As the Dance of the Dragons continues to escalate, House of the Dragon season 3 is preparing to make the war even more devastating. House of the Dragon season 2 ended with Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) finally agreeing to work together to stop Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). As the Blacks and Greens continue their dance, the rest of Westeros is also poised to be drawn into the open fighting. While they do, new characters are going to be joining the already expansive cast.
As the House of the Dragon stars preparing for the Emmy Awards, they reunited for a detailed panel about the show. Showrunner Ryan Condal took the opportunity to offer a major production update, in which he promised that the writing process is largely finished. Filming is scheduled to begin within the next few weeks. Condal also promised that “there are some major new characters” in the fold. Check out his quote below, via Gold Derby:
Condal: [Writing is] essentially done and we start [filming] in a couple of weeks. As the actors embody the characters, it actually becomes much easier to write in a more interesting way, because you get to know everybody really well. For Season 3, there’s much more shape and depth to it right out of the gate, because you’re writing for people you know. There are some major new characters this season, but 85 percent of them, we already knew who they were, and it just makes it much more rewarding to write.
After Condal finished speaking, Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra) also hinted at a major storyline. They described wanting to see Rhaenyra finally appearing in action sequences, then stated “I got what I wanted, folks.” Condal quickly stepped in to stop the actor, emphasizing that “We’re on very, very shaky ground here.“
What This Production Update Means For House Of The Dragon
Rhaenyra Will Likely Be A Warrior
The Game of Thrones spin-off’s third season is still a long ways away. It is not scheduled to be the next release for the franchise on HBO’s calendar. That honor goes to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which will be released in late 2025. House of the Dragon will come after. If season 3 follows the same production schedule as previous seasons, it will likely be released in the summer of 2026. Check out the chart below, which reveals previous seasons’ schedules:
|
House of the Dragon Season |
Filming Begins |
Filming Wraps |
Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
April 2021 |
February 2022 |
August 2022 |
|
2 |
April 2023 |
September 2023 |
June 2024 |
Even aside from the scheduling update, Rhaenyra’s newfound place as a warrior will be a significant change. This season is expected to have more battles, including the long-delayed Battle of the Gullet. Rhaenyra and her dragon, Syrax, will be key to reclaiming King’s Landing from the Green faction. By finally casting Rhaenyra in that role, the show can embrace her place as a warrior queen. This is a direct response to criticisms of the previous season, which saw Rhaenyra consistently arguing against taking her armies to war.
Our Take On D’Arcy’s House Of The Dragon Update
This Is Amazing News
The production update is exciting but not unexpected. A Summer 2026 release was always the estimate. The most significant news is the presence of new characters. Condal promised that most are already known to the audience, which could be a hint that the long-awaited Prince Daeron Targaryen may be joining the fighting. Daeron is the fourth child of Alicent and Viserys (Paddy Considine), but he has not yet appeared in the show, despite references to his existence. Additionally, a greater appearance from the Northern army and other lords and ladies of Westeros are likely possibilities.
If D’arcy truly does get their wish, Rhaenyra will finally be able to take the offensive against the Greens.
The Rhaenyra news is also thrilling. Rhaenyra’s inconsistency throughout season 2 led to an underwhelming showing by her character. Her refusal to enter open war meant that the Black faction spent much of the show standing on the sidelines. If D’arcy truly does get their wish, Rhaenyra will finally be able to take the offensive against the Greens. That would fulfill the promises in House of the Dragon season 2’s ending. It would also make Rhaenyra a far more compelling character.
Source: Gold Derby
House of the Dragon
8/10
- Release Date
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August 21, 2022
- Network
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HBO Max
- Directors
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Miguel Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Alan Taylor, Greg Yaitanes, Geeta Vasant Patel, Andrij Parekh
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Emma D’Arcy
Alicent Hightower
