speech, and Headmistress Dowling in Netflix's Fate: The Winx Saga. She's also received two Tony nominations and a Drama Desk Award for her work on Broadway.

Matt Carver and Theo Nate as Young Laenor Velaryon

Young Laenor Velaryon is Corlys and Rhaenys' first-born son and heir to Driftmark. We meet the young noble as he attends events with his family, before he serves as a soldier during his father and Daemon's conquest of the Stepstones, with the help of his dragon, Seasmoke. He is then betrothed to Rhaenyra, though the two agree to have their own lives within the marriage, as Laenor is gay.

Laenor is played by Carver at young age and Nate (seen above) as a teenager. Carver previously appeared on two episodes of Doctor Who in 2020. Nate made his television debut on the BBC series Time, with HotD as his first multi-episode role.

John Macmillian as Laenor Velaryon

Following the time jump, Laenor is still married to Rhaenyra and stays by her side as they welcome their third child (though he's probably not the father to any of their children). He names the baby Joffrey, after his lover who died at their wedding feast. Like Rhaenyra, he has had his own affairs during the marriage, while still being a supportive husband and father.

Macmillian is a British actor and writer who has a prolific career across the stage and screen. He began his film career with appearances in Hollywood films including Hanna, The Dark Knight Rises, World War Z, and Maleficent. He also appeared in comedy TV shows including Michaela Coel's series Chewing Gum and the British series Back.

Nova Foueillis-Mose and Savannah Steyn as Young Laena Velaryon

The daughter of Corlys and Rhaenys, Laena is introduced as a 12-year-old noble (and potential bride for King Viserys) early in the show. She's later present at the wedding of her brother Laenor and Rhaenyra, where she gets flirty with Daemon. She's played by Foueillis-Mose at age 12 and Steyn (seen above) at age 15.

House of the Dragon is Foueillis-Mose's first-ever screen role, and not much is known about the child actress. Steyn previously starred in the British sci-fi series Intergalactic, and also appeared in the 2019 horror flick Crawl.

Nanna Blondell as Laena Velaryon

After the 10-year time jump, Laena is married to Daemon and mother to two twin girls, Baela and Rhaena. She's also a fierce dragonrider and is bonded to the oldest and largest dragon in Westeros, Vhagar. When we meet her in episode 6, she's expecting her third child and wants to return to her ancestral home Driftmark, and most of all she wants to live and die as a dragonrider.

Blondell was born in Sweden and worked in Swedish television and as a VJ for MTV Sweden early in her career. She's best known for her role in Marvel's Black Widow, and she hosts a podcast where she highlights non-white Swedish women, called Fenomenala kvinnor (Phenomenal Women).

House Strong

Gavin Spokes as Lord Lyonel Strong

The patriarch of House Strong of Harrenhal, Lord Strong serves as the Master of Laws of King Viserys' council. He gives the king wise advice on matters, and later assumes the role of Hand of the King after Lord Hightower loses his position. He serves as Hand for a century, until he runs afoul of the rumors regarding his son Harwin and Princess Rhaenyra.

Spokes is an English screen and stage actor who has starred in several shows including the soap opera Casualty and the miniseries The Ipcress File. After HotD, he's set to appear in the third Magic Mike movie, Magic Mike's Last Dance.

Ryan Corr as Ser Harwin Strong

Known as the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms, Harwin "Breakbones" Strong is heir to Harrenhal and a member of the City Watch. Though he doesn't join the suitors wishing to become Rhaenyra's husband, the pair do have a couple of encounters that build to an affair in the time period between episodes 5 and 6. Over the decade, he becomes Lord Commander of the City Watch and the assumed father of Rhaenyra's three sons. 

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Corr began his acting career as a teenager in 2003 and has been nominated for several Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA Awards). He previously appeared in the 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge, 2018's Mary Magdalene, and the BBC series The Secrets She Keeps.

Matthew Needham as Lord Larys Strong

The second son of House Strong is often called the Clubfoot because of his physical birth defect, and he uses a cane to walk on his twisted right foot. Though he's very cunning, he's often looked down on, with his older brother Harwin as his fierce protector. He's also very ambitious, forming an allyship with Alicent Hightower and only revealing his ruthlessness after the ten-year time jump.

UK actor Needham got his start on the British hospital soap Casualty and also appeared in productions staged at the Shakespeare's Globe theater. He previously appeared in the BBC series Sherlock, HBO's Chernobyl, PBS's Sandition, and the BBC's Doctor Who.

Rhaenyra's Children

Leo Hart as Young Jacaerys Velaryon

Rhaenyra and Laenor's eldest son Jace (seen right in the image above with his brother Luke, left) is second in line for the throne, and when we meet him as a child, he's already bonded with a dragon and can beat his preteen uncle in a sword battle. He does have to deal with the rumors of his alleged parentage. House of the Dragon is child actor Hart's first television role, after previously appearing in the short film Hopscotch.

Harry Collett as Prince Jacaerys Velaryon

When we meet him again as a teenager, Jace is a wise prince preparing himself as a future leader. Though he's still the subject of "Strong" taunting, he tries to stay above the fray.

Collett got his star as a child actor, and starred alongside his later Dragon co-star Emily Carey in the "Baby, It's Cold Outside" music video. He also appeared in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk, and has also had a recurring role on the British soap Casualty since 2017.

Harvey Sadler as Young Lucerys Velaryon, and Elliot Grihault as Prince Lucerys Velaryon

Jace's shy younger brother Luke is played by Sadler in episodes 6 and 7 and Grihault (seen center in brown cloak) in later installments. While House of the Dragon is Grihault's first credit, child actor Sadler previously appeared on the Apple TV+ comedy Trying.

Alicent's Children

Ty Tennant as Young Aegon Targaryen

Alicent's firstborn Aegon has been a troublemaker since he was young, and bullied both his nephews Jace and Luke and his younger brother Aemond. He's also Rhaenyra's biggest challenge to the throne as Viserys' firstborn son.

Tennant is a legacy in the world of British fantasy acting; his mother is longtime actor Georgia Tennant and his father is David Tennant, who played the 10th iteration of Doctor Who (and Kilgrave on the first season of Marvel's Jessica Jones). The young actor previously acted in the 2019 biopic Tolkien and the Epix adaptation of War of the Worlds.

Tom Glynn-Carney as Prince Aegon Targaryen

Six years later in episode 8, Aegon is still a menace, though he's now married to his younger sister Helaena (following Targaryen customs). He's also now played by Glynn-Carney, whose credits include Dunkirk, the Netflix film The King, and the Prime Video miniseries The Last Post. 

Fun fact: House of the Dragon is his and Tennant's second time playing the same character. Tennant played young Christopher Wiseman in 2019's Tolkien, while Glynn-Carney played the character as an adult.

Evie Allen as Young Helaena Targaryen, Phia Saban as Princess Helaena Targaryen

Alicent and Viserys' second-born Helaena is a quiet, sensitive girl who cares for her bug collection. She also has a habit talking to herself, saying phrases that sound a lot like prophecies. House of the Dragon is both Allen and Saban's second acting credit. Allen previously appeared in the film Lost in London, while Saban (seen above) acted in the fifth season of the Netflix Viking epic The Last Kingdom.

Leo Ashton as Young Aemond Targaryen

When he was younger, Alicent and Viserys' youngest son was a late bloomer, as the only one of his siblings who had yet to bond with a dragon. He eventually claims the largest living dragon in Westeros, though he has to pay a price. Ashton made his debut on the 2018 historical film Peterloo, and later acted in the TV series Deep Water, The Bay, and Red Rose.

Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen

Six years after he loses his eye, Aemond has become a practiced warrior and a strong antagonist to his nephews Jace and Luke, with his style looking awfully similar to his uncle Daemon. Mitchell previously appeared in the A24 film High Life and the TV series The Halycon and World on Fire, though he's best known for playing Osferth in The Last Kingdom.

Daemon's Children

Shani Smethurst as Young Baela Targaryen, Eva Ossei-Gerning as Young Rhaena Targaryen

Baela and Rhaena are the daughters of Daemon and Laena Velaryon, born during the 10 year time jump before episode 6. In their younger timeline, they're played by Smethurst (seen left) and Ossei-Gerning (right). HotD is Smethurst's first major role, though she was previously credited in a 2018 screen adaptation of Twelfth Night. Ossei-Gerning previously starred in the BBC web series My Petsaurus, and the British series The Snow Spider.

Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen

Baela is the elder daughter of Daemon and Laena. She's described in the books as wild and quick to anger, similar to her father. In the show, she becomes her grandmother Rhaenys' ward after her mother's death. Antonia (seen left above) was born in Birmingham, England, and previously appeared on the Netflix shows Get Even and Stay Close.

Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen

Baela's younger sister Rhaena grew up with Daemon on Dragonstone after her mother's death, and in the books she loves dancing while Baela loves riding her dragon. House of the Dragon is Campbell's (seen right above) first major role, though she previously appeared on the TV show Midsommar Murders and in the TV movie The Last Dragonslayer.

Everyone Else

Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole

Ser Criston is the Dornish common-born son of the Steward of Blackhaven, who arrives in King's Landing with nothing but his skill with a sword. As the season goes on, he'll get much closer to young Rhaenyra.

British actor Frankel studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, before making his film debut alongside Thrones alum Emilia Clarke in the 2019 film Last Christmas. He's also appeared the BBC miniseries The Serpent and the 2019 NYPD Blue reboot.

Graham McTavish as Ser Harrold Westerling

Ser Westerling is one of the longest serving members of the Kingsguard, having joined during King Jaehaerys' rule. He's also Young Rhaenyra's sworn shield and very loyal to House Targaryen. (For Thrones fans who recognize the surname, his descendants, the Westerlings, are a minor house that swore fealty to the Lannisters and surrendered to Robb Stark in season 2.)

McTavish is best known for playing warrior Dougal MacKenzie in the another beloved fantasy adaptation, STARZ's Outlander. The Scottish actor and author has also appeared in The Hobbit film trilogy, AMC's Preacher, and FOX's Prison Break, among other projects. He's also a prolific voice actor for both video games and animated shows and films.

Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria

Mysaria is a slave from Essos who became a prostitute in Westeros. She has a special romantic relationship with Daemon, enough that he brings her with him as he flees King's Landing at the end of episode 1. When we meet her again in episode 9, she's built a seat of power among the common folk.

Japanese-British actress Mizuno worked as a high-fashion model and danced with several ballet companies before making her film debut alongside Oscar Isaac in the sci-fi film Ex Machina. She's best known for playing bride Araminta Lee in the film Crazy Rich Asians, and she also appeared in La La Land, Netflix's Maniac, and FX's Devs.

Episode 6 of House of the Dragon marked several new beginnings for the Game of Thrones prequel series. Serving as a sort-of second pilot, the episode introduces new House of the Dragon cast members portraying the adult versions of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, as well as an entire generation of royal kids to get involved in the upcoming succession battle. It also marked an ending for a fan-favorite character, who was also re-introduced via recast in the same episode she met her fiery demise.

Laena Velaryon, daughter of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, has been part of HotD since the beginning, and we watched her grow from a 12-year-old potential bride (played by Nova Foueillis-Mose) to a flirtatious 15-year-old (Savannah Steyn) for King Viserys to a fierce adult dragon-rider who married Daemon Targaryen and had twin daughters, Baela and Rhaena. Episode 6 saw the couple ten years into their marriage, living away from Westeros in the east, as Laena was expecting her third child.

In a standout scene near the end of the episode, Laena (now played by Nanna Blondell) takes her life into her own hands during childbirth. Her baby will not deliver, with the maester telling Daemon that the only hope of saving the child is an emergency C-section similar to the one that killed Queen Aemma in the show's premiere. Laena overhears, and rather than letting Daemon decide her fate, she walks out to meet her dragon Vhagar, the largest dragon in the world. She commands the dragon to burn her alive, and though Vhagar hesitates, he eventually puts out her misery.

Laena's powerful scene was the talk of the episode, a change from the source book Fire & Blood that gave the dragon-rider more agency over her death (in the book Laena dies of childbirth complications). It's also an introduction to Blondell, who is best known among Swedish TV fans and some Marvel fans who recognized her from a recent film. Read on for everything we know about the talented actress.

She's Swedish.

The 36-year-old actress grew up in Sweden and attended the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts. She made her on-screen debut on a Swedish TV show in 2005 and also worked as a VJ with MTV Sweden early in her career. She also appeared in the popular Swedish sci-fi drama Real Humans and the French war film Sœurs d'armes (Sisters in Arms).

She had a role in Marvel's 'Black Widow.'

In addition to her work in Swedish and French film, TV, and theater, she also appeared in the Marvel film Black Widow, acting alongside Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh. Her other recent projects include the first Netflix feature film from Sweden, Red Dot, and the Swedish series Partisan.

She has a podcast celebrating successful non-white Swedish women.

Blondell is an advocate for diversity and representation of Black women in Sweden, and interviewed non-white Swedish women on her podcast Fenomenala kvinnor (Phenomenal Women). In a 2021 interview with Nordic Watchlist, she said of the podcast, "This is a way to preserve the stories of these phenomenal women, so young women can have a larger range of role models that looks like them. So in every episode I meet a black woman with a different profession and talk about their journey, life, work and hair."

She was "shocked" when she first saw her Velaryon wig.

Blondell opened up to Vogue Scandinavia about her audition process for the series, saying that she was surprised when she got the opportunity to join the Game of Thrones universe. "When I even got a request to do a casting for it, I was like, 'Are they kidding?'", she said. "I was like, 'Is this for real? Why are they asking me? A Swedish black girl? That’s so weird.'"

She also shared her first reaction seeing Laena's silver-haired wig for the first time. "I was shocked. I was like, 'Oh my god, I look like a glam rocker'." Once she put it on, she said the wig was "big and warm," adding "It’s like having a wool hat."

She also added that every actor who donned a Velaryon wig had a similar reaction. "They were just trying to calm everyone down and be like, 'It’s going to look good.'" 

