Here’s a fun blast from the past: TV and movie sets are getting shut down thanks to the coronavirus, especially in England, where the virus is currently making a comeback. Series and movies affected include Netflix’s Matilda, the next season of Bridgerton, and HBO’s Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon, according to Deadline.
Although granted, House of the Dragon won’t be shut down for very long. A member of the production team tested positive for the coronavirus the other day. They will isolate in accordance with industry guidelines, and the set will close down until Wednesday.
Still, I think there was a perception that the days when the virus was closing down sets en masse were over, but that’s not the case. The pandemic is still very much ongoing, particularly in the United Kingdom where House of the Dragon does the bulk of its filming. Nearly 52,000 people tested positive this past Friday, there were 49 deaths, and both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak had to self-isolate after health secretary Sajid Javid tested positive. Nonetheless, the British government is going forward with plans to reopen the country.
House of the Dragon set closed because of the coronavirus
House of the Dragon is still likely on track to premiere in 2022. The series is set over 100 years before Game of Thrones, back when the Targaryens were at the height of their power. After a succession crisis forces members to choose sides, different factions of the family fight each other in a bloody conflict known as the Dance of the Dragons.
All the signs look good, and we can’t wait to see Westeros back when it was full of dragons. I hope England gets the virus under control soon.
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