Production on HBO’s highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, hit an unexpected and dramatic snag this April when historic flooding swept through Gran Canaria, Spain, forcing a sudden halt to filming and a major relocation effort. The disruption, caused by Storm Therese, marks the worst rainfall the region has experienced in 15 years, and its impact has rippled through every corner of the show's complex production.
According to ScreenRant and ComingSoon.net, the storm’s deluge inundated the Las Niñas Dam area, where the production had set up shop to capture the drought-stricken landscapes central to Season 2’s storyline. Ironically, the very location chosen for its barren scenery—meant to evoke the parched fields of Westeros—was rendered unusable by unprecedented rainfall. Large portions of the set were submerged, and physical structures built for filming sustained significant damage. As a result, HBO made the swift decision to suspend all Spain-based filming at the Gran Canaria location.
Raúl García Brink, environment councilor of the Gran Canaria Island Council, confirmed that the filming area had been contractually reserved from February 23 through May 15, 2026. Now, the production company must submit an action plan for set removal and environmental cleanup once water levels recede. “The flooding damaged key sections of the production set, forcing HBO to relocate to ensure safety and continue storytelling without major setback,” an industry report from Entertainment Production Analysis stated.
The logistical challenge of relocating an entire television production is immense. Cast, crew, and equipment needed to be moved quickly, and new locations scouted and secured. HBO and show producers ultimately chose the drier Peninsula region of mainland Spain as the new base for filming, a move designed to preserve the production schedule and minimize further delays. This rapid pivot required all hands on deck, from logistics coordinators to set designers, to maintain creative continuity with George R.R. Martin’s vision for Dunk and Egg’s ongoing adventures.
Despite the chaos, HBO has remained steadfast in its commitment to the series. Executives have assured fans that, while the initial shutdown cost valuable production days, the built-in flexibility of pre-production planning means the 2027 release window for Season 2 remains unchanged. Post-production work, in fact, continues apace, reportedly staying ahead of schedule even as the on-location team adapts to its new surroundings.
Season 2 was originally set to wrap filming by mid-May 2026, with a planned premiere on HBO and HBO Max in 2027. The first season, which aired from January 18 to February 22, 2026, introduced audiences to a different flavor of Westeros—one less focused on epic battles and more on the personal journeys of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and young Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). The show’s character-driven approach, as noted by Collider, carved out a unique space in the crowded world of fantasy television, earning both critical praise and some pointed criticism. Therese Lacson of Collider remarked, “With a Season 2 already on the way, it’s hard to imagine where A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will go if it wants to go beyond the three novellas in the series, putting the show in the same difficult spot as Game of Thrones circa Season 5. By the finale, Season 1 exists as more of a side dish to be enjoyed alongside the main rather than a full meal on its own, and that’s not a good thing.”
For the show’s creators and fans alike, the disruption is a stark reminder of how real-world events—particularly climate-related disasters—can upend even the most meticulously planned entertainment projects. The flooding at Gran Canaria was not a minor inconvenience. The Presa de las Niñas reservoir, which had been chosen for its parched, dramatic vistas, reached water levels not seen in a decade and a half. Structures built specifically for the production were left underwater, and the area was rendered inaccessible for the foreseeable future. Spanish news site Atlántico Hoy was among the first to report the flooding, clarifying that it was A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms—not its sibling series House of the Dragon—that had been affected by the deluge.
Production had originally shifted from Belfast, Ireland, to Gran Canaria to better capture the drought conditions central to Season 2’s plot. The narrative follows Dunk as he enters the service of the elderly Ser Eustace Osgrey (Peter Mullan) in the drought-stricken Reach, only to become embroiled in political disputes with Lady Rohanne Webber (Lucy Boynton). The drought, described in the source material as “bare brown hills and fields of dead and dying grain,” is pivotal to the season’s themes—making the irony of the flooding all the more striking.
HBO’s decision to relocate to mainland Spain echoes the approach taken by the original Game of Thrones series, which often filmed in Andalucia to depict southern Westeros. However, moving the production mid-shoot is no small feat, and the crew faces the dual challenge of adapting to new locations while striving to maintain visual and narrative consistency. The addition of new cast members, including Lucy Boynton, Babou Ceesay, and Peter Mullan, adds further complexity to the process, as key exterior scenes and narrative sequences must now be reimagined in the new environment.
While the extent of the delay remains unclear, industry observers agree that HBO’s quick response and the show’s robust planning have averted a more serious crisis. The production shutdown is seen as a temporary setback, rather than a threat to the series’ future. As asatunews reported, “The production shutdown is temporary, a setback rather than a series-threatening crisis. Fans of Dunk and Egg should expect Season 2 content on schedule, filled with the political intrigue and adventure that made the first season a phenomenon.”
Meanwhile, post-production work continues undisturbed, and the network remains confident that the 2027 premiere will go ahead as planned. For fans eager to return to Westeros, Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently available to stream on HBO Max, and House of the Dragon Season 3 is slated for release in summer 2026.
In the end, the storm may have washed away sets and schedules, but it hasn’t dampened the determination of the cast, crew, or the millions of viewers awaiting the next chapter in George R.R. Martin’s epic universe. Weather challenges may have proved disruptive, but the saga of Dunk and Egg endures—undaunted and on track for its 2027 return.