Filming/News/Speculation

Gwendoline Christie and four castmates head to Iceland for Season 8 filming

Posted on by Luka Nieto

701 - Winterfell - Tormund, Brienne 2

The recent arrival in Iceland of two main cast members may mean their characters will be marching to the frozen lands beyond the Wall — unless, of course, they will just be where we expect them, in the lands south of the Wall, but now looking much frostier! With winter settled in Westeros, it’s a bit difficult to predict whether snowy Iceland will keep being used only for the Frostfangs or if these scenes will be set in the North. Now, thanks to certain stars traveling to Iceland, we may know the answer to that question!

Following the lead of Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington, Kristofer Hivju, Joe Dempsie, Iain Glen, Gwendoline Christie and John Bradley were seen —and photographed— in their journey to Iceland earlier today, presumably enjoying a nice lunch at the airport:


(Original photo source on Tumblr)

The particular combination of cast members is what’s most telling about this picture. Since we last saw Tormund and Gendry at the Wall, we may well expect to see them around Eastwatch, part of which was indeed filmed in Iceland last year. Likewise, it’s not difficult to imagine why proven warriors such as Ser Jorah and Lady Brienne may be alongside them; perhaps to rescue them, or mount some defense between the Wall and Winterfell. All of that sounds quite plausible to me. But what about Sam?

Samwell Tarly may be the Slayer, but still, there are few circumstances in which it’s a good idea to send one of your few erudites to anywhere where the likes of Tormund Giantsbane, Brienne of Fucking Tarth, Gendry the Bull and Jorah the Bear are needed.

Sam’s presence is what leads me to believe that, with winter finally here and the White Walkers past the wall, we’ll see at least some scenes in the North beginning to look a lot more like Iceland and not so much like Northern Ireland. Maybe all of these scenes involving Clarke, Harington, Christie, Hivju, Dempsie, Glen and Bradley will take place south of the Wall; or most likely, some of them will take place around the Wall, while others, at least with Sam, will be set in the comparatively safer lands of the North.

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Luka Nieto

58 Comments

  5. I’m pretty sure that’s Belfast airport (not to sound like that pedantic guy), but guessing they’re all headed to Iceland

  7. NCW has been sighted as well, his instagrams stories have been from Belfast.
    Jaime/Brienn reunion FTW!! Can’t wait to see them fight White Walkers together with Twin Swords.

  8. whateverdgaf: Jaime/Brienn reunion FTW!!

    Not to say that it isn’t fantastic, but how many reunions do these two get? 😛 It should be a good one for them to finally be on the same side though… sort of.

  12. It’s snowing in King’s Landing. There has gotta be more than the usual token smattering of snow around Winterfell and the North at this point. Aside from the convenient ‘Theon and Sansa-catching’ drifts, of course.

    If Kristofer had noticed the camera and taken the opportunity to leer at Gwen, I would have lost it. 😂 Maybe Joe or John could put on the ‘Edd realizes’ expression.

  22. House Monty: So is this story bogus then?

    I don’t know. As of now, only Emilia and Kit have been photographed in Iceland and there’s been two people who claim to have seen Gwen in Belfast today.

  23. Luka Nieto,

    lol. i know you are not Sue.

    I was just referring to her story on Kit and Emilia being in belfast and in her article she threw out the idea that they were there not to due Beyond the Wall filming which today’s news supports.

  25. Luka Nieto,

    But it looks like that photo from the airport is from yesterday. But they were seen in the departure lounge so heading off somewhere, How come Gwen was spotted in Belfast today then?

  26. joojenbro,

    Yup, I’m guessing either the two sightings of Gwen in Belfast today are inaccurate or this is an old picture that was just recently posted. I’m leaning towards inaccurate sightings, but who knows? Hopefully we get more pictures from Iceland and we’ll be able to sort out what’s going on.

  27. Luka Nieto,

    Not really, cause the tumblr post is from sunday. And 2 sightings of Gwen in Belfast today are kinda hard to be just innacurate sights.

  29. jdtargstark:
    Luka Nieto,

    Not really, cause the tumblr post is from sunday. And 2 sightings of Gwen in Belfast today are kinda hard to be just innacurate sights.

    Is the only source the pic or is there an independent source they are in Iceland?

  30. When a bunch of the cast end up spending time traveling together like this, I wonder if they talk shop – speculating about their characters’ motivations and whatnot – or if they try to chat about anything-but-work. Would love to be a fly on that airport wall.

  31. The most interesting thing is that all the leads gather in Iceland, while there some serious siege/attack sequence is being filmed at Winterfell set. So, who is defending Winterfell? Tyrion?

  32. Well..they had all starting to gather finally in the snowy/icy Winterfell[who will look like like Iceland in Winter in S8] for the Great Battle ..I cant wait to see this…I cant wait for S8..THE HYPE IS HYPE

  34. Inga:
    The most interesting thing is that all the leads gather in Iceland, while there some serious siege/attack sequence is being filmed at Winterfell set. So, who is defending Winterfell? Tyrion?

