Earlier this week we reported on the ongoing for filming for the Game of Thrones prequel pilot at Northern Ireland’s Marble Arc Caves, which began this past 17th and will continue for a week and a half until June 26. That makes it not a terribly long shoot (as we speculated, the interiors of the cave may be complemented by the cave system set they’re building outside the good ol’ Game of Thrones Titanic Studios in Belfast), but we’ve already got a few photos showcasing a lot of movement around the caves.
Before we get to that, there’s this little casting call by The Extras Dept., which of course doesn’t say anything about the spin-off but could be related. And yet, to be fair, there’s a strange absence of beards for a Thrones-related show: they’re looking for “males with medium to long hair of all ages.” If you live in Northern Ireland and are interested, “any males with hair past their ears are encouraged to sign up.” As we said, we can’t confirm this is prequel-related, but it may well be. We’ll keep you updated if we learn more!
Now, the Marble Arch Caves photos, courtesy of @BloodmoonIRL, show nothing of the filming location for the so-called “Bloodmoon” spin-off, as that is underground, in a highly controlled area with no public access. Instead, what we can see, for the first time ever, are numerous Warner Bros. production trucks, signifying the organizational changes brought about by AT&T buying Time Warner; now, HBO and everything else has been consolidated under WarnerMedia Entertainment —hence the Warner Bros. trucks:
Of course, there are also the usual horde of G&H trucks and cast and crew trailers:
We can also see the famous pink “GOT” signs that once directed the crew to filming sites have been substituted by orange signs with a curious image on them: a mammoth.
This could just be a symbolic image to indicate the time period for the prequel, which may I remind you takes places thousands of years before Game of Thrones. That is true. What is also true is that Cersei was promised elephants by the Golden Company —we were promised elephants. And yet, they did not come. Our disappointment was shown by Cersei herself: “I wanted those elephants.” Granted, we got a few actual mammoths in season four, but it’s been a long time since then. Are you ready to hopefully see many more mammoths than ever before in this much earlier era of Westeros? I know I am!
And if we don’t get them, we shall get out the big guns: Headey’s excellent face-acting!
“There are my elephants!”
– Cersei
Hodork
Here we go again.
Though I am excited about all the decisions made for the prequel thus far, I have to say one area I’m a tad bit disappointed in is putting the story back in the North again. It’s probably the last place I wanted the story to be, though the I think there is opportunity for cool stuff with the Children of the Forest and all the old magic in play.
I would’ve much preferred for the story to take place anywhere in Essos–Slaver’s Bay, Braavos, Shadowlands, Quarth, Volantis, etc. I love the exoticness of Essos and the cultures and the mystique and magic. In Westeros, I would’ve preferred the south, Dorne, The Reach, Oldtown, the coastal cities.
That’s not to say though that this series couldn’t still go to these places, and I actually think they will i.e. “mysteries of the east”. I hope one of the storylines starts in one of these places though.
LatrineDiggerBrian,
I think, if the prequel is really about the Age of Heroes, then there is a very good chance we will see some of the south. I have my fingers crossed to see Lann the Clever, and see how he took possession of Casterly Rock.
JSchmeh,
I didn’t realize he was around during The Age of Heroes. I remember learning about him through all those great history and lore DVD features. Did you catch Bron’s eference to him in S8?
Totally agree!
One of my biggest concerns about the prequel is that it doesn’t feel like GoT/ASOIF however this potential news encourages me.
Jon Snowed,
I think there is no way it will feel like GoT/ASOIAF since neither GRRM nor D&D will wrote it. Goldman has her own style and I’m sure it will be different from books and the show.
And I don’t know if anyone who worked on GoT will work on this show.
Yeah and that’s my worry really. I don’t expect it to be exactly like GOT but it needs to feel like it’s part of the same universe and although Goldman is superbly talented the films I’ve seen of hers suggests to me it will be very different. If so, it’s going to be very divisive amongst the hardcore fan base straight off the bat.
I do believe it will expand beyond Westeros when the series is greenlit. The Long Night was a world-wide period/event after all. This pilot may be focused on the North though.
Beyond that though, people shouldn’t be thinking that anything in Westeros dealing with this period is limited to the (true) north or the area the Wall was built. Some may think that way because almost everything related to it on GoT was in the North and above. The WW/Others did originate or come from The Land of Always Winter, but the First Men and cotf were inhabiting the entirety of the continent at the time when the prequel is taking place. They tried and eventually stopped the Others from sweeping south and built the Wall. The point is that I don’t believe we should think that it’s going to be a show with only people like the wildlings living in tents and caves in wintery conditions.
