EXCLUSIVE: The House Targaryen has been hit by the pandemic.
HBO has shut down production on Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon due to Covid-19. We’re hearing that the UK shoot has been paused for two days after a positive case in zone A, which includes cast and crew.
Deadline understands that a production member tested positive and in compliance with industry guidelines, will isolate and close contacts are required to quarantine. Production will resume on Wednesday.
House of the Dragon is the latest high-profile production in the UK to have to hit pause due to the pandemic. Deadline revealed that Bridgeton’s second season was shut down for the second time in a week due to a positive case of Covid and Netflix similarly shuttered its feature adaptation of Matilda due to the virus.
While the British government is continuing to push ahead with reopening the country on Monday, the virus is rising in the UK; nearly 52,000 people tested positive for coronavirus in England on Friday, while there were 49 deaths and Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak were forced to go into self-isolation following contact with health secretary Sajid Javid, who tested positive for the coronavirus.
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The straight-to-series fantasy drama from George R.R. Martin, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik started production in April with plans for a 2022 launch.
House of the Dragon stars Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy and Fabien Frankel. Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best and Sonoya Mizuno also feature.
Based on Martin’s Fire & Blood, the series, which is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen. Considine plays King Viserys Targaryen, Cooke stars as Alicent Hightower, D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen and Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, known as the Sea Snake, who becomes Hand to Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen during the Dance of the Dragons.
House of the Dragon was co-created by Martin and Condal. The pilot script that landed the series order was written by Condal. He serves as co-showrunner alongside GoT veteran Miguel Sapochnik, who will direct the pilot and additional episodes. Martin, Condal and Sapochnik executive produce alongside writer Sara Lee Hess, Vince Gerardis and Ron Schmidt. Greg Yaitanes co-executive produces. Yaitanes, Clare Kilner and Geeta V. Patel round out the 10-episode series’ directing team.