‘House of the Dragon’ Cast and Creators Tease an All-Out War Ahead in Season 3 at ATX TV Festival

War has officially arrived in Westeros.

During the “HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: Season 3 First Look” panel presented by HBO Max at ATX TV Festival, showrunner Ryan Condal joined cast members Steve Toussaint, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia and Abubakar Salim to preview what fans can expect from Season 3 of House of the Dragon.

The panel featured discussions about the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet, the escalating civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons and the enormous technical undertaking required to bring one of the biggest battles in Westerosi history to television. Attendees also received an exclusive first look at never-before-seen footage from the upcoming season ahead of the show’s return later this month on HBO and HBO Max.

Where Does Season 3 Pick Up After Season 2?

Condal explained that the first two seasons were designed to carefully build toward the full-scale war audiences are about to see unfold.

According to Condal, Season 1 focused heavily on establishing the complicated Targaryen family dynamics and the generational tensions that ultimately sparked the conflict between rival factions. Because of the number of major characters and timeline shifts, the creative team wanted viewers to fully understand the emotional and political foundations of the feud before launching into all-out war.

He described Season 2 as a prolonged buildup in which both sides hesitated to make the first devastating move because dragons function as the equivalent of nuclear weapons within the world of Westeros. While the war technically began during Season 2, Condal said the fear of unleashing total destruction created a tense standoff that finally breaks apart in Season 3.

How Big Is the Battle of the Gullet?

Condal repeatedly emphasized the massive scale of the Battle of the Gullet, describing it as one of the most ambitious productions the franchise has ever attempted.

From a storytelling perspective, he called the battle a defining turning point in the Dance of the Dragons, explaining that events before and after the battle fundamentally reshaped the course of the war and the future of the Targaryen dynasty.

Condal said the sequence immediately stood out to him when he first read George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood” in 2018 because of its enormous emotional and historical significance within the story. He described it as the bloodiest naval battle in the recorded history of Westeros and said its consequences ripple throughout the rest of the conflict.

From a production standpoint, Condal praised the cast and crew for executing what he described as one of the largest television sequences ever attempted. He encouraged fans to watch the behind-the-scenes documentary series “The House That Dragons Built” to better understand the practical engineering and filmmaking challenges involved.

Much of the battle was filmed practically using large-scale ship builds, water tanks and moving gimbals designed to simulate naval combat. Condal explained that the production required extensive coordination to stage medieval-style warfare at sea, where ships must come into close contact for combat because there are no cannons or gunpowder weapons in Westeros.

How Much Did the Cast Know About the Battle Ahead of Time?

Several cast members shared their reactions to learning when and how the Battle of the Gullet would appear in the series.

Toussaint admitted he had not read “Fire & Blood,” so many of the story developments came as surprises during production. He recalled initially believing the battle scenes would be filmed on location near the ocean before eventually learning much of the sequence would take place on studio backlots and constructed sets instead.

He also noted that the creative team described his character’s arc as the gradual stripping away of everything he values.

Salim, who had read the book beforehand, said his biggest concern was figuring out how the production team could realistically achieve the scale required for the battle. After seeing the process unfold, however, he said he was impressed by how successfully the crew brought the sequence to life for television.

Collett said reading the scripts gave him an understanding of what would happen narratively, but seeing the practical sets and temporary visual effects during filming helped him realize just how ambitious the production truly was.

Antonia shared that her excitement came from seeing her character Baela receive a larger role in events that are only loosely detailed in the source material. She said it was exciting to discover how the writers expanded the character’s involvement within the battle storyline.

Condal later added that the scale of the production rivals even some of the largest sequences created during the final seasons of Game of Thrones.

What Makes This Ensemble Cast So Important to the Show?

Condal also praised the ensemble cast and reflected on the challenge of balancing such a large number of major point-of-view characters throughout the series.

He explained that Season 2 alone featured 19 major perspective characters whose individual emotional journeys needed to be tracked throughout the story. Condal compared the cast to a “garage full of Ferraris,” saying each performer brings a unique energy and emotional depth to the material.

According to Condal, the actors elevate the scripts by transforming the written material into emotionally resonant performances that ground the fantasy spectacle in believable human conflict.

The cast members also discussed the unique experience of filming such an expansive series, where actors often only see small portions of the larger narrative during production.

Salim explained that because he only filmed dockside in Season 2, his understanding of the story was initially limited to his character’s perspective. Watching the completed episodes later allowed him to experience the broader scope of the series almost like a viewer.

Toussaint said there were moments on set where cast members would briefly encounter one another and realize entirely separate storylines and battles were unfolding simultaneously elsewhere in production.

The actors also reflected on memorable scenes from earlier seasons that stood out to them as viewers. Antonia highlighted the elaborate wedding sequence from Season 1, while Collett pointed to the tournament joust between Daemon and Ser Criston Cole as a particularly exciting moment to watch unfold onscreen.

Salim shared a humorous memory about attending the Season 1 premiere before he had officially joined the series. Sitting beside his pregnant wife during the graphic premiere episode left a lasting impression, making his eventual casting on the show feel especially ironic in hindsight.

What Was the Biggest Technical Challenge?

Condal said one of the greatest challenges involved creating believable large-scale naval combat sequences using practical effects and stunt work.

He credited stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam, who also worked on “Game of Thrones,” for overseeing many of the dangerous action sequences. Condal noted that fire stunt work requires enormous preparation because performers’ lives are directly at risk during filming.

However, he explained that the most complicated aspect of production involved the show’s specially constructed water tanks and motion-controlled ship rigs. Some scenes were filmed in “dry tanks,” where ships were mounted on massive moving gimbals that simulated ocean movement while water effects were later added digitally. Other scenes required actors and stunt performers to physically interact with water during combat sequences.

Conclusion

The “HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: Season 3 First Look” panel made one thing clear: the series is preparing to deliver its largest and most devastating conflict yet. Between the scale of the Battle of the Gullet, the growing emotional stakes among the Targaryen family and the ambitious practical filmmaking behind the scenes, Season 3 appears poised to push the franchise into even more epic territory.

As Condal and the cast teased throughout the discussion, the slow burn of the first two seasons is over. The war for Westeros has officially begun.