It looks like filming for the Croatian scenes is getting ever closer, as we get out our first glimpse of Game of Thrones sets being constructed in Dubrovnik’s Bay of Pile.
The Dubrovnik Times shared the following images, which clearly show the props being erected close to the Lovrijenac Fortress, which previously doubled as the Red Keep.
Further images come courtesy of Dulist, which show an array of props and some tantalising red drapery!
As we reported previously, filming in Croatia is likely to be brief, but may involve major cast members.
Thanks to watcher H.Stark who brought these pictures to our attention!
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Burn them!! Burn them all!!!
So the final battle/ scene will be on KL ?
I’ll assume that at this time these photographers are being allowed to take the pictures and release them since they’re obviously not pap shots.
Cersei leaving KL?
I see Cersei standing there waiting for someone to arrive.
Clob,
“Pap shot” is kind of an empty term. They’re professional photographers, any way you cut it. In this instance, the sets are in a very public place. There’s no way GoT can stop people from seeing what’s going on and from taking pics, as long as the photographers aren’t actually stepping onto the sets. Croatian location filming is always good for getting pics. 🙂
Maybe this is the arrival of Euron and the Golden Company
Sue the Fury,
Umm okay, whatever.* My point was that in the Dulist ones at least the photographer appears to be standing right there as opposed to across a fence or on a balcony or something.
* and people totally understood what I meant by writing “pap shots.” Of course I wasn’t saying paparazzi aren’t or can’t be professional photographers.
Wasn’t Kit Harrington rumored to go there for filming?
Hello, Euron! 😊
H.Stark,
Hardly it will be Cersei waiting for someone to arrive. The props and the drapes look too ordinary, comming from a daily life of a busy port, rather than from some royal summit background (the drapes we saw at the Dragonpit were much more elaborated). On the other hand, Cersei might be involved in a scene taking place in a busy port, too. It’s just that it’s not her style to mingle with the commons. That would rather fit Jon or Jaime or someone else from the northern team.
Inga,
My thought too. I don’t think it’s Cersei this time, at least it doesn’t look like it. But who knows. I would rather think it’s characters like Jaime, Tyrion, Brienne, Arya, etc. arriving. But then again there’s rumors that Kit Harrington just left Iceland and is going to film in Dubrovnik, and I also read rumors that this Dubrovnik scene will be one of the last of the season. No idea if any of those things are true, but guess we’ll see.
Outdoor filming usually makes for better spoiler material, so hopefully we’ll get some more info to speculate on soon as far as what scene will be filmed.
Every time I see this set I think of the scene in season 3 when Ros warns Shae that Littlefinger is not to be trusted around Sansa. Oh, if Sansa only knew back then what she knows now.
Mitch,
Kings Landing 👑
Sue the Fury,
Is Kit going to be filming there and when does it start?
Be still me heart !
Mitch,
Rumors that Kit Harrington is going to film in Dubrovnik have been floating around for quite some time but the scene being one of the last… That’s interesting. Sure, one of the last scenes may happen in KL and it may involve Jon Snow aka Aegon Targarian one way or another, but this particular scene just doesn’t seem right. At the end KL should be either devastated or recovering from the devastation, and here everything looks just a bit too ordinary.
Here’s my two cents.
1. Jaime kills Cersi.
2. Danerys dies during child birth.
3. Jon Snow dies fighting the Night King.
4. The Hound will kill The Mountain.
5. Meera and Howland Reed show up to confirm Jon is Aegon Targaryen. They’ll die.
6. It will be revealed that Gendry is the true son of Cersei and Robert and will rule over the Seven Kingdoms with Arya until Jon and Daenerys baby Eddard Targaryen comes of age to take the throne.
Inga,
Yes I agree. Someone might have mistaken “last season” for “last scene”. If it weren’t for the Kit rumors, I’d put my money on a character/characters like Tyrion, Jaime, Arya, Davos, Brienne or someone like that arriving in KL. It just seems too informal for a Cersei scene (unless she’s escaping last minute or something) and same with the arrival of Euron/Golden Company.
