I do like a good dragon film. Or even a not so good one (here are three you may have missed and another featuring medieval knights) so I was pleased to learn that HBO’s epic Game of Thrones sequel House of the Dragon has been filming right here in Wales.

In fact, filming took place last summer (2025) and the series – this is the third – is due on screen in the UK this June (2026).

I’ll be looking out for North Wales locations including Beaumaris Pier on Anglesey, Union Rock (Craig Yr Undeb) in Gwynedd and Ffynon Llugwy, a lake in Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park.

This series, which stars Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, and new arrival James Norton, again received production funding from Welsh Government via Creative Wales – £674,600 for this series, which the government says it expects to generate £6.7 million for the Welsh economy.

The cash helped ensure trainee placements and job opportunities, with 12 trainees having paid placements at entry level in roles like costume, set decoration and props, camera, and sound.

Another five were given upskilling roles, and the First Break shadowing scheme led by Sgil Cymru and Crew HQ gave six people the chance to work across different departments.

Executive producer, Kevin De La Noy said: “House of the Dragon cast and crew were delighted to return to Wales, to a landscape and locale that adds such visual power and vibrant dimension to the storytelling.”

Well, dragons and Wales do go together. And not just on the flag – check out Merlin and the Dragons in this previous post.

You can watch House of the Dragon series 3 on the new HBO Max channel (via Sky and elsewhere) in the UK and Ireland from June. In the meantime, here’s the teaser trailer.  

🎬 Meanwhile, I was pleased to hear that 11 teens from Cardiff Youth Services have been to California after winning the Broadcast Excellence Award at this year’s Student Television Network Convention.

The group spent 11 days in the States as part of a film‑making exchange programme. They joined thousands of students from across the US at the convention in Tampa, Florida, to compete in challenges, develop new technical skills, and take part in workshops delivered by industry professionals.

They earned their award for their work on Butetown Buzz and Beyond, a youth‑led news show where participants take charge of every aspect of production.

During their stay, the Cardiff group lived with host families, spent time in an American high school and featured on a youth-produced daily TV programme.

In exchange, this summer, Cardiff Youth Service will welcome young people from the US, offering peer‑led learning experiences in film-making and cultural activities to help them explore Cardiff and Wales.

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