Matt Smith was dressed in character on Tuesday as work got underway on the hotly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon, set 3000 years before the events of the hit HBO show.
The actor, 38, transformed into Prince Daemon Targaryen as he sported a long blonde wig while shooting scenes on a windy Holywell Bay Beach in Cornwall, confirming the south-west coast will be a key filming location.
Emma D’Arcy, 28, who will play Rhaenyra Targaryen in the upcoming series, joined the former Dr. Who star and bore a striking resemblance to future family member Daenerys, played by Emilia Clarke, in a long crimson gown which split at the front and boasted a brighter scarlet material.
FIRST LOOK: Matt Smith has been seen filming for the hotly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel for the first time as he joined co-star Emma D’Arcy on the beach in Cornwall
Matt added to Prince Daemon’s look with a long black jacket and knee-high boots for the shoot and appeared to be deep in conversation with Emma as they stood on the empty beach.
His hair was partially pulled back, with the bottom half of his bright blonde tresses sitting down his neck and falling just on his shoulders.
Emma sported the same platinum blonde hair as her co-star – a key genetic trait in the Targaryen household – with her own tresses being partially styled into an impressive braid and fixed atop her head.
The actress looked remarkably similar to Emilia, who played Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, with the bold hairstyle only adding to the similarity between the two stars.
At one point during Tuesday’s shoot, Emma was seen headed towards the water following her discussing with Matt’s character of Prince Daemon.
In character: Both the actor, 38, and actress, 28, sported platinum blonde locks as they walked along Holywell Bay beach
Over recent days, speculation has been rife that the prequel is being filmed in the southern county, after crews were spotted in different locations last week.
On Monday pictures emerged showing a film set had appeared on Holywell Bay beach, suggesting that it could be used in scenes featuring Matt and Emma.
And the medieval castle on St Michael’s Mount on Mount’s Bay in Cornwall where production is also said to be taking place bears a striking resemblance to the castle inhabited by Queen Cersei in the original HBO series, filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The castle has a breathtaking view of the North Sea with much of the filming said to be taking place in the lower reaches of the mount within days.
Looking the part: Matt transformed into the character of Prince Daemon Targaryen, donning a long black jacket and knee-high boots
Relatives: House of the Dragon will reportedly tell a story set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones about the war of succession between Daenerys Targaryen’s (right, Emilia Clark) ancestors Rhaenyra (left, Emma D’Arcy) and Aegon II. The two stars bare a striking resemblance in shots from the two productions, with both boasting flowing blonde hair and braids
Stunning scenery: During the shoot, the two actors were seen talking on the golden sands and walking along the beach before Emma headed towards the water
The production crew behind the series were said to have been given full permission from the family who still reside in the higher area of the castle to film there.
Scaffolding can be seen just behind the castle while there is also a large archway and scenic garden nearby where filming will likely take place.
MailOnline has contacted a representative for WarnerMedia for comment.
House of the Dragon will take place around 300 years before the GoT series, which ended in 2019, and will feature a star-studded cast including Olivia Cooke.
It’s happening! Dozens of crew members were seen working on the set during Tuesday while Matt and Emma walked through the middle of what looked like pieces of wood
Confirmed! Speculation the prequel was filming in Cornwall has been growing in recent days, with the medieval castle on St Michael’s Mount, where production is said to be happening, baring a resemblance to Queen Cersei’s castle in the HBO series
Past: Much of Game of Thrones was filmed in Dubrovnik’s city walls, with the city becoming a hotspot for fans of the show
Location: The Cornish castle has a breathtaking view of the North Sea with much of the filming said to be taking place in the lower reaches of the mount within days
It had already been confirmed that filming for House of the Dragon would begin in spring 2021, and would be filmed in the UK, at Leavesden Studios, which is owned by Warner Bros.
However with several sightings of film crews working in Cornwall over recent weeks, some fans had started to think that at least some of the production is happing in the county – which has now been confirmed with snaps of Emma and Matt on the beach.
Film crews were first spotted at St Michael’s Mount last week and at Penhale Camp near Newquay, with medieval-style sets being built at the former, and lighting rigs and lorries at the latter.
One clue sparked much excitement from residents, after spotting a symbol of a seahorse on the top of an archway set built on the National Trust-managed Mount.
Prequel: The production crew behind the series were said to have been given full permission from the family who still reside in the higher area of the castle to film there.
Zooming in from a distance, it appeared to closely match one of the Game of Thrones universe’s house sigils.
There is also a suggestion that filming is taking palace at Restormel Castle near Lostwithiel – land owned by English Heritage.
Signs near the castle direct people to it which read ‘base’, according to a witness, which include ‘scoutproductions.co.uk’ on them.
The National Trust, which owns the land, was unable to confirm what was being filmed. A spokesperson told Cornwall Live: ‘We can confirm there is a shoot but I’m afraid we are not able to give any more details at present.’
MailOnline contacted representatives for Warner Bros. and The National Trust for further comment at the time.
As well as the theory about filming being for House of the Dragon, others considered the crews could be working on a new series of Vikings, the movie sequel Fisherman’s Friends 2 or even the Warner Bros-produced Sesame Street film.
Casterly Rock: In keeping with the visuals of the hugely successful original HBO series, the castle bears a resemblance to Queen Cercei’s residence in King’s Landing
Set to be brutal? The prequel will depict the war of succession between Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors Rhaenyra and Aegon II (pictured Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones)
House of the Dragon will reportedly tell a story set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
It will depict the war of succession between Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors Rhaenyra and Aegon II, two dragon-wielding heirs to the Iron Throne.
Other clues that the series is being filmed in Cornwall included a job posting for bearded, long-haired men, around a month ago – with the same description from the same company, Scout Productions, as previous casting for GoT filming in Ireland – as well as confirmation from the studio that it had commenced filming in early 2021.
Emma D’Arcy will star as Rhaenyra Targaryen opposite a yet to be cast Aegon II. Doctor Who star Matt Smith was previously announced as Daemon Targaryen.
He will join Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria and Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon.
Casting began last year, and the prequel is due to be released in spring 2022.
Fire is coming: The series will depict the war of succession between Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors Rhaenyra and Aegon II, two dragon-wielding heirs to the Iron Throne