She bid farewell to her 'House of the Dragon' role on Instagram.

Following the airing of her episode, Blondell shared a special behind-the-scenes pic from set, paired with a sentimental caption. In the pic, she makes a strong-arm pose as she's dressed in the Velaryon wig and a prosthetic baby bump.

"I just wanna acknowledge all of you that have taken the time to write me, I read it all and I'm overwhelmed by all the kind messages you send me. I don't think I fully grasped until now what a loved character Laena was from the book. It was an absolute pleasure to get a chance to walk in her shoes," the caption reads.

Blondell also shared a sweet behind-the-scenes pic of her TV family, including Daemon actor Matt Smith, Baela actress Shani Smethurst, and Rhaena actress Eva Ossei-Gerning.

In December 2021, Netflix's fantasy epic The Witcher returned with a bang. It came two years after the first season introduced audiences to the streaming giant's attempt at a Game-of-Thrones-esque universe—complete with multiple spin-offs—and season 2 of Geralt of Rivia's (Henry Cavill) adventures as a dad promptly topped the Netflix Top 10 with its gorgeous meditation on found family and existential pain (plus plenty of brutal fight scenes).

For those of you who haven't checked out one of the best fantasy show since GoT's earlier seasons, The Witcher follows three main characters across a medieval land of monsters called The Continent, based on Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's works. In season 2, immortal-ish warrior Geralt (the titular Witcher) claims his fated Child of Surprise Ciri (Freya Allan) and vows to protect her against a new crop of uber-deadly monsters. Meanwhile, the mage Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) has survived the Battle of Sodden from last season, but she's still wrapped up in the wars and politics of both the kingdom of Nilfgaard and the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.

After eight episodes of war and monsters, season 2 ended on the biggest cliffhanger of the series so far, one that will probably upset the balance between our three main characters. Luckily, season 3 is already in the works, and will return with a less than two-year wait. Here's everything we know about The Witcher's upcoming third season.

'The Witcher' Season 3 Release Date

Netflix has revealed that the third season of The Witcher will get a two-part release. The eight-episode season will air in two volumes, with the first arriving on June 29 and the second hitting the streamer on July 27.

The streaming giant previously confirmed that The Witcher season 3 was set to release in the summer of 2023. The official Twitter account dropped the news alongside an ominous teaser image, which shows a shattering Wolf medallion (symbolizing Geralt of Rivia), alongside a swallow, the symbol of Geralt's adopted daughter, Ciri.

The series was actually renewed for a third season months before the second even aired, to the delight of fans. Netflix announced that season 3 was a go during their Tudum fan event in September 2021. The streamer also revealed that the Witcher Cinematic Universe would continue to grow through a second anime film (separate from this summer's Nightmare of the Wolf) and a kids and family series.

Creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said during the livestream event, "We're so excited to continue to grow this universe and cannot wait for you to join us on this ride," per Entertainment Weekly.

Netflix usually tends to wait a few months after a season's release to announce a renewal, leaving fans waiting some time for the new season to drop. As the crew for The Witcher season 3 got a three-month head start, the season 2 premiere was coupled with the good news that season 3 is almost completely written. 

Hissrich told TechRadar that the writer's room for season 3 would be done by the end of 2021: "Actually, this is our last week [December 3] in the writers’ room," Hissrich said. "We’re almost done with the scripting phase, and it’s amazing. I’m really thrilled with how the season is shaping up because it’s based on my favorite book in the saga, which is The Time of Contempt.

"I feel like seasons 1 and 2 have been laying the playing field for everything huge that’s about to happen," she added. "But the creative process is now really just starting. We have the scripts, and now we’ll bring directors on, the actors back in, and really start delving in deeper and reflecting back and making sure that it’s the perfect season."

In January of 2022, The Witcher season 3 officially went into production, per PC Gamer, with the show's crew sharing photos of location scouting and preparing to film. And in March, the show began filming, with its official Twitter account sharing a photo from the set:

'The Witcher' Season 3 Trailer

Netflix has dropped the first look at the new season along with the release date, posting a one-minute clip with clips hinting what Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer will be facing. It also includes narration from Geralt as he says, "For the first time, I understand real fear," followed by a title card reading "This summer, everything changes."

What Could Happen in 'The Witcher' Season 3?

The show's Twitter account has also shared an official synopsis of the third season:

"As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri of Centra into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it. Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where she hopes to discover more about the girl’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line — or risk losing each other forever."

A quick summary of where the characters stand at the end of season 2: Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri are together and safe (for now) at Kaer Morhen after Ciri sent Voleth through the monolith to the demon world. They're also reeling from the Wraiths of Mörhogg (a.k.a. the Wild Hunt, in simplest terms the WCU's horsemen of the apocalypse) inviting Ciri to join them and bring the end of the world. Luckily, Yennefer has her magic back, and she and Geralt plan to train Ciri to become the savior of the world instead of its destroyer.

Outside of the main trio, seemingly everyone else on The Continent is after Ciri. The Brotherhood plan to kill her, and anyone who protects her, to stop any chance of the apocalypse. The leaders of one of the nations, Redania, wants to have Ciri in order to stake a claim to Cintra and become the most powerful kingdom. The elves think Ciri will be their savior, thanks to her Elder bloodline. Meanwhile, while main aggressor nation Nilfgaard wants Ciri for her power, its mysterious leader has a more personal goal. Turns out Emperor Emhyr, a.k.a. the White Flame, is actually Ciri's dad, who was presumed dead. All roads point to Ciri.

As with season 2, season 3 of The Witcher will adapt the main events of one of the books, with some new plotlines and character upgrades added by the show. (Season 1 was adapted from several short stories.) Hissrich confirmed that the third season will be based on The Time of Contempt, the second full book in Sapkowski's saga. In that book, Yennefer, Ciri, and Geralt (reunited in the season 2 finale) journey to the Brotherhood's headquarters of Aretuza. In Contempt, a coup takes place, forcing the main trio to separate again.

As for the changes that might come up, Hissrich already revealed a future plot point to Polygon, while noting a big change that season 2 made from its source material, Blood of Elves.

"Viewers will notice we concentrate a lot on the elven storyline in season two, which is not as prominent in [the main novel being adapted], Blood of Elves. And yet, I know that in season three, we’re introducing the Scoia’tael, this army of elves that's fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard. And they don't come off so great. It's a pretty sort of harsh, dark storyline.

"So I want to make sure that we understood and humanised their part of the battle. Where are they coming from? What are they fighting for? Even if they lose their way along the way. what is sort of their backdrop? So we're constantly looking at the Witcher as a whole."

Cavill, meanwhile, told IGN: "To be true to the books, I think there's a chance to explore the Nenneke relationship a little further. Of course, I would love to work with the Witchers some more, but it all depends on how much the story allows. I'm a huge fan of the books and staying loyal to them, and it's about making sure that story happens without too much in the way of diversions or side things going on to muddy the waters."

Speaking to the same outlet, Anya Chalotra, a.k.a. Yennefer, said: "It's habitual, isn't it? She's how old, and she's lived the kind of life she's lived, and, you know, the rules that she lives by, and that's the end, and she doesn't trust anybody, and it's going to be hard to just delve into a new way of being. She might have learned to consider things more, but in the moment, in such a violent world, you have to watch out for yourself as well."

The Cast of 'The Witcher' Season 3

Netflix first announced the addition of two familiar faces last April, revealing that Robbie Amell and Meng’er Zhang will join the cast. Amell, who's best known for starring in CW's Arrow and the Prime Video series Upload, will play Gallatin, a fighter leading an army of rebels called Scoia’tael who fight on behalf of Nilfgaard. Zhang, who played fan-favorite Xu Xialing in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, will portray Milva, a huntress and expert archer adopted by the dryads of Brokilon Forest.

The streamer also announced that The Windsors actor Hugh Skinner will play Prince Radovid, a younger brother to King Vizimir of Redania and a royal playboy, while Christelle Elwin will play Mistle, a member of a teenage gang who steal from the rich and give to themselves (and sometimes the poor) called The Rats.

In July, Redanian Intelligence reported that six new actors would join the fantasy saga in season 3. Four of them will be joining as mages, with Carnival Row actor Ryan Hayes playing Artaud Terranova and Polish actress Michalina Olszanska playing an unknown mage. Harvey Quinn and Poppy Almond were also spotted filming a scene with the mages. Meanwhile Kate Winter and Martyn Ellis will play new characters called Putney and Barker, respectively.

Season 3 will also be the last installment staring Henry Cavill. The star confirmed that he will be leaving the fantasy series last October, shortly after he announced he was planning to return to the DC Cinematic Universe to reprise the role of Superman. Even though a planned solo Superman film starring Cavill was scrapped, he still isn't returning to The Witcher, and Liam Hemsworth will instead take over the role of Geralt of Rivia in season 4.

HBO's House of the Dragon has introduced viewers to an earlier generation of nobles playing the Game of Thrones. The prequel follows a branch of the Targaryen dynasty, focusing on the looming succession battle that will follow King Viserys I (Paddy Constantine's) death. While the king names his only child, Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), as his heir in the show's premiere, upsetting centuries of no-women-rulers precedent, he later has the chance to name a male heir, thanks to his surprise marriage to his Hand of the King's daughter (and Rhaenyra's former best friend), Lady Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey).

HotD's first season is split up into two timelines: one where Rhaenyra and Alicent are younger women, and another where they're both mothers with their own agendas for who should claim the Iron Throne (played by Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke). This coming Sunday's episode is the last before the time jump, so read on to learn more about the talented actress behind young Alicent (odds are you've seen Carey in another high-profile role).

She grew up in a theater family.

The British actress and model—who identifies as queer and uses she/they pronouns—grew up in a family of theater workers. In a Rose & Ivy interview, she said that she would help her grandmother, a former West End wardrobe mistress, pair socks backstage during shows. She was scouted when she was eight and began her career in theater when she was 10, performing in British productions of The Sound of Music and Shrek: The Musical.

She made her film debut as the young version of Wonder Woman.

After making her TV debut in the British medical drama Casualty, Carey's first film role was playing young Diana alongside Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen in 2017's Wonder Woman. She followed up that role with another franchise, playing young Lara Croft in 2018's Tomb Raider.

Her other pre-HotD roles include starring in the Netflix teen thriller Get Even, playing Anastasia in 2020's Anastasia: Once Upon a Time, and voice work in the films Where is Anne Frank and Monster Family 2. She also appeared in Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé's 2014 music video "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

She's super active on social media—though she briefly deleted her Twitter during 'House of the Dragon' press.

19-year-old Carey shares her life and candid thoughts with fans on her Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok, all with the handle @TheEmilyCarey. Unfortunately, she did have to briefly delete her Twitter earlier this year, after appearing at Comic-Con to promote House of the Dragon.

"I'm 19, so I'm all on social media, and I've been on social media since I was a kid because I've worked since I was a kid, so I'm very conscious of things ... Any hate that comes in, it's just ... It's a person behind a screen," she told news.com.au. "You just have to move on from it."

"But I will say I did delete Twitter [after Comic-Con] because it's just so loud," she added. "Even when it's good, there's so many and it's so loud."

She'd love to come back for season 2.

Though episode 5 is the last for the younger versions of Alicent and Rhaenyra, Carey told The Hollywood Reporter that she would like to come back in the show's upcoming seasons. (HotD was renewed for season 2 soon after the series premiere.)

"It’s been spoken about, conversations have happened, but, in all honesty, I know absolutely nothing and I have no idea," she said. "Of course, I would love to come back. It depends on how it’s received and where they want to take the show next. I’m just going with the flow!"

HBO's first Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, has introduced a new cast of Westeros lords and ladies fighting for power. The new series, which premiered on August 21 and was renewed for a second season days later, follows Rhaenyra Targaryen, a princess (and Daenerys' ancestor) who is named heir to the throne against centuries of sexist precedent. Unfortunately, in claiming her throne, she'll have to deal with scheming lords and former friends who want to see others ascend.

HotD's first season has two actors playing Rhaenyra over the course of her youth. Australian actress Milly Alcock has received acclaim for playing the headstrong princess over the first four episodes, and she has one episode left before the midseason time jump. Now's the perfect time to learn more about the young star, so read on.

She grew up in Sydney, Australia.

The 22-year-old actress grew up in Australia, and discovered her love of acting at a young age. She told Evening Standard that she was inspired after appearing in a school production of Little Red Rocking Hood.

"I remember being on stage. I had this euphoric feeling. And I was like, 'I want that, whatever that is. Yeah, I want to feel like that for the rest of my life,'" she told the outlet. 

She also said that she advocated for herself at a really young age, joining Sydney’s Newtown High School of the Performing Arts on her own and calling her agent herself to get an audition. "I’ve always been a bit too independent from a very, very young age," she said, adding that when she was four, she "sat my mum down... and told her it was time for me to go to big school."

She won a Rising Star Award in Australia.

Alcock got her start as a teen in Australian shows including High Life, A Place to Call Home, Fighting Season, and Reckoning. Her breakout role was the Australian drama series Upright, where she earned a Casting Guild of Australia Rising Star Award for playing teen runaway Meg. In an interview with Vogue Australia, Alcock said that she had to choose between starring in Upright or attending her last year of high school.

"I knew that this opportunity would be so much more of a valuable experience than getting my piece of paper," she said. "I never doubted it for a second. I was almost too impulsive. I was like: 'No, this is what I’ve been working towards and I’ve been given this amazing opportunity with this amazing cast, with this beautiful script.' I couldn’t say no and I couldn’t let the fear and anxiety of not finishing school haunt me, because that would have defeated the whole purpose of leaving."

She hadn't seen 'Game of Thrones' before she got the role of Rhaenyra.

At the time that she received the chance to audition for House of the Dragon, Alcock was living in her mother's attic and washing dishes to make ends meet. She told Evening Standard that she had never even seen the series' predecessor before she got the part. She said she filmed a self-tape audition with a friend, and he was the one who figured out the connection. "He said, 'This is a Game of Thrones scene. This is the scene with Arya Stark.'"

