Three new sound stages and a virtual production stage, V Stage, are the newest amenities at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, U.K. (WBSL). According to Variety, the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon was recently confirmed as the first production that will utilize these new facilities. The article claims that V Stage will allow the show to “expand upon its existing variety of international landscapes.”
The V Stage encompasses 24,000 sq. feet of total space, with a 7,100 sq. ft. “virtual production environment” wrapping around the inside. Over 26,000 LED panels are connected with the processing system. 5,544 more square footage of LED lights is available thanks to the facility’s ceiling. Eight different sections are functionally independent of each other. In total, around 83,000 sq. feet of additional workspace is now available at the studio.
Emily Stillman, WBSL’s senior VP, studio operations, claims, “The launch of V Stage brings a completely new dimension to filmmaking at WBSL, providing an exciting environment in which to deliver a new level of creativity.” She says House of the Dragon is the “perfect production” to make the most out of the opportunities the new virtual stage has to offer, particularly due the show’s imaginary worlds and HBO’s “exceptional” delivery of shows.
Executive VP at HBO West Coast Productions, Janet Graham Borba, believes this new virtual stage will also allow the teams producing House of the Dragon to “take full advantage of the latest developments in technology.”
House of the Dragon takes place 300 years before the events in Game of Thrones, focusing on the characters and events in George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood. Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, and Steve Toussaint are just a few of the already-confirmed cast members. The show is expected to debut in 2022.