Mitch,
IMO, there may be several scenes to be filmed in Dubrovnik, one of them may be on of the final ones… It’s just that this scene doesn’t seem right. If we look at the props, there are barrels (water supply?), a cage (I guess for poultry), and some boxes – fine, but not too fine. IMO I saw similar boxes in the Spoils of War used to transport gold from Highgarden but on the other hands these could be just boxes. So, the props imply that someone might be loadind food supplies and other belongings (maybe even gold) on a ship preparing for evacuation (?), but I can’t imagine Cersei running from the battle: if she loses, she will rather die on the throne. So, maybe, these will be just some nameless extras trying to get out of the city, why someone representing the last hope arrives.
Or maybe it indeed can be one of the last scenes showing KL back to normal, while one of the main protagonists arrive or depart like Frodo in the LOTR.
Anyway, we need more potos. Fingers crossed, we’ll get them.
Inga,
That all sounds very reasonable. And I agree that Cersei would rather die than flee. But yes, let’s wait and see if we get a glimpse of what happens.
Intriguing! That red-draped canopy could be erected for Cersei to ceremoniously greet someone. My guess: Tycho Nestoris, who’s supposed to appear again in S8, or Euron and the Golden Company. IIRC. we have not seen anyone using a canopy while formally receiving a traveler. Perhaps it’s necessary because of the snowfall (that could be CGIed in?) However, INga’s analysis of props may be correct, in which case someone may well be leaving. I do think Cersei would evacuate under certain circumstances–she has no love for KL and might prefer to live and fight another day.
I’m really hoping Bronn doesn’t switch sides and go Team Cersei (she can pay him, plus he told her about the Jaime/Tyrion meetup). My worry about that is SOMEWHAT mollified by the fact that the 2 can’t even work together, but I swear when Bronn and Pod (Jaime and Brienne’s right hand men, afterall) went off to the pub during the Dragonpit meeting, I thought they were gonna get taken out by Cersei’s minions to hurt both Jaime and Brienne.
They would use the usual fake snow on set, the one they use for Castle Black, Winterfell, etc. As for the background, yes, they would snow it in with VFX.
We’ll know soon enough if there’s going to be snow in the scene. If there is, they must cover the ground with fake snow before shooting begins.
I wish I wasn’t so familiar with real snow. The fake stuff they use just doesn’t look right.
Bronn went off screen because in real life he and Lena Headey do not get on, they can not be on set together.
Colin Armfield,
I’ve thought about this for a while now. I really wonder how Cersei’s scenes are going to pan out next season, as she only really has Qyburn to speak with now. Unless Euron comes back soon.
Pigeon,
Colin Armfield,
There was the whole setup and foreshadowing for Bronn to join Team Targ-Stark-Lannister United vs the Mad Queen and the Night King.
First of all, in Cersei’s eyes Bronn is a traitor who conspired with Tyrion. She even asked Jaime to punish him. Now, when Jaime left her, it’s even worse, because again in Cersei’s eyes Bronn is the one who helped to turn her brother-lover against her. She may use him but she’ll never trust him and because of that Bronn will have to go against her sooner or later for the sake of his own safety.
On the other hand, in Ep707 it was a clear foreshadowing that the heroes of the Blackwater united will do something heroic once again.
Therefore, there are plenty of hints that Bronn’s story will tangle up with Tyrion’s and Varys’es and even Pod’s, though I’m not sure whether Bronn will go north: he may stay in KL interacting with Euron and/or the comander of the GC and/or some Lannister soldiers and turn tables only at some pivotal moment right before the end.
I’m betting there’s a scene early on where as Jaime just starts to head north, Bronn rides up and casually says something like “You still owe me a castle – where are we headed?”
I think Bronn will meet Tyrion and say
“That offer of double, will that be two castles and two rich wives?”
To be honest, I think the options for Bronn’s season eight arc are limited. I think we see one of the following early on:
1) Him catching up with Jaime/defecting back to Tyrion
or
2) Bronn in the black cells with Qyburn, having been arrested
Clob,
Actually I had no idea what you meant. Just sayin
This doesn’t look like that pretty cove where Cersei watched Myrcella’s body being rowed back to her; this place is more open, more like a departing point than a receiving point. The red draping might hint at something Cersei “style” but I don’t think this is for Cersei herself, it’s not elegant enough, and the supplies shown are too paltry to be supplies for Cersei. More likely, it’s someone from her household fleeing, maybe the trusted handmaid that’s been around for so long, the one that cut her hair like Cersei. This could be for a brief shot showing that even the most loyal of the household have given up and want out before total disaster besieges Kings Landing.