She also told The Hollywood Reporter that her first day on set was a mind-blowing experience. "It felt like that I had been literally picked up from Australia and someone had just dropped me in the middle of, like, the ocean with nothing around," she told the outlet. "I’d done Aussie television where our whole show’s budget is less than one episode [of Dragon]. I’d never been on a hundred-million-dollar set like that before. So there was a lot of responsibility of having to carry Rhaenyra, and it was interesting because me and Rhaenyra had similar trajectories in our story — the way that we kind of navigated an unforeseen world we really expected to be in, and learned how to face those challenges."

She's a photographer.

In addition to gorgeous shots from her magazine shoots, Alcock has also shared some of her own photography on her Instagram, including both casual and editorial pics of her friends.

Netflix's new fantasy series The Sandman is a world of magic, dreams, and nightmares brought to life. Based on Neil Gaiman's DC comic series of the same name, the show takes place in a world where personifications of phenomena like dreams, death, and desire rule over their own realms while working to keep balance in the mortal world. The 10 sprawling episodes revolve around the king of dreams, as he sets out to regain his power after being imprisoned for over a century.

The cast of The Sandman features dozens of characters spanning both the waking and Dreaming worlds, but there are some important names to remember as we dive into The Sandman's lore. Below are some of the people to know among the Endless, the living, and all the others.

The Endless

Tom Sturridge as Dream/Morpheus/the Sandman

Dream is one of the Endless, a group of immortal beings that rule over aspects of the mortal universe. The series kicks off when Dream, in pursuit of a nightmare who's escaped to the mortal world, is trapped by occultists and imprisoned for over a hundred years. During that time, a percentage of humanity either never sleep, live as sleepwalkers, or never wake up. After he escapes, Dream sets out to recover his power and his realm, known as the Dreaming.

Sturridge is a British actor who's best known for films including the Netflix thriller Velvet Buzzsaw, the period romance Far From the Madding Crowd, and the 2012 adaptation of On the Road. In addition to The Sandman, he's recently appeared in the STARZ series Sweetbitter and the HBO miniseries Irma Vep.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death

Dream's older sister Death existed at beginning of the world and will exist at the end, ferrying the dying to her realm with a smile and kind words. She's always willing to help Dream, and tries to get him to understand people better.

British actor Howell-Baptiste has starred in several hit shows, playing neuroscientist Simone Garnett in NBC's The Good Place, Eve's assistant Elena in the first season of Killing Eve, and acting student Sasha Baxter in HBO's Barry. She also portrayed Anita Darling in the Disney film Cruella.

Mason Alexander Park as Desire

Desire, Dream's younger sibling and "usual sparring partner," has spent thousands of years plotting against Dream with the help of their twin sister, Despair. Though their plots usually fail, they still want to see the arrogant Dream taken down a peg.

Park is a nonbinary actor who starred as Hedwig in the first national tour of the musical Hedwig and the Angry Itch. They also recently appeared in Netflix's live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, and they're set to star in the pilot for the NBC reboot of Quantum Leap.

The anthropomorphic personification of Despair is played by British actor and comedian Donna Preston, who's best known for starring in the British series Hey Tracey! and Michael McIntyre's Big Show. She's also appeared in the films The Hitman's Bodyguard, Holmes & Watson, and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

The Living

Charles Dance as Sir Roderick Burgess

Burgess is an occultist who tries to capture Death in order to gain immortality and bring his dead son back to life. Instead he gets Dream, and keeps the Eternal under lock and key, while using magical items stolen from his prisoner to become richer and more powerful.

Dance is a venerated British actor whose best known for playing Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones. He's also Emmy-nominated for his roles in The Crown, Savage Kingdom, and Bleak House. 

Joely Richardson as Ethel Cripps

Burgess' former mistress Ethel lived with the occultist during Dream's imprisonment, and gained fortune and protection from objects that she stole from the being. She also gave one of the tokens to her illegitimate son.

London-based actor Richardson is a prolific actor across theater, film, and television, who's best known for starring in the FX series Nip/Tuck and the fourth season of Showtime's The Tudors. She also appeared in films including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Vampire Academy, Red Sparrow, and the live-action film 101 Dalmatians (she played Anita Darling).

David Thewlis as Dr. John Dee

Burgess’ and Ethel's illegitimate son, John Dee, steals a ruby imbued with Dream’s power and harnesses it to make dreams come true. The magic stone ends up warping Dee’s mind, and he’s confined to a mental institution for most of his life.

Thewlis is best known for playing Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise. He's also acted in the third season of FX's Fargo, the DC film Wonder Woman, the Stephen Hawking film The Theory of Everything, and Netflix animated series Big Mouth and Human Resources (he played the Shame Wizard in both).

Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine

Johanna is part of a historical family of exorcists (including John Constantine, the exorcist and occult superhero who was the star of the DC Comics series Hellblazer). She crosses paths with Dream soon after his release, just like her ancestors have met him in the past.

Coleman was formerly part of an iconic sci-fi franchise, playing Clara Oswald, a companion of the Eleventh (Matt Smith) and Twelfth (Peter Capaldi) Doctors in Doctor Who. She also starred as Queen Victoria in the British period drama Victoria, and Marie-Andrée Leclerc in the Netflix miniseries The Serpent. (Fun fact: she made her feature-film debut as Bucky's World Expo date in Captain America: The First Avenger).

Vanesu Samunyai as Rose Walker

21-year-old Rose is an orphan who just wants to get a job and find the brother she lost when her parents separated. Unfortunately, she also has the power to break down the barriers between the Dreaming and the waking world, which Dream's enemies want to use against him.

The Sandman is Samunyai's first television role.

The Others

Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian

The Corinthian is the nightmare who Dream was tracking when he got trapped, and he gives Burgess knowledge on how to keep the immortal imprisoned. Since then, he's become a prolific serial killer who takes the eyes of his victims. With Dream released, the charming nightmare schemes against the Immortal so he can stay in the mortal world.

Holbrook is a Kentucky native whose other Netflix projects are the crime show Narcos and the thriller Velvet Buzzsaw. He's also starred in films including the superhero noir Logan, the film adaptation of Gone Girl, and the sci-fi flick The Predator.

Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne

Lucienne is the Dreaming’s head librarian and one of Dream’s most faithful servants. She does her best to keep Dream’s realm running while he's gone, but the Dreaming falls apart without its ruler’s power.

Ghanian actor Acheampong supported herself as a substitute teacher between acting roles, before she landed her big break on the award-winning British sketch comedy show Famalam. She also appeared in Netflix's science fiction show The One.

Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar

If the personification of Death wasn't enough, The Sandman also features the literal devil. Gwendolyn Christie plays Lucifer, once the wisest and most powerful angel in heaven, who rebelled against God and became the ruler of Hell. (Fun fact: Neil Gaiman's version of Lucifer got his own spinoff comic series, which was adapted into the TV series Lucifer.)

Christie is best known for playing heroic badass Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones, as well as an evil badass, First Order stormtrooper Captain Phasma, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She also appeared as Commander Lyme in the final Hunger Games film, Mockingjay – Part 2.

Patton Oswalt as Matthew the Raven

After dying as a human while inside the Dreaming, Matthew is transformed into a raven and serves as Dream’s assistant and companion. He also asks several questions the audience might have as he adjusts to his new world.

Oswalt is a stand-up comedian and prolific voice actor who portrayed Remy in the Disney film Ratatouille, as well as the narrator in ABC's The Goldbergs and several voices in Bojack Horseman. As for his live-action roles, he's also appeared in Veep, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, A.P. Bio, the 2019 Veronica Mars reboot, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (True crime fans may also know Oswalt from the HBO docuseries I'll Be Gone in the Dark.)

Sanjeev Bhaskar and Asim Chaudhry as Cain and Abel

Inspired by the Biblical brothers of the same name, Cain and Abel are residents of the Dreaming who continuously repeat their acts on Earth, where Cain killed Abel. They're also loyal subjects of Dream, who keep gargoyles as pets.

Bhaskar is a prolific actor who has a recurring role on the British crime series Unforgotten. He also had a brief role on Neil Gaiman's Prime Video series Good Omens, and he appeared in the Beatles-inspired film Yesterday.

Chaudhry co-created and starred in the British mockumentary series People Just Do Nothing. He also appeared in Black Mirror's choose-your-own-adventure special, Bandersnatch, as well as the sueprhero sequel Wonder Woman 1984.

Stranger Things season 4 introduces fans to some new faces as our favorite monster hunters enter Hawkins High School. One of the standout new characters introduced this season—in addition to Grace Van Dien, who plays Chrissy—is Eddie Munson, the ‘80s metalhead (long mop of hair included) who runs Hawkins High's official Dungeons & Dragons group, the Hellfire Club. As it tends to happen after becoming friends with Mike and crew, Eddie soon gets involved in the latest mayhem from the Upside Down. 

Playing Eddie is Joseph Quinn, a rather mysterious celeb thanks to his aversion to social media. However, he comes to the Stranger Things-verse with an impressive resumé and a nerdy side, so he fits in just fine. Here's what we know about the season 4 newcomer.

He's British!

Though he plays an American high school nerd in Stranger Things, the 29-year-old actor was born and raised in England. In an interview with Nuit Magazine, he said that he's been acting since he was a baby, starting with a school play and continuing on as a drama scholar in primary and secondary school. He also attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and graduated in 2015.

He's a 'Game of Thrones' alum.

Add Munson's name to the many talented Brits who appeared on the HBO mega-hit. He played a Stark soldier named Koner in the season 7 episode "The Spoils of War." Specifically, he was one of the guards at the Winterfell gate when Arya finally returned home.

Besides his one-off GoT appearance, he's best known for playing Arthur Havisham on the BBC One series Dickensian, as well as acting alongside Helen Mirren in the HBO miniseries Catherine the Great. He also acted alongside Olivia Colman in the National Theatre production of Mosquitos, which he said was "pretty magical" in a Glass Magazine interview.

He's a fan of 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Succession.'

Quinn has shared some of his favorite shows and films during interviews, and he has great taste. He told Glass Magazine that if he could be in a remake of any classic movie or show, he would like to play all the characters in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Also, when asked by The Rakish Gent what the one role is that he wished he had played, he name-checked Roman Roy from Succession. "I don’t know if there is one role in particular but in Succession, Kieran Culkin’s character is a goldmine and he just delivers every line and knocks it out of the park," he said. "His sense of humour and lightness of touch with that character is enviable. But I think these iconic roles are so defined by the actors that played them its hard to imagine anyone else playing them."

He said joining Stranger Things was "daunting."

While Quinn had to adhere to spoiler-free policies for his Stranger Things press, he did open up about the pressures of joining the beloved show. The actor told Collider that he wanted to do his character justice.

"There’s a lot of devotion towards this show, and you don’t want to ruin it," he said. "So it’s been an amazing experience. It’s been surreal to be involved in something like this. It’s just a huge honor, and to be able to participate in this season, and be amongst everyone trying to pull it off, it’s a treat."

He also mentioned the challenge in an Entertainment Tonight interview, saying that joining the show was "daunting," but he added that he is "grateful" for the experience working with the cast. "They’re really nice people, and it was everything that you’d expect. It’s a good thing to go somewhere strange with a bunch of strangers and then leave that place with really dear friends," he said.

His references for Eddie Munson ranged from Metallica to 'The Breakfast Club'.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Quinn opened up about his audition process and the references he used to build Eddie. The actor said the Duffers hired him after he sent two audition tapes, and that he tapped into both heavy metal music and classic '80s movies to connect to his character.

"The Breakfast Club was a film that I found has such great character explorations," he told the outlet. "But I didn’t want to base him on anything. There was a little reference to people who were older than me at school who impressed me, who seemed quite non-conformist."

When asked about music, Quinn added that he listened to a lot of Metallica and Black Sabbath (which makes sense, since Eddie played Metallica's "Master of Puppets" for his Upside Down concert). However, he admitted that he didn't get into Dungeons & Dragons during his research.

"I bought the book, read a bit and went, 'OK, this isn’t going to happen.' All respect to the D&D community, it just didn’t do anything for me. The first game I played was when we did a bit of press in L.A. a few months ago. It’s all depending on your Dungeon Master, and we had a great one."

He actually played the guitar in the finale.

For Eddie's first hero moment of the finale, where he plays guitar to lure away the bats in the Upside Down, Quinn was performing for real in the big scene. The show's music supervisor Nora Felder told Variety that the actor played part of the song.

"Joseph did take time to learn the guitar riff, and was actually playing along to a guide track," she told the outlet. "Everyone thought he did a great job."

Quinn also spoke to the outlet, saying that he had learned to play guitar when he was young. 

"I was lucky that I had learned guitar when I was younger, so I had the foundation. By no means was I a virtuoso, but when it came time to shoot it, I was able to get through it," he said. "We had a sort of black-belt heavy metal guitarist take us through the solo, because that wasn’t going to happen! I couldn’t do that, but I could do the rest of it, which is lucky. It was an amazing experience."

"For a lot of the crew, it was the first time that we all felt like we were in a live music environment since the beginning of the pandemic. It was great fun to be able to do that with Gaten," he added.

He doesn't like social media.

For anyone who looks up the actor and only finds fan pages, it's because Quinn isn't a fan of social media. During his 2017 Nuit Magazine interview, he said that he had gotten rid of his social media page, hinting that he wasted too much time on it (which, fair).

"I don’t have Facebook, I used to but I just spent all my time looking at other people’s lives," he told the outlet. "I don’t have Instagram. I find it an incredibly image centric medium that devalues the use of words. I do have Twitter, I wouldn’t say I use it in a professional capacity—selling myself online. It’s a useful tool for news and seeing what other people are up to. Some people say some funny stuff on it. It can be mentally useful, I’m sure. But I’m not on that team now. It’s also a useful tool for people to communicate I suppose."

