Is The Game Of Thrones Spin-Off House Of The Dragon Finally Getting Off The Ground?
Since the end of "Game of Thrones" in 2019, the focus has largely shifted to whether any of the rumored spin-off series will eventually make it to HBO. Now, rumors suggest that production may be starting on "House of the Dragon," a spin-off series set in the past and focused on the Targaryen family.
The rumors come largely from Watchers on the Wall, who speculate that Warner Bros. trucks sighted in the Cornwall area of England may be the beginning of pre-production on the series, which is slated to be released in 2022. Warner Bros., which owns HBO, could be filming an unrelated property in the area, but there are some signs that suggest that "House of the Dragon" is the project in question.
Watchers on the Wall reports, based on information from Cornwall Live, that an archway is being built in the area which bears what might be the sigil of House Velaryon, one of the houses that was most staunchly allied with the Targaryen family.
"House of the Dragon" is set to focus on the conflict known as the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war that broke out among the Targaryens about who would ascend to the throne. The Velaryons, who are no longer around by the time of "Game of Thrones," played a prominent role in that conflict.
Filming was being done on St. Michael's Mount
The Warner Bros. production is apparently filming on St. Michael's Mount, a tidal island that has castles that date back to the 12th century (via Watchers on the Wall). The fact that it's a tidal island may be significant, though, because that means that the island is only accessible during low tide. At high tide, the roads become unusable.
That matters because, as Watchers on the Wall notes, the castle of House Velaryon at the time of the Dance of the Dragons was known as High Tide, which seems to further suggest that the series is using the location as the home for the house.
None of these filming rumors have been officially confirmed yet, but the coincidences have begun to pile up, and they are pointing toward "House of the Dragon" finally getting off the ground. Given the planned air date for the series in 2022, filming would have to begin in the near future.
Another castle is also being prepared for some kind of filming
In addition to the castle that may or may not become High Tide in "House of the Dragon," there's also another castle in Cornwall that's being prepped for filming. A local business tweeted a picture of Restormel Castle saying that it was closed for "fairy tale" filming (via Watchers on the Wall).
It's unclear whether "fairy tale" is code for "Game of Thrones" or for another project that may be more closely related to fairy tales, but the timing is certainly suspicious. At the moment, there's nothing to do but speculate. Until Warner Bros. makes an official announcement that the show has begun filming, the public won't know for sure whether it actually is.
Whenever "House of the Dragon" hits HBO, though, anticipation for it is likely to be high. Although plenty of people hated the ending of "Game of Thrones," it remains one of the most popular series of the modern TV era.