I do agree with those who have said Cersei would rather die than abandon her hard-won throne. She’ll stay there out of spite and defiance until either Qyburn physically drags her to safety, or until Tyrion strolls in and strangles the shit out of her. I have never believed it would be Jaime to end her, but I do think it might be Tyrion, if she has betrayed him one time too many.
From the moment I watched Jaime ride out of KL in new clothes on a black horse, I thought Bronn would join him on the road somewhere. I hope that happens. I don’t think it would be right away, I think he will witness Cersei do or say something so batshit crazy that even he can’t stand it, and he’ll ride hard with some trusted soldiers to catch up with Jaime, joining him in whatever fate awaits them up North.
Thronetender,
“I have never believed it would be Jaime to end her, but I do think it might be Tyrion, if she has betrayed him one time too many.”
……………………….
My Latest Tinfoil Valonqar Odds as of 2-1-18
Tyrion L. 3:1
Jon/Aegon* 4:1
Sandor C. 5:1
Jaime L. 6:1
Euron G. 10:1
* Jon aka Aegon 2.0 wasn’t on my prior odds sheet. Then I realized he was the little brother of Aegon 1.0 and Rhaenys.
My Tinfoil Prediction:
Directors guild awards are tonight, give your best wishes to the three Game of Thrones nominees <3
Go Matt shakman!!!
Flora Linden,
I like it! Although there’d not be too much of a shock if we see Arya trekking all the way to KL after being given her assignment.
I often wondered if she might take Jaimes face after killing him (revenge for Ned/Bran) or after he just dies in battle. She could go to KL with the rest of the Stark forces (and the Hound) and deal with Cersei after the Hound kills her loyal guard.
I’m enjoying all the articles lately but avoiding the spoilerly ones. I’ve not read the comments yet but looking at the set pics do we assume this is potentially Cersei welcoming Euron back to Kings Landing or could it be a scene with Jon as King of the seven kingdoms saying good bye to say Arya or Dany?
Cersei welcoming either Euron or Tycho certainly makes sense however it’s supposed to be major characters and we know Kit is filming on location (though not necessarilly in this scene).
Jon Snowed,
If we’re lucky they’ll kill Euron in Episode 1, or transport him back to the Marvel Comics Universe.
Apollo,
In my view, they’ve already “fired” the Arya face-changing “gun” enough times, ie vs. (1) Meryn F*cking Trant; (2) Walder Frey; and (3) House Frey.
Now, the hand-to-hand dagger switch/flip during Arya’s sparring match with Brienne in S7e4? That’s a “gun” that’s poised to be fired – for real – in S8. 👸🏻🔪
Ten Bears,
Aryas strength is her being trained as an assassin, not a full on fighter.
She had the element of surprise with Brienne but she’s still tiny and her sword isnt fit for real combat. I dont see Arya pulling any Legolas type battle skills. She would be overwhelmed.
Ser Broccoli McBroccoliface,
“She had the element of surprise with Brienne but she’s still tiny and her sword isnt fit for real combat.”
—————
Tell that to Meryn F*cking Trant. And Polliver. And Rorge. And Walder Frey. And Brienne. And MiddleFinger.
She’s got a VS dagger that she could’ve used to slice open Brienne’s throat. She’s got Needle:
“It won’t hack a man’s head off, but it can poke him full of holes if you’re quick enough.” – Jon Snow ( S1e2). She’s proven: she can be quick enough.
“No one expects No One. Until it’s too late.” (Another WotW Commenter)
Ser Broccoli McBroccoliface,
I wouldn’t trust the show to be too faithful to the realities of warfare anymore. It’s gone full-on fantasy now (see the ludicrous battles in Beyond the Wall), and I really wouldn’t put it past them to put 5ft 1in Arya in the middle of a battle, twirling and back-flipping among a swarm of 100,000 zombies.
Ten Bears,
Surely you remember your Season 4 adventures of Arya and The Hound? When Arya tried to poke a big old hole in The Hound’s chest and Needle couldn’t penetrate his armour?