However, he may start sharing more on social media for self-promotion purposes. He recently opened an Instagram, and his first-ever post was an image of his Stranger Things character poster, shared on May 7. So far his posts include shots from events and show promos, as well as a fun behind-the-scenes clip.

Doja Cat has a crush on him.

It's a good thing that Quinn got an Instagram, because he'll need to keep an eye on his DMs. In a delightful bit of celebrity gossip, Noah Schnapp (who plays Will Byers) shared a Tik Tok revealing that Doja Cat is interested in Quinn after watching the new season.

The clip includes screenshots of a conversation between Schnapp and Doja, where she asks if Quinn has a girlfriend. The actor tells the rapper to DM him, and helpfully sends a link to his co-star's Instagram. We're hoping for an update on the surprising pairing.

Stranger Things has welcomed several new cast members in its fourth season, some of which have cause fans to think, Wait, have I seen them before? One actor who caught viewers' eyes is Tom Wlaschiha, who plays Dmitri "Enzo" Antonov, a guard in the Russian prison who becomes an ally to Hopper. While the pair start out with only a monetary alliance—Dmitri ransoms Hopper to Joyce for $40,000, signing the letter with Enzo, the name of the restaurant where Jopper were supposed to go on a date—they quickly bond when facing off against a demogorgon together.

Dmitri has become a popular new character, thanks mostly to Wlaschiha, who has experience playing a fan-favorite in another mega-hit franchise. Here's what we know about the booked and busy German actor.

He started out doing theater in Germany.

The 48-year-old actor was born Dohna, Dresden, East Germany. He traveled young, visiting Massachusetts as an exchange student when he was 17, around the time the Berlin Wall fell. In addition to learning German and Russian growing up, he also speaks French and Italian.

Wlaschiha acted in plays in Germany before moving on to TV shows and films based in the country, and breaking into the U.S. in the late '00s. "I started out doing a lot of theaters in Germany. I love theater, this is where I am coming from basically," he said in a 2018 Metro.style interview.

He also said in a Discover Germany interview that he wanted to become an actor at age 15 or 16. "My uncle was a famous opera singer and he was allowed to leave East Germany occasionally in order to perform. Maybe I saw acting a bit as a possibility to see the world," he said.

He played an ally of Arya Stark on 'Game of Thrones.'

Wlaschiha is best known for portraying Jaqen H'ghar, a.k.a. the Faceless Man who trains Arya to become "no one," in seasons 2, 5, and 6 of Game of Thrones. There was a three-year break between the actor originating the role in 2012 and returning to the HBO hit in 2016, and he said in a 2015 interview that he didn't think he'd return to the show. 

"I had some hope, but it was tricky. The character's not in the books anymore, so far, at least," he said. "I was hoping to be back, but normally what you hope for on Game of Thrones doesn't happen."

Besides GoT, he's also starred in Prime Video's Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, NBC's Crossing Lines, and films including Rush and Berlin Falling.

He also does voice work.

In addition to his on-screen work, Wlaschiha has done a good amount of voice acting, including narrating audiobooks and dubbing content into German. He was even able to dub his own part for Game of Thrones. His latest gig is voicing Buzz in German in the upcoming prequel Lightyear.

He enjoys playing flawed characters.

In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Wlaschiha said that he finds it more fun to play the bad guy, and aims to portray his characters as complex human beings. "Whenever bringing a character to life, I think it’s important to portray him as a human being, however flawed, because that’s what a viewer can relate to," he said.

"A good script will always provide multi-layered and conflicted characters struggling with the respective circumstances of the story,” he added. "When I play a character, I always try to not judge his actions on a moral base. That should always be left to the audience."

He loves to travel.

Wlaschiha mostly shares snaps of his work on Instagram, which luckily includes selfies with castmates and pics of the many locales where he films. He also has some posts of what seems to be his personal travels, showing off his wanderlust with pics from Egypt, Russia, Ghana, Switzerland, and Northern Ireland.

The new hit animated film Turning Red is history-making in several ways. The film about a 13-year-old girl growing up in Toronto, Canada, is the first Pixar film to center on a female character since 2012's Brave, and it beautifully shows several aspects of girlhood that usually aren't shown in animated movies, including complex mother-daughter relationships, preteen fangirling, and period maintenance as a neutral, unashamed part of life (finally!).

It's also an empathetic portrayal of a girl finding her own way in the world, even if her mother disapproves, all wrapped up in a giant puberty metaphor involving a giant red panda. The film, which premiered on Disney+ March 11, has found a passionate fanbase, who have fallen in love with the characters. The cast behind those voices are just as unique as the film itself, ranging from trailblazing Asian-American and Asian-Canadian actors to a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. Here's everything we know about this stellar cast.

Rosalie Chiang as Meilin "Mei" Lee

Thirteen-year-old Toronto native Mei balances her friend group and fangirl activities with her duties to her parents, including working at their traditional temple. One day, she inherits the family blessing (or curse) of turning into a giant red panda when she feels intense emotions. Newcomer Chiang is just getting started in Hollywood, with Turning Red as her first feature film. She previously acted in short films, and guest-starred on the series Clique Wars.

Sandra Oh as Ming Lee

Mei's mother Ming is very overprotective, partly because her daughter is her best friend...and mostly because she's been preparing for Mei's big change. Korean-Canadian actress Oh is best known for playing Dr. Cristina Yang on the first ten seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Recently she also starred as intelligence agent Eve Polastri in the crime drama Killing Eve, and as professor Ji-Yoon Kim in the Netflix dramedy The Chair.

Orion Lee as Jin Lee

Mei's calm and kind-hearted father Jin is played by Lee, who has acted in theater, film, and television over the course of his career. Recently he appeared in Zack Snyder's Justice League as a Star Labs Scientist, as well as starring in the critically-acclaimed film First Cow.

Ava Morse as Miriam Wexler

Mei's friend Miriam is a tomboy who's always there for Mei, though Ming thinks she's a bad influence. Turning Red is Morse's first major role, having guest-starred on HBO's Somebody Somewhere and on two episodes of Chicago P.D.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Priya Dewan

Priya is another of Mei's best friends, who has a calm demeanor though she's as much of a 4*Town fangirl as the rest of the group. Indian-Canadian actress Ramakrishnan is the star of Netflix's Never Have I Ever, playing boy-crazy Sherman Oaks teen Devi in her first professional role. She's also set to continue voice acting for the cartoon series My Little Pony: Make Your Mark.

Hyein Park as Abby Park

Rounding out Mei's friend group, Abby is super confident and a bit intense, and she's also always there for Mei and her friends. Park is actually a storyboard artist for Pixar, having worked with director Domee Shi on the Oscar-winning short Bao, as well as Pixar films like Soul and Toy Story 4. Turning Red is her first-ever voice acting role.

Tristan Allerick Chen as Tyler Nguyen-Baker

School bully Tyler is played by Chen, in the young actor's first major film role. He previously had guest-starring spots on WandaVision and The Kominsky Method, as well as voice acting roles in the animated films Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Ron's Gone Wrong.

Wai Ching Ho as Grandma

When she hears about her granddaughter's change, Mei's grandma comes straight to Toronto, bringing along the preteen's aunts to help in the ritual that will turn Mei back to normal. Hong Kong-born actress Wai Ching Ho is best known to Marvel fans for playing Madame Gao in the series Daredevil, Iron Fist, and The Defenders. Over the years she has also appeared on the shows One Life to Live, Orange is the New Black, and Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, as well as playing Constance Wu's grandmother in the film Hustlers.

Lori Tan Chinn as Auntie Chen

Mei's first aunt is played by Chinese-American actress Lori Tan Chinn, who got her start in theater acting before breaking in to film and television in the '80s and '90s. She's best known for playing Litchfield inmate Mei Chang on Orange Is The New Black, as well as Awkwafina's grandma on Awkwafina is Nora From Queens.

Mia Tagano as Lily

Mei's second aunt Lily is voiced by newcomer Mia Tagano, a stage actor who has performed at Lincoln Center in New York City and toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company in England. She's also a prolific acting and speaker coach based in California's Bay Area.

Sherry Cola as Helen

The actress behind Mei's third aunt Helen, Cola has starred in several series over the years, including Prime Video's I Love Dick, TNT's Claws, and Freeform's Good Trouble. The Chinese-American actress is also a former radio personality who had a show on the LA station AMP Radio 97.1FM, and she often performs as a stand-up comic.

James Hong as Mr. Gao

Local elder Mr. Gao, a regular at the temple who also helps out with Mei's ritual, is played by prolific actor James Hong, who has over 650 film and TV credits to his name as of 2021. Just some of those include the '70s series Kung Fu, the Kung Fu Panda films and TV shows, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the upcoming Michelle Yeoh film Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Jordan Fisher as Robaire

Each of the actors behind the members of Mei's favorite band 4*Town both voice and sing for their early '00s boy-band counterparts. The voice behind Mei's favorite member, the French Robaire, Fisher is best known for playing John Ambrose in To All The Boys I Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You, and for his run on the Disney show Liv and Maddie. He also contributed his singing talents to the soundtrack of another Disney animated film, Moana.

Finneas O'Connell as Jesse

Playing another 4*Town member is O'Connell, a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who often works with his musical partner and sister, Billie Eilish. He also has acting experience, playing Alistar on the sixth season of Glee and guest-starring on the series Aquarius and Modern Family. Also, he and Eilish wrote all of 4*Town's original songs for the film.

Domee Shi, writer and director

Turning Red is Chinese-Canadian animator Domee Shi's first feature-length film, arriving four years after her Oscar-winning short film Bao. Shi started her career at Pixar in 2011 as a storyboarding intern, and now she's the first woman to solo-direct a feature film in the studio's 36-year history.

Television's best and brightest stars are pulling out all the stops for the 2021 Emmys red carpet after spending last year’s show socially distanced and at home. Kathryn Hahn’s Emmy 2021 look proved conclusively that pantsuits can be perfect for black-tie events—if they’re paired with the right accessories.

Hahn showed up to the red carpet in Los Angeles wearing a strapless black jumpsuit by Lanvin. She accessorized her suit with an oversized black leather belt, a bejeweled teal necklace, and matching cocktail rings by Briony Raymond Jewelry. A pair of pointed-toe pumps by Tamara Mellon finished the outfit.

Hahn has clearly been a fan of wearing a pantsuit lately—she wore a black sheer blouse with a pair of wide-leg trousers to the Emmys Performers Nominees Celebration—so this look falls right in line with her cool, relaxed style.

Hahn’s beauty look was equally laid-back, with her hair fashioned into her signature messy, relaxed waves. Following suit, her makeup look consisted of fresh, dewy skin, a subtle smokey eye, and a natural-toned pink lip.

Hahn is nominated for an Emmy award in the “Outstanding Supporting Actress in Limited Series/Movie” category for her role as Agatha Harkness in WandaVision.

When Disney announced plans for a Lizzie McGuire reboot, millennials everywhere rejoiced. According to details from Hilary Duff (who will, naturally, be reprising her role as the titular character), the modern update of the Disney Channel classic will follow 30-year-old Lizzie, who is living in New York City and working as an assistant to a prominent interior designer.

Disney has yet to announce when the Disney+ series will premiere, but we do know that several OG cast members, including Adam Lamberg (a.k.a. Lizzie's BFF, Gordo) and Clayton Snyder (a.k.a. Lizzie's longtime crush, Ethan Craft) will make appearances in the reboot. In honor of the highly-anticipated return of Lizzie & Co., here's a look back at the cast of the original series (and The Lizzie McGuire Movie, just for good measure) then and now. 

The original Lizzie McGuire series premiered in 2001 when 14-year-old Hilary Duff looked like this—complete with angled layers, middle part bangs, and a very early aughts fashion sense. The Tiffany & Co. heart necklace? Iconic. 

Nine years after the premiere of Lizzie McGuire, Duff was 23 and newly-married to her then-husband, professional hockey player Mike Comrie. Duff and Comrie divorced in 2016. As far as we know, Lizzie the character has never been married.

Today, Hilary Duff deserves to join the ranks of ageless celebrities like Katie Holmes and Jennifer Aniston. Aside from an updated wardrobe, she looks more or less the same as she did almost 20 years ago.

Lalaine played Lizzie's ride-or-die BFF, Miranda Sanchez. Her earliest documented red carpet appearance was at the premiere of Disney's Return to Neverland in 2002 where she wore this very Miranda-esque ensemble. 

Lalaine's most recent public appearance came in 2007 when she attended Warner Music Group's 2007 Grammy Party in Los Angeles looking very chic in a little black dress.

After years of inactivity, Lalaine has been creating #content on her official Instagram (hopefully leading up to reprising her role as Miranda in the Lizzie reboot—she is sporting a perfect Miranda haircut again these days). In December 2019, she shared a very Disney-esque pic with fellow House of Mouse alum Christy Carlson Romano (a.k.a. Ren Stevens from Even Stevens).

Here's Adam Lamberg (a.k.a. Gordo, Lizzie's other BFF/eventual OTP) with Lalaine at the premiere of Big Fat Liar in 2002 for his first red carpet event. 

Adam Lamberg went off the proverbial grid around 2006, but resurfaced in November 2019 on Hilary Duff's Instagram on the set of the Lizzie McGuire reboot. We love you, Gordo.

Jake Thomas played Lizzie's annoying/adorable (but mostly annoying) little brother, Matt. Here he is in 2001, looking very pleased at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. 

Thomas has stayed firmly on the acting scene since his Lizzie McGuire days, appearing in a series of guest star roles on primetime dramas and indie films. He ditched Matt McGuire's signature spiky 'do and grew a full beard, which we can only hope he keeps if he appears in the Lizzie reboot. 

Hallie Todd played Lizzie's mom, Jo McGuire. She rarely makes public appearances, but she did share this incredible throwback on Instagram in honor of Jake Thomas' birthday in 2017.

In support of the Time's Up movement, Todd shared a rare photo of herself on Instagram in 2018 and, honestly, Lizzie's mom still looks cool AF.

Robert Carradine played Lizzie's dad, Sam McGuire. Here he is in 2003 at the premiere of TNT's Monte Walsh in Los Angeles.

