Why House of the Dragon season 2 will still film amid the SAG-AFTRA strike
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The actors of the SAG-AFTRA labor organization officially voted on Thursday to strike over fair wages and the use of A.I. technology in Hollywood. However, this will not affect one of the industry's biggest productions, House of the Dragon, at this point in time.
Season 2 — which is currently filming — will proceed as planned, EW has learned. If you're curious to know why, it's because of local regulations in the United Kingdom, where the show is partly being shot, compared to United States regulations.
The Game of Thrones prequel series is a contract production with Equity, the labor group for actors in the U.K. The union released a statement on Thursday in solidarity with its U.S. cousin, stating, they "will support SAG-AFTRA and its members by all lawful means," but that doesn't necessarily mean that the likes of House of the Dragon lead actors Emma D'Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, and Steve Toussaint will be walking off set.
Ollie Upton / HBO Emma D'Arcy and Rhys Ifans on 'House of the Dragon'
"Industrial relations legislation in the United Kingdom is draconian, and often viewed as the most restrictive in the Western world," Paul W. Fleming, the General Secretary of Equity, said in a statement released to its members after SAG-AFTRA's strike announcement. "The convoluted and pernicious hurdles faced by all unions in the United Kingdom are a national disgrace and need urgent reform. The regrettable consequence of this framework is that what artists working in the United Kingdom — whether SAG-AFTRA and/or Equity members (or both) — can do, may be different from their comrades in the United States and other parts of the world."
"We have been advised by SAG-AFTRA that its strike is lawful according to United States law but we have been advised by our U.K. lawyers that it is not lawful under United Kingdom law," Fleming says in a separate portion of his statement. "Consequently, a performer joining the strike (or refusing to cross a picket line) in the U.K. will have no protection against being dismissed or sued for breach of contract by the producer or the engager. Likewise, if Equity encourages anyone to join the strike or not cross a picket line, Equity itself will be acting unlawfully and hence liable for damages or an injunction."
Fleming makes clear that Equity "stands full square behind our sister union in their claim, and the action their Board have agreed to take," and that the union will be "organizing demonstrations, rallies, and protests in the coming days and weeks to show our solidarity with our sister union and their fight."
The other Game of Thrones spin-off in the works, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, is a different animal as it hasn't started production. George R.R. Martin announced at the top of May that the show would close its writers' room for the duration of the Hollywood writers' strike from the Writers Guild of America.
HBO Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen
Created by series showrunner Ryan Condal and Martin, House of the Dragon season 1 laid the groundwork for the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war within the Targaryen empire in Westeros that takes place hundreds of years before the events of HBO's Game of Thrones.
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (D'Arcy) was chosen by her father, King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) to succeed him on the Iron Throne. Upon his death, however, the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower (Ifans), and his conspirators stole the crown for his grandson, Rhaenyra's step-brother, Prince Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney).
Major players in the events to come include Prince Daemon Targaryen (Smith), dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Cooke), Lord Corlys Velaryon (Toussaint), Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), Queen Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), Prince Jace Velaryon (Harry Collett), and princesses Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell).
New additions to the season 2 cast include Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, the Castellan of Harrenhal; Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, son of Otto; Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, a healer and resident of Harrenhal; and Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, one of the most famous Velaryons.
Season 1 of the series received eight Emmy nominations from the Television Academy on Wednesday, including one for Outstanding Drama Series.
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