House of the Dragon season 3 is spending a lot of time in the Vale of Arryn and its capital the Eyrie — an iconic location that Game of Thrones left behind after season 6. The set designers and producers made this setting feel fresh and exciting for the prequel without losing all sense of continuity, and now we know why. In a new behind-the-scenes featurette, the show's crew broke down the recreation of the Eyrie for this era in Westeros. It turns out many of the key creators had worked on the Eyrie in Game of Thrones, then returned for House of the Dragon as well.
According to showrunner Ryan Condal, the Eyrie is only the second major set that House of the Dragon has rebuilt from Game of Thrones — the other being the Red Keep at King's Landing. The House That Dragons Built interviewed camera operator Sean Savage, who had shot some iconic scenes in the Eyrie for Game of Thrones, including the fateful confrontation between Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie). He said it was "lovely" to return to the set after more than a decade, even if it was challenging.
Production designer Jim Clay spoke at length about reconstructing from its previous design and deciding what to keep and what to change. Clay pointed out the slightly altered color palette meant to show the passage of time, while things like the Moon Door remained the same. Meanwhile, prop master Lee Wiseman narrated the recreation of the unique weirwood throne. He said that Gavin Jones had created the throne for Game of Thrones last time, and he did it over again for House of the Dragon, now as a supervising prop modeler.
House of the Dragon makes the Vale feel more fantastical
This featurette highlights all the love and care that went into recreating the Eyrie and the Vale, including the things that changed and the things that stayed the same. In many ways, House of the Dragon has an incredible chance to do justice to the Vale where Game of Thrones could not. This mountainous kingdom is one of the most fantastical settings in Westeros, and the perilous journey to the Eyrie in George R.R. Martin's novels is unforgettable. However, in the early seasons of Game of Thrones, the budget limited the chance for aerial shots and sweeping vistas.
Now that a wild dragon is roosting in the Mountains of the Moon, we can see how alien and isolated these mountaintops really are. Of course, we're also seeing how dangerous the setting is — even for dragonriders. The natural aspect of the mountains is breathtaking, and it has carried over to the man-made setting as well. House of the Dragon depicts a more vibrant court in the Eyrie, in an era with a shrewd, capable ruler held control.
Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) is a fascinating character in Martin's Fire & Blood, and her TV counterpart does not disappoint. The scene where she and Daemon (Matt Smith) haggle in her throne room was a worthy return to the Eyrie, and it looks like we'll be back there in the upcoming episode as well. Despite all the show's changes to the storylines in the Vale, there's still plenty for one of the only prominent female rulers in Westeros to do.
House of the Dragon continues on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. Martin's books are available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.
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