Behold Carradine in September 2019, proving that Lizzie's dad has aged into major The Dude vibes. (Let us pray for an obligatory "parents come for a dinner to express their concern about their daughter's life trajectory" episode.)

Clayton Snyder played Lizzie's longtime crush, Ethan Craft, in the original series. Snyder's pictured at the premiere of The Lizzie McGuire Movie in 2003 looking every bit the Disney vision of what a popular, crush-worthy middle schooler would look like. 

Clayton Snyder doesn't make a ton of public appearances these days, but his Instagram game is strong. Here he is in November 2019 looking all grown up...and fine as hell.

Ashlie Brillault played Lizzie's popular girl nemesis, Kate Sanders. She looked all kinds of adorable at the 2003 premiere of The Lizzie McGuire Movie. 

Brillault really didn't act after Lizzie McGuire—she doesn't even have a Wikipedia page. Her Instagram is equally sparse, with just two photos: a Lizzie throwback shot and this picture from 2017.

Kyle Downes played Larry Tudgeman, a stereotypical geek with a big crush on Miranda. Here he is on the show in all of his geeky glory.

Downes grew up to be a director (his AV club geek alter ego would be proud), pictured in action behind the camera in 2016. Maybe he can direct an episode of the reboot even if he won't reprise his role for the show?

Davida Williams played Claire Miller, Kate's BFF and fellow cheerleader, on Lizzie McGuire. Here she is at the 2004 premiere of Raise Your Voice (another iconic Hilary Duff movie). 

These days, Williams is as gorgeous as ever as seen here in a pic from a red carpet event in June 2019.

Christian Copelin played Matt McGuire's silent scene-stealing best friend, Lanny, on Lizzie McGuire. 

In 2019, Copelin is ALL grown up and showing off his impressive abs on Instagram. Lanny could legit be a love interest for Lizzie in the reboot and absolutely no one would be mad about it.

Carly Schroeder played another one of Matt McGuire's friends—troublemaker Melina. TBT to her during the Lizzie days. 

Schroeder has been working steadily since Lizzie. Here she is out and about in Los Angeles in 2018 looking gorgeous and grown up. 

Arvie Lowe Jr. played Lizzie's cool teacher, Mr. Dig. This is him on the show.

Like many other Lizzie alums, Lowe is on Instagram and low-key killing it. This is him in November 2019 still looking like the cool middle school teacher he'll always be to us.

Merry Christmas, Lizzie McGuire! Remember when Aaron Carter and Hilary Duff were a thing? Just kidding—if you care about Lizzie McGuire at all, that's a pop culture tidbit you'll never be able to forget. Aaron wasn't a regular cast member of the series, but he did guest star in the show's Christmas episode one year. Here he is with Duff at the Lizzie McGuire Movie premiere in 2003. 

Carter is still around today, albeit a much more heavily-inked version than Lizzie McGuire fans saw back in the day. Here he is at a red carpet event in October 2019.

Muniz is still active in show biz. He did a stint on Dancing With the Stars in 2017 and then started hosting the junior edition of the series in 2018. He's also active on Instagram where he shared this birthday 'gram in December 2019.

Yani Gellman played Italian pop star Paolo Valisari in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Here he is living it up at the movie's premiere in 2003. Yani, you shine like the light from the sun.

Gellman is still acting and looking very Spanish pop star chic, TBH. Here's him and his smize at the 2017 at the premiere of 47 Meters Down.

These days, Borstein is busy starring in Amazon's hit TV show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Here she is at an event for the series in December 2019. 

Daniel Escobar played Lizzie's middle school drama teacher in the series and in the Lizzie McGuire Movie in 2003. 

Tragically, Escobar passed away in 2013 from complications related to diabetes. Here he is in 2011 during an episode of How I Met Your Mother, which was one of his last acting roles. 

Hilary Duff's sister, Haylie Duff, actually had two Lizzie McGuire roles. She played Cousin Amy in an episode of the series and she provided the singing voice for Lizzie's Italian pop stardoppelganger, Isabella Parigi, in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Here she is at the movie's 2003 premiere posing with her sister. 

Haylie poses in April 2019 during a visit to Hallmark's Home & Family at Universal Studios Hollywood.

•••

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Spoilers for the first season of Shadow and Bone. The best fantasy series are the ones that build entire universes for fans to discover, complete with unique monsters, currencies, and languages. Netflix's highly anticipated fantasy series Shadow and Bone, adapted from Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse books, draws fans into the world of Ravka, a country populated with element-manipulating powers and divided by a region of tangible darkness filled with monsters called the Shadow Fold. The show's first season follows Alina Starkov, a mapmaker who discovers that she has a rare power to summon sunlight, which could destroy the Fold and save countless people. She's quickly ensnared in Ravka's Second Army of people with powers, a.k.a. Grisha, as its commander General Kirigan takes a special interest in her power. On June 7, 2021, Shadow and Bone was officially renewed by Netflix for a second season.

Shadow and Bone has drawn comparisons to Game of Thrones, and like GoT, it has a wealth of written material to draw from for future seasons. The first season of Shadow and Bone is based off the first book in Bardugo's trilogy of the same name, as well as her Six of Crows duology. The show was a hit, seeing more than a billion streaming hours between April 26 and May 2 alone, according to Nielson. After a long wait, all us fans are finally getting new episodes, with Netflix confirming that the new season will arrive in 2023.

Has Shadow and Bone been renewed for a second season?

Yes! Netflix confirmed the news in June 2021 on the first day of its "Geeked Week." Showrunner Eric Heisserer said: "I’m honored and thrilled to return to the Grishaverse and continue the stories of these endearing characters, particularly Milo." Bardugo added: “I’ve been writing in the Grishaverse for nearly ten years now, so I’m thrilled we get to keep this adventure going."

When will season 2 of Shadow and Bone be released?

Unfortunately, it'll be a long wait for another season. The show's first season was a huge production, filmed in and around Budapest, Hungary, and was logistically complicated even before the global pandemic slowed down most major productions. Also, similar Netflix shows like The Witcher and Umbrella Academy have had gaps of at least 18 months between seasons. Shadow and Bone season 2 will probably get a release date of early or mid 2023.

Is there a trailer?

This weekend, Netflix finally released the first footage of season 2, over a year after the show's renewal. The clip begins by showing that Alina has become more comfortable in her identity; when a man tells her that she's just a "symbol," she replies with conviction, "I am the Sun Summoner." 

It then shows a montage of all our favorite characters, plus some new additions that are fan favorites from the books (including an actual Alina and Mal kiss!). The Darkling also gets an ominous beat, as he asks an unknown character, "Are you willing to sacrifice that which is most precious to you?"

Who are the new cast members for season 2?

Netflix began production on season 2 in January 2022, at which point they revealed the new faces who will be joining the wide-ranging cast. Traces actress Anna Leong Brophy (Back, Traces) and Mortal Kombat actor Lewis Tan will play Tamar Kir-Bataar and Tolya Yul-Bataar, twin Grisha mercenaries who work under the privateer Sturmhond. The Magic Flute actor Jack Wolfe will portray Wylan Hendricks, an alias of the popular Six of Crows character Wylan Van Eck, and The OA actor Patrick Gibson will play Nikolai Lantsov, prince of Ravka.

Of the new cast members, the addition of Nikolai is the most involved in Alina's story. The Ravkan prince is a fan favorite, who in the books worked as a privateer under the alias Sturmhond, commanding his own ships to help the Ravkan war effort. Avoiding spoilers, he crosses paths with Alina, Mal, and the Darkling, and eventually joins the efforts to bring the baddie down.

Mercenaries Tolya and Tamar are both Heartrenders, Grisha who have the power to damage or manipulate a person's internal organs. While Tolya is skilled in a range of weapons, his sister Tamar is known for her skill with her axes. The siblings also have Shu Han heritage, like the show's version of Alina. Meanwhile, Wylan is another Six of Crows member joining the show, who links up with the Dregs (Kaz, Jesper, and Nina) as their demolitions expert.

In addition to the four new actors, returning cast members Danielle Galligan (Nina Zenik), Daisy Head (Genya Safin) and Calahan Skogman (Matthias Helvar) have been promoted to series regulars.

What will Shadow and Bone season 2 be about?

Spoilers for the end of Shadow and Bone season 1. The show ends with our heroes Alina, Mal, Kaz, Inej, Jesper, and Zoya escaping from the Fold, with the evil General Kirigan presumably left for dead. Later the two groups separate, with Kaz, Inej, and Jesper going to Ketterdam to deal with the enemies who want their heads for failing to capture the Sun Summoner. Alina and Mal sail off to a distant land, where they'll hide from the people hunting them and find allies, and Alina will train her powers until she's strong enough to destroy the Fold. She'll also have to deal with the return of General Kirigan, who didn't die in The Fold and now has power over the darkness and its monsters.

The first season of Shadow and Bone was a faithful adaptation of the book of the same name, so season 2 will likely cover the second book, Siege and Storm. The description from the second book reads: "The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina's magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army. But as the truth of Alina's destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling's deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice–and only she can face the oncoming storm."

Heisserer echoed fans' suspicions in an interview with Insider that the Darkling, a.k.a. General Kirigan, will be a more powerful foe in season 2, in part due to the Darkling's new allies: “In the books, these are called Nichevo'ya, which is Ravkan for "nothing" and they will be a level up kind of opponent for Alina, Mal and anybody else who runs into Kirigan."

But Ben Barnes, who plays the Darkling, said to Collider that he thought season two will diverge from the books. “I’ve obviously read the books, but I think it will steer off from the course of the books, in terms of the second season. I think the character becomes a bit more representative in Alina’s mind of what the darkness is and a bit symbolic, and I wanted to keep him as a human being,” Barnes said. “He’s many fold more powerful, now that he has the walking, living volcra that he can summon and send at his will, without even having to use his hands to use magic.”

Heisserer also revealed to Insider that a new character from the books, Wylan, will enter the fray: "I can tease this much: That there will be a hundred percent more Wylan. We'd like to introduce him for sure. And we would like to spend at least a little bit more time in Ketterdam." He added to TV Line: “It would be good to see if Wylan and Kaz already had a relationship and then maybe Weiland is responsible for something in Season 1.”

Another certainty for future seasons: Crows and Alina's path will intersect, Heisserer told Variety. "We had so much fun at the moments when these two sets of characters could find ways to integrate. I have a lot of fun theories about how we can make this happen organically again, without really disturbing too much of the separate storylines that they’re on.”

As for Mal and Alina? "There were definitely moments where a kiss felt warranted...I believe there is there is a lot of kissing in their future, should we ever get the opportunity," he told TV Line.

Could there be a Six of Crows spinoff?

The show Shadow and Bone doesn't just cover the trilogy of Leigh Bardugo books by the same name. It also looped in Bardugo's Six of Crows duology, which follows a group of underground criminals from the same universe called the Dregs. The popular Six of Crows characters Kaz Brekker, Inej Khafa, Jesper Fahey, Nina Zenik, and Matthias Helvar are prominent characters in the Netflix show, and have a storyline that showrunner Heisserer described as "Ocean's Eleven meets Game of Thrones."

In an interview with Variety, Heisserer said: "I told them [early on], ‘I’m not going to touch this series unless I also have the “Six of Crows” duology and have those characters. I don’t see a show without both."

The announcement that the show would cover Six of Crows surprised some fans, since the duology takes place two years after the end of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. To include the characters, Bardugo and showrunner Heisserer wrote new prequel stories for Kaz, Inej, and Jesper and to fit them into the Shadow and Bone storyline. "Eric and our writers’ room and our directors have built something entirely new that still somehow stays true to the characters and to the heart of the stories," Bardugo said in a Den of Geek interview.

In interviews, Heiserrer has emphasized his approach of giving the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows crews equal importance in the show. He told Collider, "I love both for different reasons, and they live in the same world. I think if you just do one you're getting a smaller slice of your audience. I'm essentially making a show where people are gonna be like, 'I don't like this character, but I love these two.' And I'm all right with that."

Bardugo loves the approach so far, telling The Guardian: “It makes the world feel bigger. It’s a much more fitting introduction to a universe that I’ve been working on for a decade now. I’m very proud of the show. I feel grateful for all the love and care that went into it.”

What have the cast and crew said about season 2?

During season one promotion, the cast and crew expressed excitement for future seasons and what's in store for their characters. Bardugo told ELLE that her wish was for all seven Grishaverse books to be adapted. "I want to see the whole story, and I know that’s crazy. I know it’s unlikely. And I don’t think it would take seven seasons to get us through seven books. I would love to see the whole story unspool. I think that would be something special," she said.

Archie Renaux, who plays Mal, said to Collider: "I have a lot of questions, and not so many answers. The fact that it is so open and there is this whole world that has still been unexplored on the screen excites me a lot. A lot of the character relationships feel like they’re still in the very early stages and have only just scratched the surface, so to speak."

Jessie Mei Li, who plays Alina, spoke to ELLE about specific scenes from the book that they're looking forward to filming, including the upcoming clashes between Alina and the Darkling after they both build their own armies. They said, "Because Kirigan’s got his shadow soldiers, and then obviously Alina gets her own army, I’d love to see how that manifests and how that affects her."

Li also referenced the future storyline where Alina uses merzost, or the power of creation. In the books, the magical act requires the sacrifice of something essential from the person attempting it, and it drains vitality from that person. It's also likely to produce unexpected and devastating results; the Darkling's use of merzost created the Fold.

"Obviously we’ve seen the effects of merzost in the show on Kirigan and his black veins and everything. And Alina’s hair is meant to turn white. I’d be interested to see how gruesome that is," Li said.

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Amita Suman, who plays Inej, said that one scene she would love to see in a future season is the first meeting between Inej and the Dregs' leader Kaz. "I remember, when reading that, it was such an exciting thing. There was just such a foreshadowing of their relationship, of, 'I can help you.' From a fan’s point of view, I would love that scene to be there."

