As the eagerly anticipated Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” nears its premiere, the team behind this popular “Game of Thrones” prequel has faced significant challenges.
The initial stages of production coincided with major strikes from the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild, halting many projects across the industry. However, the “House of the Dragon” crew, primarily based in London’s Leavesden Studios, continued working due to their contracts with the U.K. ‘s Equity, which shielded them from the U.S. strikes.
“It was rough. It felt real s–tty, I’m not going to lie,” shared Sara Hess, the show’s lead writer, with Entertainment Weekly. Despite the difficulties, the writing team stayed on track, with the Writers Guild of America permitting Hess and showrunner Ryan Condal to continue in their producing roles.
“We were prepared for it,” Condal explained. “The writing really was done. You cannot prep a show that is this complex [otherwise].” The production’s intricate schedule involves shooting two feature-length units daily, requiring finalized scripts well in advance.
Hess experienced personal challenges, balancing picket lines in Los Angeles and production meetings in London. “I was on the picket line [in Los Angeles], and then I go back [to London] and we’re allowed to work as producers. It didn’t feel great,” she admitted. The show’s SAG-affiliated actors faced similar conflicts, but SAG-AFTRA ultimately urged them to honor their Equity contracts.
“We had this very, very surreal experience of everything was in flames and everyone was breaking down, and over in England it was just kind of normal,” Hess reflected on the contrasting situations.
Despite these hurdles, “House of the Dragon” remains on track for its June 16 premiere on HBO and Max.
