To make the dragon flights in "House of the Dragon" look so realistic on screen, the actors have to endure quite a lot. Tom Glynn-Carney (31), who portrays King Aegon in the "Game of Thrones" prequel, told "People" magazine how elaborate the spectacular flight scenes actually are to create.
"It's very satisfying to sit on top of the rig and get torn apart by the wind machines", the 31-year-old explained. Filming usually takes place on a stage surrounded by a semicircle of screens. These provide the actor with the necessary orientation: he can see on them where he is currently located and what is flying toward him.
Fireballs from the Right Angle
The actor illustrated how immediate this effect works using the example of the aerial battle at Rook's Rest in the second season. The fireball came at him from a specific angle and he was able to follow exactly that in real time on the screens.
According to the star, the camera movements are achieved by cranes that move "at the speed of light". "They're so fast and intense, but it's great. You're right in the middle of it", Glynn-Carney enthused. There's quite a commotion on set: "There's sound, there's wind, people are shouting through megaphones and it's all quite chaotic, but you're really in the eye of the storm."
Aegon's Battle for the Throne
In the series, several dragons and their riders navigate through the skies, including Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Aegon himself. Since the death of their father King Viserys (Paddy Considine) in the first season, the two have been fighting for the Iron Throne. For Aegon, however, the flights are likely a thing of the past for now: his brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and his dragon Vhagar brutally attacked him, during which Aegon's dragon was also killed.
Glynn-Carney describes this attack along with the severe injuries as a "triggering moment in his development". An exciting dynamic emerges between Aegon's feelings toward Rhaenyra and those toward Aemond, as both are fighting for the top position.
His ultimate goal remains to "reclaim the Iron Throne, reclaim the power, get what is rightfully his", according to the actor. Currently, however, Aemond is the more pressing problem. "He's the one who's actually doing everything he can to find Aegon and harm him. And it's about who gets the other first, I suppose."
New episodes of "House of the Dragon" air in Germany every Monday on HBO, Sky and Wow.