Update, May 20, 2021: Are those children we smell? Likely, because Hocus Pocus 2 is officially underway. Sarah Jessica Parker took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal that the beloved 1993 film was finally getting its long-awaited sequel. "Yep. I'm ready. To run. Amok, amok, amok, amok," she posted, referring to one of her most memorable lines in the movie. The actress also revealed that the movie would arrive in Fall 2022 on Disney+.

Parker's original co-stars Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy also shared the film poster to their respective social media feeds, confirming that the wicked trio would all be reprising their roles as the Sanderson sisters for the occasion.

The movie, per People, revolves around "three young women who accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world." It will begin filming this fall.

Original post, 5/29/2020: I don't want to encourage you to get your hopes up too high, because Hollywood has an awful habit of nurturing your pop culture dreams and expectations before popping them like a balloon on a whim...but it really does sound like a Hocus Pocus sequel is going to happen. There's already a writer, Jen D’Angelo, and a director, Adam Shankman, on board, as Variety reports; what's more, all three Sanderson sisters—Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy—are reportedly up for reprising their roles. In a new interview with Bruce Bozz on Sirius XM, Parker said a sequel "would be a very, very fun idea," adding, "We'll see what the future holds." So...is it fair to assume that what the future holds is a Hocus Pocus sequel? 

Parker told Bozz Thursday that she, Najimy, and Midler were all "very hospitable to the idea" of a sequel, as Us Weekly reports. "I think for a long time, people were talking about it as if people were moving forward with it in a real way but we were unaware of it," she continued. "I think now we’ve gotten to the point where we all, like, agreed publicly to the right people, [saying], 'Yes! That would be a very, very fun idea.' So, we’ll see. We’ll see what the future holds."

Last October, Midler told Entertainment Tonight, "Oh my goodness me. Oh I hope they get to me before I'm a corpse," adding, "We wanna fly again. I hope Disney+ is a big success and I hope we get to do it, because [Winifred] is of course one of my favorite characters." She wouldn't confirm her involvement in the project, but commented, "I can't wait to read the script. We're gonna see what happens."

Najimy, also speaking to Entertainment Tonight, said, "Sarah and Bette and I all have a million projects and things that we're into, so I don't know if they're gonna offer us [roles]. I don't know if the worlds are going to collide so that we could all three do it at the same time." She continued, "I'm happy that it's happening, because the fans are really rabid and they really want it," adding, "If we're not all available to star in it, I think it would be so great to do a cameo. I think that'd be really fun."

If you, too, finished season two of Shadow and Bone and wondered what was next for Alina or the Crows, you're in luck. The hit Netflix series is based on the Grishaverse, a series of popular YA books written by Leigh Bardugo. The show's first two seasons adapt the first three Grishaverse books, which follow Alina Starkov as she discovers she has the rare power of sun-summoning. Alina is swept up into the world of her country Ravka's magical elite, called Grisha, and seeks to amplify her powers and become strong enough to destroy the Fold, a region of darkness filled with monsters that has killed countless Ravkans. Standing in her way is Kirigan, the former general of Ravka's Second Army who wants to take over the world using the power of the Fold.

The Grishaverse is comprised of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Crows duology, and three supplemental books. While the primary storyline of Netflix's Shadow and Bone follows the trilogy of the same name, the show also has a subplot with the characters from the Six of Crows duology. Bardugo and showrunner Eric Heisserer wrote a new plot for the Six of Crows cast that wove them into the events of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, which took place two years before the Six of Crows duology's timeline. The show also weaves in details and references from multiple Grishaverse books, including allusions to upcoming storylines. If you can't wait to dive in and learn more about this fantasy world, here's the order of the books and what to expect from each.

• Shadow and Bone
• Siege and Storm
• Ruin and Rising
• Six of Crows
• Crooked Kingdom
• King of Scars
• Rule of Wolves
• The Language of Thorns
• The Lives of Saints

The Shadow and Bone trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising

Published in 2012, Shadow and Bone sets up the Grishaverse, with Alina discovering that she's the legendary Sun Summoner, and training to destroy the Fold under the Darkling. The book ends in the same place as season one of the series, with Alina seeking to find new allies and continue her training. The second book, Siege and Storm, starts with Alina and Mal getting captured by the still-alive Darkling within the first chapter, a plot point that diverges from the beginning of season two. Both the show and the book follow the same overall arc though, as Alina—with the help of a new character, a privateer named Strumhond—becomes the new commander of the Second Army and searches for the last two amplifiers, the sea whip and the firebird.

In a surprising change for viewers who expected the show would cover the three books over three seasons, season two also included events from the book trilogy's finale, Ruin and Rising. In the book, the final standoff for the fate of Ravka starts with the Darkling ruling over Ravka and a weakened Alina living underground with zealots who worship her as a Saint, as she sets out to unravel the Darkling's secrets. The book also focuses on Prince Nikolai, the son of Ravka's previous king and queen, who wants to form an alliance between Grisha and non-Grisha. The end of the book gives answers, both for what happens to the Fold and whether Alina and Mal end up together (no spoilers here in case some show viewers are still in the middle of season 2).

The Six of Crows duology: Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

This spin-off series takes place two years after the events of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. It follows Kaz and his team of Crows as they undertake a heist that will make them rich and save the world, similar in scale to the one they do in season one of Shadow and Bone. The crew is made up of Kaz, Inej and Jesper, along with Nina and Matthias, in their first appearance in the books. There's also a sixth Crow, Wylan Van Eck, who joins the crew in season 2 of Shadow and Bone. Crooked Kingdom ends the Crows' storyline; after the events of their somewhat-failed heist, the group has to work together to save the lives of Grisha everywhere and take revenge on those who've wronged them.

While the Six of Crows takes place after the events of Shadow and Bone, the duology is just as popular as a stand-alone series. Heisserer loved them so much that he fought to include the Crows in the show, leading to their prequel storyline. Some Grishaverse fans even recommend to try Six of Crows first, as the book has more diversity and deals more with the world outside of Ravka.

The King of Scars duology: King of Scars and Rule of Wolves

Following the events of Crooked Kingdom, this duology follows Prince Nikolai, now king of Ravka, as he struggles to rebuild Ravka and deal with the effects of the Darkling's powers on both him and the country. In King of Scars, Nikolai, with the help of Zoya, attempts to fight enemies off his weakened borders and fight the darkness growing inside him. Nina also makes an appearance, disguised as a spy in Fjerda and helping to save a Grisha there. In Rule of Wolves, Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina are dealing with personal demons when a Fjerdan army invades Ravka. They all have to work together to save Ravka's future.

Supplemental: The Language of Thorns and The Lives of Saints

There are also supplemental stand-alone books that tell the history and folktales of the Grishaverse. The Language of Thorns is an illustrated collection of fairytales that the Grishaverse characters may have heard as children. The Lives of Saints is also an illustrated tome, this one telling tales of Grishaverse saints. While both are great for learning more about the world and its history, it's recommended to have read some Grishaverse books before trying The Lives of Saints. There's also a journal of writing prompts and quotes related to the Grishaverse called The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic, if you want to try your hand at writing about the fictional world.

As for possible continuations of the series, Bardugo told Bustle that she had her mind on some new Grishaverse stories. “I will admit there are Grishaverse stories I really want to tell, there's a very big door open at the end of Rule of Wolves, but there are a lot of other characters who I found very fascinating, who stepped onto the page in this book and that I would love to see get more developed stories of their own.” At least we, and the Netflix show, have plenty of material while we wait.

If you’ve been missing the world-building in epic shows like The Witcher or Game of Thrones, have we got just the thing for you: Netflix's Shadow and Bone. The series—based on Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling "Grishaverse" novels—is set in the fictional world of Ravka, a country divided by regions of light and darkness (also known as the monster-populated "Shadow Fold"). After Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) discovers that she has the power to summon sunlight, the orphan gets entangled with the corrupt Ravka military general in her quest to vanquish the Fold. The show’s scale practically demands an ensemble cast to carry the complicated storylines on their backs. Watching them work so well together onscreen made us ask: How well do they know each other offscreen?

So we sat down with castmates Ben Barnes, Jessie Mei Li, Kit Young, Amita Suman, Archie Renaux, and Freddy Carter to put their knowledge of each other to the test. Watch the video to see which of the show’s stars gets melons—yes, melons—instead of cake for their birthday, among other fun facts. Like, what was Barnes’ first paid job? And who calls bingeing a show, “getting your biscuits?”

See who snags the "How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?" crown in the video, and don’t miss Shadow and Bone season 1, now streaming on Netflix.

stream 'shadow and bone' on Netflix

The best fantasy shows weave a world of specialized magic...and it comes with a bit of a learning curve. Many fantasy fans have fond memories of when they first learned the difference between a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw, or whether they would be a child of Athena or Apollo. For the Grishaverse, the series of books written by Leigh Bardugo which inspired Netflix's latest hit Shadow and Bone, magic is called Small Science, and practitioners of Small Science, Grisha, join different groups, or orders, organized by their specialized types of magic. Shadow and Bone follows Alina, an ordinary mapmaker who finds out she has the rare power of sun-summoning, as she gets swept into the world of the Grisha and trains her powers to one day destroy the Shadow Fold, which has split her country Ravka in two.

Shadow and Bone has great effects that show the range of Grishas' powers, but the show doesn't spend much time explaining the difference between the more common types of Small Science. The Grishaverse books go into much more detail, explaining intricacies which Grisha powers are most common, which are more valued in Ravka, and why wearing a different colored coat is important. Here's what we know about the different types of Grishas that make up Ravka's Second Army.

Summoners are Grisha that can control the elements.

The Grisha are split up into three orders: Corporalki, Etherealki, and Materialki. They're grouped into these orders based on the nature of their specialized powers, and each order has a different color for their kefta, which is like a uniform. Most of the Grisha characters we see in season one, including Zoya and Alina's friends at the Little Palace, are members of Etherealki, the Order of Summoners. Summoners are Grisha that summon and control the physical elements of water, fire and air. If you're starting to think of Avatar: The Last Airbender comparisons, Summoners are cannot make elements out of nothing. They just control the elements that exist around them. It's a distinction that exists for all Grisha; they call what they do Small Science instead of magic because they manipulate matter at its most basic form. They can't make their own matter, so their powers are considered extensions of the natural world.

Squallers can manipulate the wind by raising or lowering air pressure. Zoya is a Squaller, and we usually see her using her power in the show by filling a ship's sails. Inferni can manipulate fire and flammable gases, but they need a spark to start the fire. The Inferni in the Shadow and Bone show wear gloves that they can snap to create a spark. Tidemakers can manipulate water. The Grisha in the Etherealki wear blue kefta with different colors of embroidery: silver for Squallers, red for Inferni, and pale blue for Tidemakers.

Alina and the Darkling are rare summoners that control light and darkness.

Alina's power of sun-summoning is a hereditary power so rare that before her, Ravkans thought it was a myth. Sun Summoners can bend and summon light, and they can also summon heat from the sun. Before the events of season one of Shadow and Bone, Alina had been suppressing her powers, which made her physically weak. She became stronger and healthier once she began using her powers. That's common for all Grisha; when they don't use their powers for an extended period, they can become ill. When Alina begins training, she becomes a member of the Etherealki and wears a blue kefta with gold embroidery.

General Kirigan, also called the Darkling, is a Shadow Summoner who can gather and manipulate darkness and shadows. As far as we know at the beginning of the series, he's the only Grisha alive with the power. He's also so strong that he can use the Cut, a move where he conjures darkness as a dagger to cut people. Though Shadow Summoners are technically members of the Etherealki, Kirigan wears a black kefta with black embroidery.

Corporalki are Grisha that can control bodies.

The second order of Grisha, Corporalki, include Grisha whose powers focus on the human body. It's also known as the Order of the Living and Dead, and its kefta color is red. Heartrenders are one of the most feared Grisha types, who can manipulate the body of another person to cause harm. They can stop a person's heart or keep air from entering someone's lungs, for example. Heartrenders' powers are not all destructive though; in the show, Nina Zenick uses her Heartrender powers to save Matthias from drowning, and to warm him up when he's under threat of freezing. Healers are also members of the Corporalki who can manipulate the human body to heal wounds and injuries.

Light spoilers for season 1 of Shadow and Bone. Alina's friend Genya Sefin is a Tailor, a Grisha who can change a person's appearance. When Alina has to meet the king and queen of Ravka, Genya applies her makeup and removes her scars with a wave of her hand. At first Genya is a Grisha without an order, but after doing a mission for the Darkling she becomes a member of the Corporalki, and wears a red kefta with blue embriodery.

Fabrikators control composite materials like metal, textiles, and chemicals.

The last order, Materialki, is the Order of Fabrikators. These Grisha control composite materials, including metal, glass, textiles, and chemicals. They've created scientific and military innovations, including a woven material called corecloth that can withstand bullets, the Grishas' steel weapons, blasting powders, and a type of liquid fire called luminya. In the books Fabrikators are either Durasts, who deal with solids like steel and glass, or Alkemi, who specialize in poisons and blasting powders. They wear purple keftas. 

Spoilers for seasons 1 and 2 of Shadow and Bone. The Fabrikator we see in season 1 of Shadow and Bone is David Kostyk, who assists Kirigan at the Little Palace. He made the light-splitting gloves that Kirigan gifted to Alina, and he later links Alina and Kirigan's powers through the stag amplifier. However, it turns out that we've known a Durast all along: Jesper Fahey. It's revealed in the season 2 premiere that he can manipulate metal, and part of the reason he's such an expert marksman is because he can manipulate the trajectory of the bullets.

It's finally time to dive back into the Grishaverse: Season 2 of Shadow and Bone is here. Based on Leigh Bardugo's popular YA series, the Netflix fantasy epic takes place in a war-torn country called Ravka that's split in half by a region of tangible darkness filled with monsters known as the Shadow Fold. Following the first season, which saw mapmaker Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) discover that she has the rare power to summon sunlight and get swept into a conflict that puts the fate of the world in her hands, season 2 continues Alina and her allies' war against General Kirigan (Ben Barnes) to take down the Fold once and for all.