“Your friend’s dead and Meryn Trant’s not. Because Trant had armour and a big f–king sword”
In reality, Needle isn’t fit for fighting in a battle. Neither would the Catspaw dagger be. They’re both too limited in range and/or penetrative strength.
Needle couldn’t hack down a wight the way, say, Longclaw would and poking a wight full of holes isn’t really going to stop them.
The Catspaw could obviously kill the wights, but she’d need to be fighting at a dangerously close range which isn’t realistic in battle.
I hope they keep Arya away from the battlefield if only for credibility’s sake and let her do her thing if/when the wights come into close quarters. Say, if they breach the walls of Winterfell.
Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,
I’m not so sure… Arya has been armed (plot wise) with a VS dagger so I’m guessing her involvement in the great war will be somewhat more significant than sitting on the sidelines while Jon etc are at battle. She’d never do that unless she’s protecting her siblings, but ever then I find it hard to visualise. She’ll be critical to the endgame- and that blade will surely play a part. Remember- daggers can be thrown from a distance.
You might be right, ok, so how about this?: Arya somehow finds herself back in Kings Landing and confronts Cersei … as herself. As Arya. Cersei only remembers her as a precocious hooligan, yet still a little harmless girl. Arya still has the element of surprise – Cersei will be surprised Arya is still alive, yet won’t think any more of her than she originally did – as an untamed little girl. Arya might finish Cersei as no one else but as herself. As Arya. That might be even cooler than her sneaking in as someone else. Just musing before the game starts.
According to the fight between Brienne and Arya, Needle can apparently withstand repeated blade-on-blade impacts against Oathkeeper, a Valyrian steel sword wielded by someone capable of producing quite a lot more kinetic energy than Arya.
We must conclude that Needle was forged out of depleted uranium ^^
ACME,
Lol. 🙂
I hate to ruin a good joke, but Brienne was using a blunt sparring sword during that scene.
But I think that’s probably one of the reasons people now think Arya could cut her way through half of the Army of the Dead, when in reality Needle isn’t really fit for battlefield combat.
I mean, the Braavosi fighter in Daznak’s Pit must’ve slashed Jorah with his sword at least four times and even jabbed him full on in the breastplate and Jorah kept coming.
However, I’m fully prepared for the producers to dump Arya right in the middle of the battlefield. Probably wearing no armour and fighting like more of a seasoned warrior than the rest of our heroes combined. As Apollo points out above, giving her the Valyrian steel dagger leans towards her having some significant involvement in the final battles.
Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,
1. Arya has learned to go for the jugular/head. See Meryn F Trant; Walder Frey; FecalFlinger; Brienne of F*cking Tarth.
2. “I really wouldn’t put it past them to put 5ft 1in Arya in the middle of a battle, twirling and back-flipping among a swarm of 100,000 zombies.”
Now you’re talkin’!!!
👸🏻🔪😍
Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,
…”However, I’m fully prepared for the producers to dump Arya right in the middle of the battlefield. Probably wearing no armour and fighting like more of a seasoned warrior than the rest of our heroes combined.”
After the rocket scientist-brilliant wight hunt, I’m fully prepared for anything! Sure, why not? Have Arya parachute into the middle of the battlefield in her Ned leather suit and Gucci boots, and lead our heroes to victory! (Rather that, than slo-mo Knights of the Vale cavalry charge.)
F*ck yes! I’m on board with this!
The last time Cersei mentioned Arya, in S2e1, she said:
Cersei: “Arya, little animal, she disappeared.”
Tyrion: “Disappeared? What, in a puff of smoke?”
At least in KL, Arya’s been presumed dead since then (according to Jaime; and again, as reported to Hot Pie by Brienne in S4e7).
Wouldn’t it be poetic justice for Cersei to dismiss a little girl as harmless? (As I recall, Cersei made a crude remark to Sansa about women using their gynecological parts as a weapon, or something along those lines; and the Sand Snakes were all bluster and bravado, in Cersei’s experience.)
Apollo,
“…She’ll be critical to the endgame- and that blade will surely play a part. Remember- daggers can be thrown from a distance.”
Arya was deadly flinging pudding with a spoon in S1e1. Imagine how accurate she’ll be with a flying dagger?
