House of the Dragon Season 3 Filming Complete, Epic Battles Expected in 2026

House of the Dragon

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The dragons have settled, and the cameras have stopped rolling. Filming for the third season of HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon‘ has officially come to a close, moving the Targaryen civil war one step closer to its fiery return to television. The production team celebrated the wrap on October 11, 2025, after approximately six months of shooting. The show is now deep into the post-production phase, where visual effects teams will bring its legendary dragons to life. Fans can expect a teaser trailer by December 2025, with a full trailer likely in early 2026, leading to a premiere in June 2026.

The Long Road to Season 3

The schedule for ‘House of the Dragon’ continues its established pattern, with a two-year gap between seasons. Season 1 premiered in 2022, followed by Season 2 in the summer of 2024. The third season is now following the same timeline, aiming for a summer 2026 release. This extended production time is attributed to the significant post-production work required for the show’s complex visual effects, particularly its large-scale dragon battles.

HBO’s programming strategy means that while waiting for ‘House of the Dragon’, fans will be treated to another story from Westeros. The new prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight’, is scheduled to debut on January 18, 2026. This series will adapt George R.R. Martin’s ‘Dunk and Egg’ tales, offering a different perspective on the world of Game of Thrones.

What to Expect in the New Season

Season 3 is set to continue the brutal Targaryen civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons, between Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen’s Blacks and King Aegon II Targaryen’s Greens. Like the previous season, the new chapter will consist of eight episodes, promising a concentrated story of war, political betrayal, and dragon fire.

Showrunner Ryan Condal has teased that the season will begin with one of the most significant conflicts from the books: the Battle of the Gullet. This massive naval battle will feature the Velaryon fleet and is expected to be a major spectacle, combining action at sea, on land, and in the air with dragon combat. Condal promised a “conceptual” episode that weaves these different battlefronts into a single, jaw-dropping hour of television. The production also filmed scenes in North Wales and Surrey, with leaks pointing to large-scale green screen setups and aerial stunt rigs used for these epic dragon battles.

New Faces and Returning Favorites

The cast for the new season includes a mix of beloved returning characters and key new additions. The main players from both the Black and Green factions are confirmed to return. This includes Emma Dโ€™Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, and Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen, among many others.

They will be joined by several new actors playing pivotal roles. The new cast members include:

  • Tom Cullen as the formidable knight Ser Luthor Largent.
  • Joplin Sibtain as Ser “Bold” Jon Roxton.
  • Barry Sloane as Ser Adrian Redfort.
  • Annie Shapero as Alysanne Blackwood.

These new characters are expected to bring fresh dynamics and alliances to the ongoing war, further complicating the fight for the Iron Throne.

Behind the Scenes of a Big Production

The production for Season 3 was a massive undertaking, primarily located in the United Kingdom. Key filming took place at Leavesden Studios in Surrey, famous for its large-scale soundstages and green-screen facilities. Exterior filming also occurred in North Wales, where the dramatic landscapes stood in for the Riverlands, a key region in the coming conflicts. Unlike some previous seasons, the production did not film in Spain for the third season.

The physical scale of the show was immense, with reports of over 300 crew members working on everything from detailed practical sets to elaborate battle reenactments. Actors were often lifted on cranes to simulate the sensation of flying on dragons. Olivia Cooke, who plays Queen Alicent, described the experience as “exhausting but epic,” highlighting the intense effort required to bring the fantasy world to life.

With filming complete, the focus is now on post-production, a process expected to take about eight months. This phase involves adding complex computer-generated imagery for the dragons, composing the musical score, and final editing to prepare the season for its summer 2026 debut on HBO and the streaming platform Max.

Also Read: House of the Dragon Season 3 Cast Updates: 22 Stars Return, 7 New Faces Join, and 4 Exit