James Norton Kneels to Daemon in Leaked ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Set Scene
James Norton has officially joined the world of House of the Dragon. According to Splash News, the actor was seen on set for the first time, filming a dramatic scene with Matt Smith.
Norton is playing Lord Ormund Hightower, a powerful character from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. Fans spotted him dressed in full medieval armor as he surrendered his sword and knelt before Smith’s Daemon Targaryen.
James Norton has officially entered the fiery world of Westeros ⚔️🐉
— Splash News (@SplashNews) July 18, 2025
Norton was spotted on the 'House of the Dragon' set for the very first time, filming an intense and dramatic scene alongside Matt Smith.
Norton, who plays Ormund Hightower – the formidable head of House… pic.twitter.com/xn63iKrfIb
This moment could be a big turning point for Norton’s character. Ormund Hightower is not just any lord. He’s the head of House Hightower and nephew of Otto Hightower, the former Hand of the King. In the books, Ormund leads the Reach army during the Targaryen civil war, supporting King Aegon II’s side, known as the greens.
His forces are huge, with thousands of knights and soldiers, but not everyone in the Reach supports him. He faces constant attacks from rival lords like Alan Tarly and Owen Costayne, which force him to wait for more troops from King’s Landing.
James Norton was announced to be part of the cast back in January 2025. Alongside him, HBO revealed other new faces for season 3. In March, Tommy Flanagan and Dan Fogler joined as Lord Roderick Dustin and Ser Torrhen Manderly. Then in April, HBO confirmed Tom Cullen, Joplin Sibtain, and Barry Sloane as Ser Luthor Largent, Ser Jon Roxton, and Ser Adrian Redfort.
Season 3 is still being filmed, with cameras rolling since March 2025 at Leavesden Studios in England. Filming is expected to wrap up in October, though no official release date has been shared yet. HBO is keeping quiet, but fans know from George R.R. Martin’s source material that there’s plenty of action ahead.
Season 2 ended with things building towards all-out war between Team Black and Team Green. Rhaenyra seems to have the upper hand right now, especially after Daemon pledged loyalty to her. According to showrunner Ryan Condal, season 3 will kick off with a massive battle.
Francesca Orsi, HBO’s head of drama, told Deadline, “I’m really excited. I think you’re going to be in for a great surprise on how we start the [season] with an exciting battle.” This battle is expected to be The Battle of the Gullet, one of the biggest fights in the Dance of the Dragons storyline.
Ryan Condal also said in the Happy Sad Confused podcast that there will be something new in season 3. “We got to have a little fun this season, and there’s a conceptual episode that I’m really excited about that [Sara Hess] wrote, and that’s all I’m gonna say about it. It isn’t in the traditional vernacular of what we have laid out. It’s very character-driven, I think it’s really great and I’m really excited to see it rendered.”
Emma D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra, also wants to shake things up. In the same podcast, D’Arcy joked, “The petition I’ve put in is I want a weapon. Like it’s getting ridiculous. I don’t even mind if it’s like a little dagger, a short sword. I don’t really care. All the men in the show don’t have to worry about where they put their hands because they’re constantly holding the pommel of their sword. That obviously sounds like innuendo and you can do with that what you will but that is true. And all the rest of us are going, ‘Where do we put our f*c*i*g hands?’ Anyway, next year one hand is going to be taken care of. That’s what I want.”
Fans can expect even more battles, betrayals, and dragons in season 3. Martin himself hinted there could be major changes from the books. In a blog post (later deleted), he wrote, “There are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if House of the Dragon goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4…”
Season 3 won’t be the end of the story. HBO confirmed that the show will wrap up with season 4. Until then, viewers can look forward to two more seasons of war, politics, and dragonfire. For now, seeing James Norton kneeling to Daemon Targaryen gives fans a clear message: Westeros is heating up again.
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