Oh, indeed it would be poetic justice. Cersei’s become so full of herself lately, she thinks she’s almost a godly entity, entirely unique and far more worthy than anyone else around, including and especially Jaime. She’s forgotten the ‘female’ perspective, forgotten the female strength and determination that got her this far. She would totally mock Arya and give no thought to what Arya might have had to survive, much less what Arya might have learned in these years. Arya would totally catch her off guard.
I’m trying to decide if Arya would have to make sure the Mountain was out of the way before she confronted Cersei. I imagine so, the Mountain was on her list originally anyway, wasn’t he? So, she disposes of the Mountain, (sorry Cleganebowl fans) then confronts her. Then makes her way back north to have some dealings with the WW. Maybe she flies a dragon. Like someone said on another thread, combine some leaks + another year to wait = TINFOIL.
Crappity crap ! I should have double-checked 😉
This dagger has a habit of changing hands quite an awful lot, generally after one single use, so until proven otherwise I am going to assume that Arya gives it as a present to someone else. Someone else who may or may not have a half-burnt face.
I can absolutely see where you are coming from and I cannot deny that this resolution would delight many fans but I, for one, struggle with it.
Cersei’s death will be the final season’s big event. Even more so than the Night King’s because we are much more emotionally invested in her than him. And I fear that, ultimately, her getting killed by someone she can barely remember as punishment for a crime she did not commit (Ned’s death) would be anti-climactic, for lack of a better word.
Whoever the valonqar who terminates Cersei is, s/he must be someone she shares some commonly agreed upon history with for it to be narratively rewarding, I believe. And, as of now, there is not really anything like that between her and Arya.
What I would love to see Arya do, conversely, is kill the Mountain. Why ? Because he has “an armour and a big f*cking sword” so were Arya to take him out with Needle, a sword the Hound could do nothing against this type of foe, it would bring things full circle. She would be using the weapon gifted to her by her first mentor to avenge her second mentor, thereby following her first mentor’s crucial advice (“stick them with the pointy end”) and proving her second mentor wrong about her weapon’s ability. Full circle. ^^
ACME,
Or…kill the Mountain by setting fire to the monster:
Arya: “You need to burn away that horrible bit there. Otherwise it’s gonna get infected and fester.” (S4e7)
I believe everyone agrees that Cersei will die.
My guestimates are
Jaime 80% probability
Tyrion 19%
A.N. Other 1%
Someone claims to have seen Kit Harington in Dubrovnik…
https://twitter.com/stellanerd/status/960497283027689472
Unless that’s the surprising ending certain cast members mentioned, that Cersei doesn’t die.
We’ve all been so certain of her death. Over the years there were those who were certain Jaime would choke her when he found out about Lancel; they were certain he would be angry she made herself Queen and that would be the end of her. Then they were certain he would kill her because of her use of wildfire or because of Tommen. And right up until season 7, what happened was that they got closer than ever and professed their love and devotion to each other even more strongly. Not only did Jaime not kill her, he defended her, he admired her. He defended her to Olenna:
Olenna: “…she’s a monster, you do know that…”
Jaime: “To you, I’m sure. … But after we’ve won and there’s no one left to oppose us, when people are living peacefully in the world she built, do you really think they’ll wring their hands over the way she built it?” He certainly wasn’t wringing his hands in any way, he thought more of her then than ever. Right up until she called him the stupidest Lannister and he finally rode away. Without killing her.
So no, if Cersei goes down, it won’t be at Jaime’s hand. I really believe that. Either someone else we hadn’t thought of will dispose of her or… she remains on the throne at the end, the smirking Queen of the Ashes. Or, I’ll be very surprised, and after years of saying Jaime won’t do it, he actually will find a way.
Another whole year to wait, groan. We’d be gearing up for the new season in a few weeks. Westworld can’t start soon enough.
Apollo,
Well, she hasn’t grown that much (not physically, anyway). I’m sure she and the Hound still fit comfortably on a horse together, and heaven knows he’s qualified enough, if anyone is, to get her face-to-face with the NK.
Remember where the heart is?
You’ll get only one chance, Wolf Girl.