If all the lore isn't enough, the show also introduces a wide cast of characters, including Alina's fellow magic-users, called Grishas, and the group of charming thieves known as the Crows. Most of the cast is made up of rising stars, with the exception of a few alums of beloved franchises and one fan-casting come to life. To help you keep track of the characters, here's your guide to the cast of Shadow and Bone.

Alina Starkov is a mapmaker in the First Army of Ravka, comprised of ordinary citizens. She was raised in an orphanage after her parents died, and her closest confidant is her best friend Mal. Alina sets off the events of the series when she uses her hidden and rare power of summoning light for the first time.

Shadow and Bone is Mei Li’s first major role in a television show. The Chinese-English actress (who uses she/they pronouns) previously appeared in a 2019 National Theatre Live stage production of All About Eve, as well as the 2021 film Last Night in Soho. They're next set to appear in the action film Havoc, co-starring Tom Hardy and Timothy Olyphant.

Instagram: @jessie_mei_li

General Kirigan is the leader of the Second Army of Ravka. He commands an army made up of Grisha, or people with special abilities. Kirigan takes a special interest in Alina after her powers are revealed, since her ability to summon sunlight is so rare.

The most-recognized face in the cast, Ben Barnes has a lot of experience with fantasy novel adaptations. He previously appeared in the films Seventh Son, Stardust, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. He also had significant roles in the Netflix series The Punisher and the first season of HBO's Westworld. Barnes was actually a popular fan-casting among book fans for years.

Instagram: @benbarnes

Malyen Oretsev, who goes by Mal, is Alina’s best friend. He’s also a member of Ravka’s First Army with Alina, but he’s a soldier and a gifted tracker. They’re separated once Alina’s power is revealed, but as he goes through his own journey to reunite with her, it's clear that his feelings go beyond friendship.

A British actor and model, Renaux has previously appeared in some television shows, including Amazon’s Hanna and BBC’s Gold Digger, which also featured his co-star Barnes. He’s also had a busy 2022, appearing in the films Morbius, Catherine Called Birdy, The Greatest Beer Run Ever, and Zero.

Instagram: @archierenaux3

Kaz Brekker is the leader of the Dregs, a prominent gang in the city of Ketterdam in Ravka. A main character in Bardugo's Six of Crows duology, which has been intertwined with the Shadow and Bone trilogy in the show, he's known for doing any job, which earned him the nickname "Dirtyhands."

Carter is a British actor who is most known for playing Jason Ripper in the Starz series Pennyworth and stable boy Pin Hawthorne in the Netflix series Free Rein. Fun fact, his first IMDb credit came from playing a soldier in 2017's Wonder Woman.

Instagram: @freddycarter1

Inej Ghafa is a spy and a member of the Dregs with Kaz and Jesper. She grew up in a family of traveling acrobats, performing with them and walking the high-wire. Around age 14, she was captured and forced to work as an indentured servant until she met Kaz, who freed her and offered her a spot in the dregs.

Ghafa, a 23-year-old Nepalese-born British actress, has previously appeared on The CW series The Outpost and a 2018 episode of Doctor Who. She also appeared in the special 11th episode of another Netflix fantasy series, The Sandman.

Instagram: @amitasuman_

Jesper Fahey, another member of the Dregs, is a sharpshooter who teams up with Kaz and Inej. He's also a Grisha like Alina, though he has with different abilities.

Young is a Scottish and Ugandan actor who has mostly done stage acting. He has appeared in National Theatre Live productions of Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Last year he appeared in the Netflix fantasy film The School for Good and Evil, co-starring Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, and Michelle Yeoh.

Instagram: @kittheyounger

In season 1, Genya is a Tailor at the royal palace in Ravka, where she's lived since she was five. When Alina arrives, Genya dresses her and gets her ready to meet the king of Ravka. They also become confidants, but their friendship is threatened by Genya's complicated loyalties.

Head is an English actress who has appeared in the shows Harlots, The Syndicate, and Girlfriends (a 2018 British series, not the one staring Tracee Ellis Ross). She most recently appeared in episode 5 of the Netflix series The Sandman, as well as the film Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, co-starring Chris Pine and Regé-Jean Page.

Nina Zenik is a Heartrender, a Grisha who can manipulate a person's inner organs. In the show, she's traveling in Ketterdam when she's captured by a group of Drüskelle, Fjerdan soldiers that hunt Grisha. After their boat shipwrecks, she's stranded with one of her captors, Matthais Helvar, and they travel together to safety, eventually falling in love. When Matthais is put in Hellgate Prison, she joins The Crows with the hopes they can help her break him out.

Galligan is an Irish actress and poet who's most well-known for playing Sarra in a Season 8 episode of Game of Thrones. She has also appeared in the TV series Krypton, Cold Courage, and The Great.

Instagram: @daniellegalligan_

Helvar is a soldier from Fjerda, a country at war with Ravka. He's a Drüskelle, a holy soldier who hunt Grisha for trial and execution, claiming that Grisha are demonic and evil. In the book, he is on a ship that held a Grisha named Nina, when there's a shipwreck. He and Nina end up traveling together through Ravka as he fights his attraction to her, before he's arrested and put in Hellgate Prison.

Skogman is an American actor, who was born in Wisconsin and earned an MFA in acting from the University of Southern California. Shadow and Bone is his first major role; he previously appeared in short films and the 2019 film Blood Puppet! Christmas '94.

Instagram: @calahan.skogman

Zoya is a member of Ravka's Second Army and a Squaller, a Grisha who can manipulate the wind. The biggest use of her power is to fill the sails and move the skiffs that travel across the Fold. She gets a bit jealous when Alina comes into the picture.

A British actress, Dasgupta has appeared in acclaimed series including Apple TV+'s Shantaram, where she played Kavita, and HBO's I May Destroy You, where she played a member of Arabella's support group. She also featured in the TV series Doctors, Press, Casualty, and Ghosts.

Instagram: @sujaya_dasgupta

Baghra is assigned to be Alina's teacher when she arrives at the Little Palace. The no-nonsense Grisha is a living amplifer, someone who can enhance another Grisha's powers. She also has a hidden connection to Kirigan.

Wanamaker has had a long and impressive career as a stage and screen actor. Fantasy fans may recognize her from her role as Madame Hooch in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, or as Cassandra in the first season of the new Doctor Who. Fun fact: she's one of the two American-born cast members featured in the Harry Potter movies whose lines were not dubbed over by a British cast member.

In season 2 we meet Nikolai, a pirate—er, privateer—who links up with Alina and Mal in Novyi Zem, helping them on their quest to find the Amplifiers and take down Kirigan. But as book fans know, the popular character is hiding some massive secrerts.

Gibson is an Irish television actor who's best known for playing Steve Winchell in the cult-favorite Netflix series The OA. He has also acted in several royal period dramas over the years, including The Tudors, The White Princess, and The Spanish Princess. He most recently starred in the British series Before We Die.

Instagram: @paddygibson

Tamar is the elder of the Kir-Bataar twins, a pair of Heartrenders and talented fighters who are part of Sturmhond's crew. She's a confident warrior who refers to her two axes as "her girls."

Leong Brophy is a screen and voice actor, comedian, and podcaster. She has previously appeared TV series including the British soap EastEnders, HBO Max's The Girl Before, and AMC+'s Ragdoll and This Is Going to Hurt. She most recently appeared in the Britbox crime series Traces.

Instagram: @longbrophy

Tolya's weapon of choice is the katana, though he also has a soft spot for food and poetry. Though he and Tamar were born in Shu Han, they're free agents, choosing to tie their loyalties to Sturmhond and Alina.

Tan is an actor and stunt performer who has appeared in several action films and series, including the live-action Mortal Kombat adaptation, Deadpool 2, the Netflix series Wu Assassins, and the AMC series Into the Badlands. He's also well-known for his appearances on the Netflix reality show Bling Empire.

Instagram: @lewistanofficial

Wylan is a chemist and demolition pro who joins the Crows in season 2, and builds a romantic connection with another member of the team. In the books, Wylan is more timid than the rest of the team, and at times becomes its thoughtful moral compass.

Wolfe is an alum of another Netflix fantasy hit, as he previously appeared in season 1 of The Witcher. He has also appeared in the shows Haven, Father Brown, and Inside No. 9. He most recently starred in the 2022 film adaptation of the Mozart opera The Magic Flute.

Instagram: @jacktwolfe

As season 2 begins, the Crows return to Ketterdam to discover that Pekka Rollins, Kaz’s arch nemesis and the head of the Dime Lions gang, has seized control of the Crow Club. The boss is a formidable opponent, as Kaz is willing to risk anything to get revenge.

Lennox Kelly is best known for playing next-door neighbor Kev in the Showtime series Shameless. He has also previously appeared in the British series and Jamestown and The Walk-In, as well as the comedy film Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel.

David is another member of Ravka's Second Army, an expert Fabrikator who was favored by Kirigan. Though he was firmly on the general's side in season 1, by season 2 both he and his closest friend Genya have realized that they need to escape him.

Pasqualino is best known for playing Freddie in seasons 3 and 4 of the iconic British teen series Skins. Since then, he's appeared in several series, including Showtime's The Borgias, BBC's The Musketeers, Sony's Snatch, and Apple TV+'s Shantaram (alongside his Shadow and Bone co-star Sujaya Dasgupta).

Instagram: @lucapasqualino

• On the HBO hit Game of Thrones, not all actors earn the same pay. Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow, earns more per episode than Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark.
• When asked about the discrepancy in a new interview with Harper's Bazaar UK, Turner said she doesn't have a problem with the gap in this case. 
• The actress cited the extra work and long hours required by Kit's larger storyline in the series as reasonable justifications for the gap.

Game of Thrones will go down in history as a pop culture phenomenon and a huge critical and financial success for HBO. The network has funneled dump trucks full of money into the series over the course of its eight seasons. With a huge ensemble cast, some of those metaphorical dump trucks have been filled with actors' salaries—but not all of the main cast members are paid the same.

When asked about the discrepancy between her salary and that of her onscreen "brother" Kit Harington, Sophie Turner told Harper's Bazaar UK that the issue is "a little tricky."

"Kit got more money than me, but he had a bigger storyline," she explained. "And for the last series, he had something crazy like 70 night shoots, and I didn’t have that many. I was like, 'You know what... you keep that money.'"

It's also worth noting that Game of Thrones pretty famously tiers its cast's salaries and that Kit and Sophie are in different tiers on that scale. The highest paid group includes Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, and Lena Headey all of whom have played arguably the biggest roles in the series since the beginning. Sophie and fellow Stark sister Maisie Williams are in the so-called "B" tier and earn less than the five "A" tier actors.

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Warning: This post contains mild spoilers about the plot of WandaVision. Every week, WandaVision dives deeper and deeper into the warped psyche of Wanda Maximoff as she struggles to cope with the trauma caused by the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Because she's a superhero, her idea of coping involves creating some kind of an alternate reality that time hops through sitcoms tropes. It's all very dark and mysterious and confusing. But, fret not, because in true internet fashion we deal with all of the twisted and intriguing plotlines by—how else?—making memes!

Thanks to some jaw-dropping Marvel reveals, several eyebrow-raising Easter eggs, a few highly-anticipated MCU crossovers (looking at you: Darcy, Agent Woo, and Monica Rambeau), and lots of retro costumes and antics (we haven't even gotten to the '80s yet!), the Internet has had plenty of fodder to keep occupied while waiting for episodes to drop weekly on Disney+.

See the best WandaVision memes from season 1; prepare for them to only get weirder and wackier as Wanda continues to unleash her wrath on Westview and S.W.O.R.D.

On the surface, WandaVision is a fun, cheeky sitcom about two Marvel superheroes living out their wholesome suburban fantasies. But underneath, the Disney+ show is a darker story about multiverses and trauma wrapped in a web of MCU Easter eggs. One of those A+ Easter eggs? A call-back to Ant-Man and the Wasp.

In the '60s-inspired second episode, the fourth wall is momentarily broken when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) hears a voice on the radio repeatedly asking her, "Who did this to you?" The strange occurrence isn't addressed again in the episode, but fans quickly matched the voice to Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park).

Woo, of course, was the federal agent assigned to keep tabs on Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) during his mandated house arrest in the Ant-Man sequel. Less villain and more bumbling pesky adversary slash youth pastor (like, actually), Woo can't seem to figure out how Lang keeps evading his clutches (hint: he's a superhero) or how he does those card tricks. Woo hasn't been seen again in the MCU even though Ant-Wan and the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) were included in the good guy army that took down Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.

Woo isn't the only tertiary MCU character set to reprise his role in WandaVision. Kat Dennings, known as Darcy in the Thor films, is also confirmed to appear in the new show.

Is Woo working to help Wanda? Is he just keeping tabs on her as he did with Scott? (Remember: Wanda's technically a fugitive after Captain America: Civil War, though it's not clear what happened to the Sokovia Accords after the Snap.) Is Woo a part of S.W.O.R.D.?

Episode 4

WandaVision finally gave viewers many answers in its fourth episode, zooming out of Wanda's alternate world to show how her actions are affecting everyone else. One of those answers? That it was, in fact, Agent Jimmy Woo (who seems to have learned some of Scott Lang's card tricks) on the other end of the radio receiver.

The episode shows how Woo, still an FBI agent, was one of the first to suspect that something fishier was at play when it came to Wanda's mysterious town. He contacts S.W.O.R.D. for help, but after things go awry and Agent Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) disappears, he joins in on the rescue efforts/investigations into Wanda's "show." At one point, he and Darcy try to hack into Wanda's world through her radio and we see Woo speaking the lines Wanda heard in episode 4.

Park's continued hilarious portrayal of the character was an immediate crowd-pleaser, with Twitter lighting up with some of his best moments from the episode.