    Putting a Lannister in charge of WF defenses sounds risky

  35. I think Sam’s presences could be connected to Bran. Bran has to know that the WW made it past the wall. So maybe this group, along with Jon and Dany, are going north to try and get to the NK to stop them. Maybe Bran and Sam will have some kind of communication going on?

  39. Pigeon: I saw “Iain Glen was apparently se…” and immediately thought “VERY sexy!….oh”

    There ain’t no “apparently” about it, blasphemer ! 😛

    PS Thank you ghost of winterfell and Jay Targ

  40. ACME: There ain’t no “apparently” about it, blasphemer ! 😛

    PS Thank you ghost of winterfell and Jay Targ

    Preaching to the choir here. 😁

  41. Jay Targ,

    Lol, yeah.

    Pigeon,

    ACME,

    I will commit the blasphemy then 😛….I don’t see the appeal. I think his voice is very sexy, but otherwise not so much…
    (Ducks for cover)

  43. Chilli: So he’s not in Iceland now?

    He could be as the flight time is under three hours and that was posted five hours ago… if it was him. 😛

  44. ghost of winterfell:
    Jay Targ,

    Lol, yeah.

    Pigeon,

    ACME,

    I will commit the blasphemy then 😛….I don’t see the appeal. I think his voice is very sexy, but otherwise not so much…
    (Ducks for cover)

    I tend to have a thing for the men who look like they’ve been through the ringer a bit in life (whether they have or not), so Iain Glen, Rory McCann, Sean Bean, and some of the ‘older’ actors on the show have my ❤. Tom Wlaschiha gets a nod too because daaaaaaaaaamn. The Kit Haringtons, Richard Maddens, and younger pretty things don’t do much for me although I can appreciate that they’re attractive. This is why the world is a wonderful place. 😂

  45. ghost of winterfell,

    I tend to have a thing for the men who look like they’ve been through the ringer a bit in life (whether they have or not), so Iain Glen, Rory McCann, Sean Bean, and some of the ‘older’ actors on the show have my ❤. Tom Wlaschiha gets a nod too because daaaaaaaaaamn. The Kit Haringtons, Richard Maddens, and younger pretty things don’t do much for me although I can appreciate that they’re attractive. This is why the world is a wonderful place. 😂

  47. Pigeon,

    All I know is that one day I was peeking at but not watching a movie on TV, saw a man greet Angelina Jolie’s’s character, and thought: “Nobody has the right to be that handsome.” Then he sat down, started talking in a silky voice,
    and a few seconds later I realized…”Holy f*cking sh*t!!! That’s Jorah F*cking Mormont!!!”

    (I think it was a Lara Croft flick.)

  50. I was at that airport only a year or two back so strange to see them all there! Could Sam be needed beyond the wall if they do go to the land of always winter for his knowledge perhaps but then why would Gendry be there? I must admit I’m really confused now but it seems Tormund will live at least a little while if he’s there too.

  53. The real question is WHERE IS THE HOUND??!!?!

    His absence from this group has me very worried. No one is safe, but if he gets dead I will be in mourning.

    (and yay! Tormund is alive!!!)

  54. shermizzle:
    The real question is WHERE IS THE HOUND??!!?!

    His absence from this group has me very worried.No one is safe, but if he gets dead I will be in mourning.

    I prefer to assume that, once he is reunited with the Stark sisters, they will never want to let him out of their sight again. He can become the First Not-a-Knight of Sansa’s Wardeness-of-the-Northguard. I mean, who better?

  55. Firannion,

    You know, the more I think about this reunion, the more persuaded I am that it’s going to choke me up even more than Arya + Jon. Imagine Arya and Sansa running at Sandor from two directions and swooping him up in a big sisterly bear (wolf) hug, realizing that he’s a missing member of their pack. And Sandor still trying to be Mr. Tough Guy but getting this aw-shucks look on his face and patting them awkwardly. Feeling loved and not knowing what the hell to do with such a feeling.

    I would cry buckets.

  56. Pigeon,

    I’m totally with you here. I once explained to my husband that yes, I find Leonardo diCaprio aesthetically pleasing, but I could look at him all day the way I could look at an actual Leonardo all day. I don’t find him sexually attractive any more than I find the Mona Lisa sexually attractive. 😂

  58. Firannion:
    Firannion,

    You know, the more I think about this reunion, the more persuaded I am that it’s going to choke me up even more than Arya + Jon. Imagine Arya and Sansa running at Sandor from two directions and swooping him up in a big sisterly bear (wolf) hug, realizing that he’s a missing member of their pack. And Sandor still trying to be Mr. Tough Guy but getting this aw-shucks look on his face and patting them awkwardly. Feeling loved and not knowing what the hell to do with such a feeling.

    I would cry buckets.

    Oh Yes! I picture Sansa trying to play it cool and Queenly until he throws one of his great one-liners, and she then runs as described. Though I just can’t get on board with the romantic pairing, as some have suggested/predicted (but that might just be personal jealousy talking!)

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