House of the Dragon season 3 begins filming as two important new characters join cast

It's official: HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon has begun filming on its third season. Last week we reported that Ryan Condal said on his podcast The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of that, "We are approaching the imminent launch of season 3, so it's full madness." He added that Daylight Savings time in England would happen "[j]ust before production starts." Since he previously said filming would get underway in March, that led us and many other fans to deduce that it would begin today, March 31. And it appears the tea leaves told it true.

We've had plenty of signs that filming was about to begin over the past few weeks. For example, we've seen images from Leavesden Studios of sets for the Battle of the Gullet and the city of Tumbleton. The show has been searching for physically fit sailors to serve as extras, presumably for the naval clash at the Gullet. And of course, the cast has shared pictures from their first table read for the season.

And now, we finally have confirmation that filming is underway! Here's Emma D'Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen, sharing the good news:

"House of the Dragon is back in production. Here we are on day one of season 3. Action," D'Arcy says, before snapping a clapboard. Interestingly, this clapboard reads that it's for scene 1, take 1...for Episode 303. It's not uncommon for shows to film scenes out of chronological order, but I'm obviously curious about which scene the show is using for this inaugural filming day of the season. The episode is directed by Clare Kilner.

And that's not all! Entertainment Weekly got the scoop on some exciting new casting announcements for season 3, including a character I've been waiting to hear about since the early days of the series.

Tommy Flanagan plays Roddy the Ruin in House of the Dragon season 3

As EW reveals, House of the Dragon has cast Tommy Flanagan as Ser Roderick Dustin, the aging lord of House Dustin known as "Roddy the Ruin," and Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly, a knight of House Manderly of White Harbor. Both of these characters hail from the north; Roddy especially is a very important character in Fire & Blood, the book on which House of the Dragon is based. “I would like to say we've brought some northern spirit into our southern base tale here,” Condal told EW.

Condal is clearly excited about Roderick, as he should be; Roddy the Ruin is a great character, and it's going to be great to see him onscreen at last. “I don't want to say much because I think this is one of those truly memorable Game of Thrones characters, and I'm very excited to bring him into the fold,” Condal said. “But he is a fixture in Fire & Blood, and I think he's one of those true fan favorites. I'm very, very proud of the role that we've written.” 

In the books, Roddy serves as the commander of the Winter Wolves, an army of old graybeards from the north 2,000 strong who march south to serve Queen Rhaenyra. The Winter Wolves are a cool element of the story because they're far from a traditional army; part of the reason that they march to war is because they're old and their absence will lessen the burdens on their families in the winter, whereas the younger men are still needed at home. The Winter Wolves treat their journey south as a one way trip, with no expectations of surviving. That makes for a compelling group, with Roddy the Ruin at their head.

Flanagan has been in a number of acclaimed shows and movies over the years, including Sons of Anarchy, Gladiator, and Braveheart. He's a great choice for the part. Condal says it's a “a delight and a thrill,” to have him join House of the Dragon. "I'm so excited to see what he's going to do with the character.”

Dan Fogler plays Ser Torrhen Manderly in House of the Dragon season 3

The other casting we got today is Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly. Fogler is best known for appearances in the Fantastic Beasts movies, as well as his time on The Walking Dead. Ser Torrhen is the second son of Lord Desmond Manderly, the ruler of White Harbor. White Harbor hasn't appeared much in either Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon yet, but it's an extremely important northern city, its most prominent port and one of the wealthiest holdings in the region.

Condal didn't say anything about Torrhen Manderly at the time of the casting announcement, but he's an interesting figure in the Dance of the Dragons. SPOILERS AHEAD...around halfway through the Dance, Lord Desmond sends Torrhen and his brother Ser Medrick south to aid Rhaenyra. They end up doing their best to help her hold King's Landing after she takes it back from the Greens, and have some strong feelings about the Dragonseeds — the bastards Rhaenyra elevated as draongriders. Torrhen hangs around in the tale for quite a long time, and has a future role to play in the aftermath of the conflict as well. Obviously we don't know how House of the Dragon will wrap up the story in season 4, but I'd expect Fogler and Ser Torrhen to stick around for the long haul.

Production on House of the Dragon season 3 is officially underway! We'll have our ear to the ground for more updates as filming picks up momentum. Expect it to premiere sometime in 2026.

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