😀
Ah, Thronetender, this makes sense. I’ve thought Jaime was most likely to be the one to kill Cersei, though Arya was always runner-up for that honour. Not only is there a great deal of foreshadowing about Cersei and Jaime coming into the world and ‘going out’ together, such an ending (murder-suicide?) is reminiscent of high, almost Shakespearan, tragedy.
Now I wonder if Arya might indeed end up being the Valonqar. This week I saw a video on a YouTube channel about Lady Stoneheart as the possible Valonqar in the books. It quotes a Catelyn passage in ACoK. In it, Catelyn says she dreams about riding to Kings Landing and wrapping her hands around Cersei’s white throat and squeezing her till she turns black. In AFFC, this is loosely echoed in Maggy’s wording of the Valonqar prophecy. Book Catelyn becomes LS but is omitted from the show, which gives LS’s vengeance-on-Freys storyline to Arya. Conveniently, Cersei is also at the top of Arya’s List. Another possible hint: Cersei’s name presumably derives from the evil sorceress Circe in the Odyssey. I’ve compared Arya to Odysseus here a few times, but had not considered these names in light of Arya’s parallels with Odysseus. Trying to get back home, he ends up on Circe’s isle, where she turns men into wild animals. Ever tricksy, he outhinks her and eventually gets her to turn his crew human again, though he does not kill her. Cersei has compared Arya to a wild animal a few times. Arya compared herself to a wolf preying on sheep. And as we all know, Arya has the ‘face’ to attempt it and the ability to succeed. She may use a Face (Bernadette’s?) to get access to Cersei, but I hope she takes it off, as Thronetender suggests. Meanwhile, Arya’s favourite traveling companion Sandor can be making a molehill out of the Mountain. It’s far from Shakespearean tragedy, but it’s plausible for the show.
Thronetender,
“So no, if Cersei goes down, it won’t be at Jaime’s hand. I really believe that. Either someone else we hadn’t thought of will dispose of her…”
————-
Sandor Clegane. The Valonqar. 😋
I’d pay good money to see that. 👸🏻🐶
Stark Raven’ Rad,
“…..Cersei has compared Arya to a wild animal a few times.”
————–
S2e1:
Cersei: “Arya, little animal, she disappeared.”
Tyrion: “Disappeared? What, in a puff of smoke?”
thats the same location sansa and shae played the boat guessing gamethen littlefinger walked up to sansa. so its ritenext to the castle
David Nutter in Dubrovnik!
http://www.thedubrovniktimes.com/news/dubrovnik/item/3937-game-of-thrones-filming-starts-in-dubrovnik-under-a-veil-of-secrecy?platform=hootsuite
Wow great spot to find this article! Given that Nutter seems to be directing and Lannister banners are still hanging we know this isn’t from the final two episodes. So if Jon turns up it will be early, could Jon be captured by the Lannisters somehow or is he going back to plead for Cersei’s support, I’m really baffled/intrigued.
Just seen the pics on Twitter… so Cersei is still reigning when these scenes are set. I’m guessing it’ll be a scene with Qyburn meeting with someone arriving at the harbour. Cersei would not recieve guests in any place other than the Red Keep, and that red drape has no sigil- besides the props are indicative that the port will be trading (no place for a Queen).
Good ol Oakleaf has some amazing new shots of the huge KL set in Belfast as well:
https://twitter.com/jct_c/status/960608921730904066
But why would Jon travel back to Kings Landing? Complete tinfoil but could team targ lose in the North and Jon travels with Jamie to ask fro Golden Company support?
Jon Snowed,
I’ve said this before: Because Jon Snow realizes that if KL falls, NK adds + 1,000,000 Undead Soldiers = “Game Over, Man!” *
* Shout out to Bill Paxton. RIP
Interesting and that would make sense, it just feels weird that he could be back again so soon after leaving the south.
If the NK’s goal is simply to kill all the living and animate them into his army, if he gets past Winterfell it would seem wiser to avoid KL until last. If they’re past Winterfell that would mean most of Jon and Daenerys’ forces are depleted and/or fleeing. Hitting the less defended White Harbor, Lannisport, Oldtown, the numerous villages and sweeping across the more densely populated southern regions could make his army countless times larger by the time he approaches KL, not to mention a lot fewer living to rally against him.
I reckon he does have a goal/destination that we don’t know yet though and he’ll go directly for it, for the most part.