‘House of the Dragon’ showrunner confirms ‘major new characters’ for Season 3, filming ‘in a couple of weeks’
House of the Dragon roared onto the Emmys FYC scene on Thursday with a supersized panel featuring several fan-favorite stars from the HBO fantasy drama. The informative Q&A was held at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center following a screening of Episode 204, "The Red Dragon and the Gold." While the discussion mostly centered around Season 2, which is eligible at the upcoming 2025 Emmys, there were also several hints about Season 3.
The panelists were Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen), Emma D'Arcy (Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Queen Alicent Hightower), Steve Toussaint (Lord Corlys Valeryon), Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole), Tom Glynn-Carney (King Aegon II Targaryen), Ewan Mitchell (Prince Aemond Targaryen), Sara Hess (executive producer and writer), and Ryan Condal (co-creator and executive producer), moderated by Josh Horowitz.
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The writing for Season 3 is "essentially done and we start [filming] in a couple of weeks," Condal confirmed. "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," as opposed to in Season 1 when he didn't yet know the actors. The showrunner added, "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."
When D'Arcy was asked about their desire to have Rhaenyra experience more action and wield a weapon in Season 3, they teased, "I got what I wanted, folks."
That's when Condal nervously interrupted, "We're on very, very shaky ground here." He later informed the audience about some things they can look forward to in Season 3, including the fact that "the goat is back."
The House of the Dragon boss continued, "Season 2 is huge. Season 3 is huger, in many ways. There are, by my quick count on stage, four major events from the book that we get to adapt and realize in three dimensions in this season. That's really exciting on a scope-and-scale perspective, and I think it's the thing the show does really well. The things that we're building are mind-boggling. But what I'm most excited about from a dramatic perspective is that we got to have a little fun this season, and there's a conceptual episode, meaning that it isn't in the traditional vernacular of what we've laid out as the structure of a House of the Dragon episode. It's very character-driven, and I think it's really great and I'm really excited to see it rendered."
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Cooke said that the relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra is "amazing and really beautiful." She noted, "I've never been part of a character and something that takes on a mythology of its own. I think that's really gorgeous, and I love how embracing a lot of people have been for our characters. Because, I mean, Alicent's tricky. It's been gorgeous to play with the intricacies and just how layered and hard and sticky the relationship is now, especially in Season 2, but also at the deep relief and comfort they still find in each other. It's beautiful writing and really gorgeous to play that. And it's so few and far between, because Emma and I barely saw each other last season. We'd have stolen moments in the car park, and that was about it."
D'Arcy said, "I think Rhaenyra kind of exists between two poles — [Daemon and Alicent] — and it was a challenge to go into a season where neither of those poles are easily accessible. You're aware of a broader pressure on the scene and you know that it has to deliver on a certain level. The show tries to deliver dramatic scale within small spaces, and so that's a challenge. But I also cherish those scenes, so there's personal stakes there, too."
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Referencing the scene where Daemon bent the knee to Rhaenyra, Smith recalled, "I just love being around Emma. I think we look forward to those moments, right? Not to speak on behalf of you, but yeah, I really missed them actually this season, I have to say. When we're back together, it was good." The only thing Smith doesn't like to be around? Daemon's wig. The actor joked that he's trying to grow out his own hair so he doesn't have to wear the long, blond wig anymore.
One of Hess's favorite things about House of the Dragon is how writers can switch between spectacle and intimate scenes, particularly in the Season 2 finale. As she explained, "We wanted it to be like, this war is boiling, and these armies are marching, and men with swords and spears ... But really, the most consequential thing that happens is these two women meeting in a room and hashing their personal sh-- out, in a way that is going to be incredibly consequential later on."
Also in the Q&A, Toussaint admitted he was shocked to learn his character had children, Frankel confessed that it can take 45 minutes to remove his suit of armor, Glynn-Carney laughed about the leaf blowers used on the dragon riders, and Mitchell agreed that Aemond likely sees himself as the hero of the story.
Set two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones, HBO's House of the Dragon is based on George R. R. Martin's 2018 novel Fire & Blood, and focuses on the warring Targaryen family in their never-ending quest to claim the Iron Throne. Season 2 found Queen Rhaenyra preparing her army of dragon-riders, while Queen Alicent began to question the origins of the war. The release date for Season 3 has not yet been announced.
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