House of the Dragon returns to Spain with a bang. First we’ll share some of the spoiler-free set preparations and filming schedule, and we’ll finish with the big news for those who have read Fire and Blood or don’t care about spoilers, as the HBO production is preparing to film what appear to be the fallout to two of the most shocking events we’re probably going to see in season two.
According to local press, we are not supposed to see any filming today—only rehearsals. Cameras start rolling in Spain tomorrow—not in Cáceres but in the nearby town of Trujillo, which we already saw in season one.
As you can see, Plaza Mayor is already being transformed into busy a marketplace, just as it was in the series premiere “Heirs of the Dragon” as the royal carriage carrying young Rhaenyra and Alicent passed through the Street of the Sisters:
After a two-day shoot in Trujillo, most of the filming will take place in Cáceres, from this Sunday to next Thursday. Several locations we’ve seen before in Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon will make an appearance, most prominently Plaza San Jorge, the square at the bottom of the Grand (not yet the Great) Sept where Otto’s and Alicent’s men fought for control of their puppet king-to-be, Aegon.
Rumors abound regarding which cast members will be involved during this shoot. Chief amongst them are Olivia Cooke and Emma’Darcy, who play Queen Alicent Hightower and Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen respectively. Even if one hasn’t read Fire and Blood, considering how last season ended it should seem strange to everyone that the two characters would meet again any time soon, let alone in public in the streets of King’s Landing, so there may be something fishy going on here.
Other actors said to be involved in the Spanish shoot are Fabien Frankel, who plays Ser Criston Cole, and Freddie Fox, who was cast to play Ser Gwayne Hightower, brother to Cooke’s Alicent and son of Ser Otto, Hand of the King. Ser Gwayne was briefly played by an unidentified helmeted actor for the royal tourney in the series premiere, but he’ll be an actual character going forward.
As per usual, local fan Javi Borrega, Heisenberg on Twitter, was there to share his photos of the set preparations and rehearsals with all of us:
SPOILERS FOR FIRE & BLOOD AND SEASON 2 FROM HERE ON OUT:
Those Hightower knights and the royal carriage are likely drawing your attention, but I’d like to redirect it to that bloodied cart… which is carrying something quite big. It could mean a number of things, of course, but for those who are well-acquainted with the source material it strongly suggests they’ll be filming the return of the Green troops to King’s Landing after a key battle at Rook’s Rest, with a certain trophy on their cart. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case, but that certainly fits within the events the show is likely to adapt this season.
Thanks to our friends at Spanish fansite Los Siete Reinos, we’ve also learned that a funeral procession will be filmed on the streets of Cáceres: that of prince Jaehaerys, murdered at the hands of the assassins dubbed ‘Blood’ and ‘Cheese’.
If we’re correct about that bloody cart, the next few days of filming in Cáceres will be all about the aftermath to not one but two of the most shocking events we’re likely to see in season two. Not a bad way to start on-location filming!