Good writers can adapt to the tone of the source material. And that’s exactly what Jane Goldman was doing when she wrote scripts for Matthew Vaughn’s movies: she was serving his vision. Jane’s pilot beat out the pilots of four other experienced writers and I really doubt that HBO is going to push forward with a pilot for their biggest property if the show runner doesn’t get the tone of GoT. Also, I’m sure GRRM, as a producer and working closely with the writers, had some say in this and gave Jane his stamp of approval. So yeah, I’m not really worried that she’s going to do Kick-ass meets fantasy or whatever.
Clob,
True and it isn’t being mentioned that much, but they are supposed to shoot in the Canary Islands. I’m not sure if that’s already happened or still to come. They’re probably shooting interior scenes in Belfast that take place in another region, because there’s a bunch of black cast members and we all know the north isn’t really known for diversity, unless some of the Children are black.
Care to comment, Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons?
“Those trucks are all-too obviously ripped-off from Sam Peckinpah’s 1978 magnum opus Convoy, which staed the tragically underrated Miss Ali McGraw. And … Worst … Mudflaps … EVER!”
I wonder if we’ll get a cold opening like GoT … also would be amazing if the opening title is kind of similar – the map of Westeros but showing us all these locations a thousand years ago – no kings landing – a very different Winterfell etc
LatrineDiggerBrian,
I believe that’s so and on La Palma where I live, but nothing heard so far. My daughters are big GoT fans and would know. If a film crew turns up on the island sure they will try and get some photos 😉
mau,
I hoping it has a Kevin Sorbo Hercules or Xena Warrior Princess vibe.
Black Raven,
Nice. Do you have any guesses on where they could film? Are there any old castles?
Bah! who cares? Since it does not matter what happens, we got the end already. Lazy HBO. Make a sequel instead!
LatrineDiggerBrian,
I did. I’m pretty sure he was around during AOH, but we really don’t know. Did the AOH last generations or was that long night like this last one, really short? That will be one of the possibly cool things to come out of the prequel, showing fact from legend.
Ulfie,
Not ever going to happen. To be a proper sequel, you would need some of the original cast and every single one of them has said they are done. The only chance would be a Deadwood like movie 10 years from now, but I really think there would be absolutely no chance for that.
I am so excited you guys, for ANYTHING continuing or explaining this amazing world we have loved for so many years. Im still not over my mourning for GOT but it does give me hope for something new and exciting! Lets everyone just be cool nerds! XOXO
JSchmeh,
“… Not ever going to happen. To be a proper sequel, you would need some of the original cast and every single one of them has said they are done. The only chance would be a Deadwood like movie 10 years from now, but I really think there would be absolutely no chance for that.”
__________
• Within ten years, someone with half a brain will realize that the fandom would eat up “The Continuing Adventures of Arya Stark”, and back up a Brink’s truck with $ millions of dollars to Maisie Williams’s front door.
• In other related ASNAWP news…
Maisie Williams stars in new Sky original comedy Two Weeks To Live (W/T)

Emmy Award® nominee Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) is to star in the latest Sky original, Two Weeks to Live (W/T), a comic tale of love and revenge born from a seemingly harmless prank that goes terribly wrong.
Written by Gaby Hull (Cheat), the six-part series will be produced by Kudos, part of Endemol Shine UK, and revolve around Kim Noakes (Williams), a strange young misfit who was just a little girl when her father died in murky circumstances. Following his death, her mother whisked her away to a remote rural life of seclusion and bizarre survival techniques.
Now all grown up, Kim sets out into the real world for the first time to begin a secret mission of honouring her father’s memory. Meanwhile, socially awkward Nicky isn’t good at impressing girls, and when Kim walks into his and brother Dave’s local pub, it sets in motion a chaotic series of events that puts all their lives in danger. Who would have thought a few drinks and an ill-judged prank could go so violently wrong?
The unlikely trio soon find themselves on the run from a murderous gangster and the police with a massive bag of stolen cash. But Kim is no ordinary fish out of water – she’s more like a great white shark who knows how to strip a Smith & Weston SDVE pistol in 6 seconds flat, skin a deer to make a sleeping bag, and perform all the routines from Dirty Dancing. With her in their team, they might all just survive….
Maisie Williams said: “Looking forward to getting into something new, I think Two Weeks To Live has really great potential and I want to make something incredible with this wonderful team!”