While viewers may be surprised to realize Woo plays such a major part in the show considering his limited role in the MCU thus far, fans of the comics shouldn't be phased. Per Inverse, Agent Jimmy Woo was actually at the center of Atlas Comics' Yellow Claw series, a Marvel predecessor that debuted in 1956. According to Inverse, Woo was one of the first Asian-Americans heroes in comics and was more "straight and serious with swagger and suave like James Bond."

Inverse also reports that Woo's character continued on in the Marvel Comics, working alongside S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury. Woo eventually became the leader of the "Agents of Atlas."

Could Woo's presence in WandaVision be queueing up a future spin-off where he leads an Avengers-like group of superheroes?

Studio head Kevin Feige did previously tell Variety that he was using Disney+ as a way of "growing and expanding" the world and that they plan to "further explore characters," so there is always a chance.

Created by Jac Schaeffer, WandaVision is Disney+'s first MCU Phase Four show. In it, Wanda and Vision live a quintessential suburban life—or so it seems. It's not fully clear where the miniseries lies on the MCU timeline especially because—SPOILER—Vision died in Avengers: Infinity War. Is this what Wanda was up to during the five-year snap? Does this alternate universe have to do with Wanda's reality-shifting powers? Did Wanda figure out a way to bring her beloved Vis back without the Mind Stone? We'll see.

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany will reprise their Avengers roles as Wanda Maximoff (a.k.a. Scarlet Witch) and Vision, respectively. The show will also star Kathryn Hahn, Kat Dennings, Teyonah Parris, and Randall Park.

This isn't just another movie where we see Olsen wiggle her fingers and send bad guys flying. The show will delve deep into Wanda's Scarlet Witch persona and what makes her tick, according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.

"[We have] the opportunity to tell their story and show more of what Wanda can do, more of what makes Vision, Vision, and most importantly, reveal a name that I’m not even sure we’ve said in the MCU yet, but we make a big deal of in the show, is the fact that Wanda is the Scarlet Witch," Feige said at CCXP 2019, per Collider. "And what does that mean, that she is the Scarlet Witch? That’s what we play into with this show in ways that are entirely fun, entirely funny, somewhat scary, and will have repercussions for the entire future of Phase 4 of the MCU."

After some delays in production earlier this year due to COVID, the show finally premiered with its first two episodes on January 15.

Time to splurge on that Disney+ account! Unsurprisingly, the Marvel Studios show will only be available on Disney's streaming service. The good news? After you finish WandaVision you can continue getting your Wanda and Vision fix by binging all the other super-popular MCU films available on Disney+.

According to ScreenRant, the show will have nine episodes (totaling 6 hours of content). They'll drop weekly on Fridays, with the last airing on March 5. TVLine reports that the first three episodes hover around 30 minutes each to mimic the sitcoms the storylines hint at.

MCU fans will be thrilled to hear the show is getting rave reviews, with critics describing the concept as a delightful homage to classic TV, commending the comedic acting, and praising the risks the showrunner took. Basically, you'll definitely want to watch (especially if you plan to invest in future Marvel series and films). See some reviews, below:

Consequence of Sound: “Unabashed, off-kilter, and unlike anything Marvel has ever attempted, WandaVision is a reality-warping joy that promises a new beginning of the MCU.”

TIME: “Though it gets off to a slow start, the show has plenty going for it, from gorgeous, extremely expensive-looking production design and breathtaking special effects to punchy performances, a trippy mood, and a plot that does eventually become quite absorbing.”

Hollywood Reporter: “If you were looking for charming stars to convey a Mary Tyler Moore/Dick Van Dyke vibe, you couldn’t do much better as Olsen and Bettany get to spell out the sweet chemistry that the movies have only hinted at.”

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Update, 12/16: The final nail has gone into the coffin that is 2020, for the long-awaited Lizzie McGuire reboot is officially a no-go. Our queen Hillary Duff announced the sad news on Instagram in a post to fans, writing that despite efforts made by everyone involved, they just couldn't make it work.

"I've been so honored to have the character of Lizzie in my life. She has made such a lasting impact on many, including myself. To see the fans' loyalty and love for her, to this day, means so much to me," Duff wrote. "I know the efforts and conversations have been everywhere trying to make a reboot work, but sadly & despite everyone's best efforts, it isn't going to happen."

Duff continued writing that she wanted any reboot of the famed Disney character to be "honest" and "authentic."

The actress signed off, saying, "We can all take a moment to mourn the amazing woman she would have been and the adventures we would have taken with her. I'm very sad, but I promise everyone tried their best, and the stars just didn't align. Hey now, this is what the 2020s made of."

Original post: Get ready to jump around on giant bouncy balls and draw Mickey Mouse ears with your inner preteen because the long-rumored Lizzie McGuire reboot, starring Hilary Duff and the rest of the original cast, is happening. Here's everything we know about the latest early-aughts classic to get a modern-day revisit.

Hilary Duff is officially asking Disney to move the reboot to Hulu.

After hinting that production on the Lizzie reboot stalled because the version in the works may have been deemed "not family-friendly" enough for Disney+, Duff took to Instagram to explicitly ask Disney to move the series to Hulu, where it wouldn't be stuck under "the ceiling of a PG rating."

In a screenshot posted to Instagram, Duff wrote:

We have more details about why it stalled.

Both Hilary Duff and Terri Minsky, the original showrunner of the series, which was fired in January, have spoken out about the reboot's current (halted) status on Disney+. Initially, Duff made a cryptic comment on her own Instagram on Tuesday: The image was a screenshot of an article, "Love, Simon TV Show Pulled From Disney+ as It's Not 'Family-Friendly.'" The subhead reads: "The production about a gay teen will now be airing on Hulu under a new title." Duff captions the photo with, "Sounds familiar..." It's not explicit, but fans took it as a pretty clear reference to her own rebooted show—and, perhaps, a hint at where it may end up eventually. 

Minsky talked to Variety and said, "I am so proud of the two episodes we did." She added,

Variety's sources also provided a little detail into the creative differences. Apparently, Disney+ originally signed off on Minsky's idea to have the series be about an adult Duff (more on that below), then pivoted to ask that it be made more family-friendly, like the original. And Duff is reportedly not happy that Minsky's been fired. 

Here's Duff's sneaky Instagram story:

The plot thickens...

Why did production stop?

Don't start putting up all your Lizzie memorabilia yet! The show is coming, but it may look a little bit different than what you were expecting.

According to Variety, the OG creator of one of our favorite childhood shows, Terri Minsky, is stepping down as showrunner of the upcoming series.

"Fans have a sentimental attachment to Lizzie McGuire and high expectations for a new series," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. "After filming two episodes, we concluded that we need to move in a different creative direction and are putting a new lens on the series."

So while it's unsure where the show could go next, it's still coming. A new showrunner has yet to be named, and therefore production has stopped during the transition. It's perfect timing, really, because newly married Hilary Duff is on her honeymoon with her husband, Matthew Koma.

We have the first clip!

Okay, it's super-short, but it's our first actual clip from the new series. It's at the very end of this Disney+ promo, which features all the different kinds of content that'll hit the platform in 2020 (meaning we can expect it this year!). We see Duff as Lizzie, grinning widely and saying breathlessly, "It's me."

When is the release date?

Details about the premiere of the new Lizzie McGuire reboot are still scarce. The only thing we knew for sure about the reboot's premiere date is that it would be sometime after November 12, 2019. The above trailer, too, suggests that it'll be sometime in 2020. The show had only filmed two episodes before Minsky stepped down, so the premiere date will probably be pushed back now.

Where can you watch it?

The reason we can say with total certainty that the Lizzie McGuire reboot won't premiere until after November 12, 2019, is that it's set to air on Disney's highly-anticipated new streaming platform, Disney+, the company announced on Twitter.

"Hey now, hey now, this is REALLY what dreams are made of. @HilaryDuff IS BACK AS LIZZIE MCGUIRE in an all-new series, coming soon to #DisneyPlus," Disney wrote.

Hilary Duff took the stage at Disney's annual content convention, D23, with veteran Disney Channel director Kenny Ortega to officially announce the series on Friday, August 23 and the actress also posted about the new series on Instagram, where she confirmed that The Lizzie McGuire Movie would also be available on Disney+.

What's the cast like?

Speaking of Hilary Duff, it's not really a surprise that she's returning to her iconic tween role, is it? She's been dropping hints about the reboot since late 2018, and she's officially signed on to reprise her role as Lizzie in the reboot.

"SURPRISE!!! I’ve been trying to contain this excitement for a loooong time while this has been in the works! I am beyond excited to be home again, back with my girl ♥️...and into her 30’s," she wrote on Instagram in her announcement of the news. "Also, If you needed yet another reason to get Disney+ ....the #lizziemcguiremovie will be living there!"

There's no word yet on which exactly other members of the original cast will reprise their roles in the new series. Still, we're definitely hoping to see Lalaine and Adam Lamberg, who played Lizzie's BFFs, Miranda and Gordo, on the series—and it sounds like those hopes might come true.

After the D23 announcement, Hilary spoke to Entertainment Weekly about some additional details about the show—and the actress dropped in a little tease about other OG cast members signing on for the series. 

"The whole cast is such a big part of the show, and we have a lot of surprises in store for viewers," she teased.

During an interview with E! News at Love Leo Rescue in November 2019, Hilary was asked about two of the most iconic men from Lizzie's preteen life: Her BFF/eventual love interest Gordo and her longtime crush, Ethan Craft.

When it came to the official word on Gordo, she was coy and said she "can't give away too much."

The actress was more forthcoming in discussing modern-day Ethan, though—and even teased a possible romance (or at least continued attraction) between him and Lizzie.

"He is hot. He's very hot," she said. "I'm pretty sure there's going to be, there's going to be a thing."

What will the Lizzie McGuire reboot be about? 

Again, there isn't a ton of information just yet. All we really know about the plot of the Lizzie McGuire reboot is that it will follow Lizzie in her 30s. No word yet if she'll be a mom with a tween of her own, a la Girl Meets World, or if the series will be aimed more at adults and follow Lizzie figuring things out as a single, childless millennial (but how great would the latter be?).

During her chat with EW after the D23 announcement, Hilary teased more about what the series will cover.

“Now Lizzie is turning 30,” she said. “She was everybody’s best friend. She was there for such pivotal moments in their preteen life. Entering your 30s is a really big deal. I think – and I think Disney agrees – but I think it’s just the right time for her to step back in and to have her go along with you in your 30s. All of the fun times and all of the big monumental moments that you’re faced with, I just thought that was such opportunity there for her to be grown up and for her to be there for women again."

She added that revisiting the iconic character is daunting.

"I’m not going to lie, I’m a little intimidated," Hilary added. "I’m like, ‘Where is she in there?’ She is in there. She is me. When I was 13, shooting the show, it was such a big part of me. I really just brought to the table myself, and so I just have to tap into that and be really authentic. Our lives are very different. She’s not a mother, I’m already a mother, but I think that’s what’s exciting, to step into someone’s world that looks a little different than yours."

She added, however, that she "can’t wait for her adventures, her heartbreak and to see her goals and to see what she’s done. There’s a lot of questions that need answering and a lot of new things on the horizon for her. She has a few really cool quirks, and her job is really cool, but she still hasn’t totally found her way, and that’s going to be part of the journey."

During her talk with E! News at Love Leo Rescue, Hilary teased more details about what the reboot will focus on and where her iconic character, Lizzie, is now.

"It's been fun to find the new version of [Lizzie]. She's a little less frantic and a little more confident. She has some years of life under her belt. There's that relatability that I think that everyone loves in her," she said. "She is going to be coming across some challenges that the show is gonna serve up and a lot of what people want to see or the answers to questions that they never got."

In the same interview, the actress confirmed that Lizzie is living in New York City and working for a very well-known interior designer as an assistant.

"She has an awesome boyfriend, and they've been together for two years, so everything's looking pretty promising for her," Hilary said.

We'll update this post as more information about the Lizzie McGuire reboot becomes available.

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• Taylor Swift confirmed Joe Alwyn co-wrote two songs on folklore, her eighth studio album, in her new Disney+ film Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions.
• Alwyn was credited under the pseudonym "William Bowery" on the tracks "exile" and "betty."
• "There's been a lot of discussion about William Bowery and his identity, 'cause it's not a real person," Swift said. "William Bowery is Joe, as we know."

Remember back in July, when Taylor Swift dropped her eighth studio album, folklore, and Swifties immediately began to speculate about the potential involvement of her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn? If not, let's recap: When Swift announced the surprise release of the album, she listed the artists she'd collaborated with, calling them her "musical heroes." Those artists were The National's Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver, William Bowery, and Bleachers' Jack Antonoff. Unlike the others, William Bowery has no discography of note—so fans quickly began to suspect the name was a pseudonym for Alwyn.

Well, Swift verified that theory in her new Disney+ film, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, in which she offers an insight into the album's creation and performs an acoustic version of the record. "There's been a lot of discussion about William Bowery and his identity, 'cause it's not a real person," she said, as People reports. "William Bowery is Joe, as we know." Alwyn co-wrote "betty" and "exile" with Swift, she confirmed.

Swift and Alwyn's songwriting partnership began with "betty," she recalled. "I was like, 'Hey, this could be really weird and we could hate this [but] because we're in quarantine and there's nothing else going on, could we just try to write this song together?'" And things, obviously, went pretty well.

"I thought it sounded really good from a masculine perspective and it seemed to be an apology," Swift said. "I've written so many songs from a female's perspective of wanting a male apology that we decided to make it from a teenage boy's perspective apologizing after he loses the love of his life because he's been foolish."

"exile," which features Bon Iver, benefited enormously from Alwyn's prowess on the piano, Swift shared. "Joe plays piano beautifully and he's always just playing and making things up and kinda just creating things," she said. "And 'exile' was crazy because Joe had written the entire piano part."

"He was just singing the whole first verse is and so, I was entranced and asked if we could keep writing that one," she continued. "He has a really low voice, and it sounded real good sung down there." Looks like we can consider "William Bowery" yet another code cracked by the Swifties!