The AstraX Exchange"Dance of the Dragons" will soon begin.

The next season of the "Game of Thrones" Targaryen spin-off "House of the Dragon" is set to premiere this weekend, bringing with it a civil war that promises to rip the Seven Kingdoms apart in the battle for the Iron Throne.

Picking up where Season 1 left off, the new season will chronicle the war between two warring factions of the Targaryen family led by King Aegon II and Queen Rhaenyra in the fight for control of Westeros.

As GoT fans know, the end result of this dragon versus dragon, kin versus kin war eventually leads to the end of Targaryen rule. But how we got there? That remains to be seen, via some spectacularly dark and explosive storytelling.

Here's what to know about "House of the Dragon" Season 2.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

'House of the Dragon' review:Season 2 is good, bad and very ugly all at once

When does 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 premiere?

"House of the Dragon" Season 2 will premiere at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, June 16.

How to watch 'House of the Dragon' Season 2

"House of the Dragon" airs exclusively on HBO. New episodes air on the HBO television channel each Sunday at 9 a.m. ET/PT. Episodes are available to stream on Max the same day.

Customers can get HBO and Max subscriptions via a traditional online sign-up or through their TV provider. Plans range from $9.99 to $19.99 a month.

'House of the Dragon' episode schedule

House of the Dragon Season 2 will release new episodes every Sunday on HBO and Max. The eight-episode season will begin in June and end in August, with each episode running about an hour.

• Episode 1: Sunday, June 16
• Episode 2: Sunday, June 23
• Episode 3: Sunday, June 30
• Episode 4: Sunday, July 7
• Episode 5: Sunday, July 14
• Episode 6: Sunday, July 21
• Episode 7: Sunday, July 28
• Episode 8: Sunday, August 4

'House of the Dragon' Season 2 trailer

'House of the Dragon' Season 2 cast

New arrivals will join the returning cast in the coming season. Returning cast members include:

• Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen 
• Olivia Cooke as adult Alicent Hightower
• Emma D’Arcy as adult Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen
• Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
• Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole
• Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
• Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon Targaryen
• Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria 
• Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower 
• Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon
• Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen
• Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen
• Phia Saban as Halaena Targaryen
• Jefferson Hall as Tyland and Jason Lannister
• Matthew Needham as Larys Strong

New characters and new actors will also be introduced this season, including:

• Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull
• Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome
• Kieran Bew as Hugh
• Tom Bennett as Ulf
• Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark
• Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne
• Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull
• Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers
• Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower
• Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong

What happened in 'House of the Dragon' Season 1?

Like its "Game of Thrones" predecessor, "House of the Dragon" is adapted from a novel by George R.R. Martin titled "Fire & Blood."

Set 200 years before the events of the hit series "Game of Thrones," the series centers around the plight of the Targaryen family who hold the throne under King Viserys I Targaryen.

The prequel begins with exploring the ascent to the throne and rule of King Viserys, an ancestor of GoT's Daenerys Targaryen, and the conflict he creates by declaring his daughter Rhaenyra next in line to the Iron Throne, breaking the male-only tradition.

In the Season 1 finale, Aemond Targaryen (son of King Viserys and Alicent Hightower) killed Lucerys Velaryon (son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen), ushering in the "Dance of the Dragons," a civil war that promises to rip the kingdom in two. The all-out war will be fought by the Greens (led by Alicent and King Aegon II) and the Blacks (headed by Rhaenyra and Daemon) and will see other prominent families, like the Starks, Lannisters and Baratheons, getting in on the action.