House of the Dragon Season 2 Set Photos Tease Major Battle as Production Nears Finish

Production on Season 2 of HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon is getting close to completion and now, new set photos tease a major battle as work comes to a close. The new images were shared by Redanian Intelligence on social media and depicted a fiery scene being filmed in Bourne Woods, Surrey. According to the outlet, the work was to finish what was left to film for the Battle at Rook’s Rest for episode 4 of the upcoming season.

According to the report, the filming shown in these photos marks the end of location shoots for House of the Dragon Season 2. The series still has a little bit of filming left overall but is expected to be complete in about a month. House of the Dragon is expected to return for its second season in 2024.

What is the Battle at Rook’s Rest?

In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the Battle at Rook’s Rest is a major one where Ser Criston Cole, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard for King Aegon II Targaryen marches an army to the castle of Rook’s Rest. Lord Staunton, who holds Rook’s Rest, is not loyal to Aegon but to Rhaenyra and appeals to her for help. What results is a battle between the forces — including dragonriders on both sides.

How Was House of The Dragon Able to Continue Production Despite the SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strikes?

The series is able to continue filming in the U.K. as its actors — who are also from the U.K. — are working under contract with a local union, Equity. The series also reportedly had completed scripts for the season ready ahead of the WGA strike.

“The second season of House of the Dragon started filming April 11 and will continue in London and Wales,” franchise creator George R.R. Martin previously revealed. “The scripts for the eight S2 episodes were all finished months ago, long before the strike began. Every episode has gone through four or five drafts and numerous rounds of revisions, to address HBO notes, my notes, budget concerns, etc. There will be no further revisions. The writers have done their jobs; the rest is in the hands of the directors, cast and crew… and of course the dragons.”

“I’m excited to pick up where we left off,” showrunner Ryan Condal said in a recent interview. “Now we get to fall into the more traditional rhythms of storytelling and Game of Thrones. We’ve always talked about this particular tale, George [R.R. Martin] has too, of being a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy. This series is very much about a house tearing itself apart from within. Now that all those pieces have been set on the board, I’m really excited to tell the next chapter, to see what happens now that Viserys is gone and no longer keeping a lid on things.”

What do you think about this latest update about House of the Dragon Season 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!